Step into the Future of Graffiti Art

With Graffiti becoming a global problem for our governments and harsher and stronger laws being put into effect, Graffiti artists are finding it tougher to express their art without facing the consequences.

This can deter a lot of artists and may see the end of Graffiti Art as we know it. But luckily a group of forward thinking artists are taking humble Graffiti to the next level in the form of Light Graffiti.

Tag by Chuck Anderson

Light Graffiti is a photographic technique in which exposures are made usually at night or in a darkened room by moving a hand-held light source or by moving the camera. In many cases the light source itself does not have to appear in the image. The term also encompasses images lit from outside the frame with hand-held light sources.   

Anyone who has checked long time exposure on cameras already knows the basics of Light Graffiti writing. It´s a simple but efficient photo and animation technique, which has developed only within the last decade.

It is by no means a new thing. Pablo Picasso already worked out this technique in his own way. Picasso was photographed ‘painting’ a quick sketch in mid-air in a darkened room with a torch, and the image was composited with a shot of Pablo in a studio to create the effect of painting with light.

Classic Light tag

Using this new method, a number of graffiti artists have been tagging the impossible without being caught. How? – it’s actually not illegal for them. They’re not using paint and they are not leaving a long term, ‘hard copy’ of their artwork on public or private property. Though this form of graffiti exists in cyberspace at the moment it wont be long before we see it in art installations in our cities. 

As it turns out, time-lapse photography isn’t just for blooming flowers, skyscapes, or brake lights anymore. Tag artists are taking their ‘colour’ to an all new level.

Techniques:

Moving the Light Source

Light Graffiti vs Traditional Graffiti by LAPP

The light can either be used to selectively illuminate parts of the subject or to ‘paint’ a picture by shining it directly into the camera lens. Light painting requires a sufficiently slow shutter speed, usually a second or more. Like night photography, it has grown in popularity since the advent of digital cameras because they allow photographers to see the results of their work immediately.

Light painting can take on the characteristics of a quick pencil sketch. Flash lights or light pens or LED ‘throwies’ can also be used to create Full Bleed images. Different colored lights can be used to project an image on the CCD.

Moving the Camera

Light Graffiti explores 3D elements by LAPP

Making a light graffiti doesn’t necessarily need to be done in a dark room or at night. Sometimes using artificial light, like LEDs and mobile phones, or through the limited sunlight beaming in a curtained room creates a shadowing effect. Using a mirror creates a double image, which adds up to a more creative result.

Light Graffiti is also known as Light Writing/ Light Painting.

Recognition – Gathering Momentum

Darklight is the first international Light Graffiti writing festival, paying tribute to this virtual graffiti and urban space art. It’s goal is to invite the most outstanding artists of this genre to Berlin for one week to hold workshops, jam-sessions and to organise the exhibition for the public.

Light Graffiti Artists:

KAALAM (FR) | KARL D. WILLIS (AUSTR) | L.A.P.P. (GER) | LIGHTDOODLES (UK) | LICHTFAKTOR (GER) | NASH (IND) | MARKO93 (FR) | TOFA (GER) | PIKAPIKA (JP) | PIPSLAB (NL) | MISHEL CHURKIN (RU) |

Other Light Graffiti Links:

• Environmental graffiti
• Interview with Artist Lichtfaktor
• Lichtfaktor Pics Library
• Lichtfaktor Video Starwars vs Startrek
• PikaPika Video Go Go PikaPika
• Light Graffiti Video

• Shift Video Spider Walk

Step by Step Instructions on how to create your own Light Graffiti: 

• Download Light Graffiti Tutorial

If you like the direction Light Graffiti is heading leave us a comment on how it makes you feel.

If you have any further pics or videos on Light Graffiti please send them to us - we would be happy to share them. 

  

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Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

• Paste Up Graffiti – Hitting new Frontiers
• Graffiti Definitions – Beginners Guide
• Tagging – A Clear Understanding
• 魔幻的影跡 – Painting with Light