Graffiti Lessons with Andy Seize

Graffiti Lessons with Andy Seize

28 February, 2011
by: Naima Khan

'Revolutionizing' art lessons

“Drips are not good, guys.” It's a rule applicable to many activities, but particularly graffiti art. I’m listening to Andy Seize bestow his knowledge and share his skills with a group of five adults in a subway in Waterloo. The Leake Street passage is covered in graffiti and I’m about to make my own contribution.

As he explains what‘s to follow, Andy hands out a picture of the word we‘ll be writing. 'Revolutionizing', he tells us, has no political bearing but it does have fifteen letters, three for each of us. I’m assigned 'T' 'I' and 'O', which I have to sketch out, fill in, outline and then add some colour to. It sounds like a lot and I’m slightly in awe of the work from the kids’ class before us. Nerves are well and truly kicking in.

Within a few minutes Andy has shown us how to sketch a shape, spray a precise line, fill in a section, blend colours and has cracked half a dozen jokes in the process. His personality is as much a part of the lesson as the skills he teaches. Dealing with five quiet grown-ups, none of whom are particularly artistic, he puts us at ease and gets us to show some personality. He encourages us to try, not to worry about mistakes and shows us how to correct ourselves. Kids usually have this luxury. I’ve not had the opportunity to mess around like this in a while.

But true to his word, Andy’s demonstration is minimal; there’s no theory, and he’s not interested in telling us the history of graffiti. He wants us working, practicing and being creative as soon as possible. Keen to get stuck in, we’re glad he’s up for handing us paint straight away, accompanied with advice on low pressure cans, the best brands and where to buy.

The man’s a rarity and not least because he’s sharing a skill that so few are keen to pass on. Chatting after the lesson, Seize explains that graffiti’s ubiquity can make it look like it’s all the same. Banksy aside, it’s not often graffiti artists are praised, he says, not by the general public nor art critics. But Andy sees graffiti as a way for amateurs like us to unlock their creativity and relax.

After he divides the wall into sections, we’re away. There’s a guideline if we want to use it but we can write our letters anyway we want. This is ideal. I want something to work from, and I’m not really sure what I’m going to do, or what colours to use. Undeterred, I imitate every graffiti artist I’ve seen on TV ever. Not a great idea. At one point, Andy holds the can that I’m using and together we draw a straight line. I’m pressing the nozzle and he’s guiding it slowly to show me I don’t have to move fast to get a straight edge. Essentially, he’s trying to get me to chill out. It works. For the next hour I think of nothing else. The stresses of the past week and my trepidation about the busy week ahead disappear and all I’ve got worry about is blending the orange into the yellow, with no freakin’ drips.

For dates, price and details on Graffiti Lessons with Andy Seize see his website, facebook page and sister company Graffiti Bedrooms.

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Naima Khan