How to Draw Graffiti Letters (Wildstyle) in Procreate

2026-06-25

Graffiti lettering is its own alphabet — from simple tags to interlocking wildstyle. Procreate makes it easy to sketch, restructure and refine letters non-destructively. This guide breaks down how to draw graffiti letters on iPad: the styles, building structure, connections, 3D and color.

The three levels of graffiti lettering

Tag — a fast, single-color signature; all about flow and hand style.
Throw-up — bubble letters with an outline and quick fill; fast but bold.
Wildstyle — complex, interlocking, hard-to-read letters with arrows and connections; the advanced form.

Start simple and build up — even pros sketch a clean structure before going wild.

1. Start with the skeleton

On a sketch layer, write your word in a simple block or single-line skeleton. This underlying structure keeps letters readable and correctly proportioned no matter how stylized they get. Keep letter spacing even.

2. Build the letter shapes

Thicken the skeleton into full letterforms — bubble (rounded) for throw-ups, or angular blocks for wildstyle. Work on a new layer over the skeleton. Use QuickShape for clean arcs and a crisp liner for outlines.

3. Add connections and arrows

Wildstyle's signature is letters that interlock — extensions, bars and arrows linking one letter to the next. Add these gradually, keeping the eye flowing left to right. Don't overdo it; readability still matters.

4. Outline cleanly

Ink a clean outline around the whole letterform, then add a second outer outline (the force field) in a contrasting color to make the piece pop. Keep outline layers separate so you can recolor.

5. Add 3D depth

Give the letters a 3D extrusion: a solid shape behind the letters, offset in one direction, as their depth/shadow. Consistent direction across all letters sells the effect.

6. Fill and color

Block fills with a spray or flat brush below the outline. A gradient fill and highlights give the classic graffiti shine — see the full graffiti workflow for fills, drips and overspray. Spray brushes are under the graffiti tag.

Calligraffiti and hand styles

If you're drawn to the lettering side, the same hand-style flow connects to brush lettering — see how to do hand lettering in Procreate and the lettering category.

Brushes and next steps

Draw graffiti letters with free liners and sprays from the graffiti tag, inking and free brushsets. Then mock the piece onto a real wall.

Frequently Asked Questions

Click a question to expand the answer

How do you draw graffiti letters in Procreate?

Start with a simple skeleton of your word for structure, thicken it into bubble or angular letterforms, add connections and arrows for wildstyle, then ink a clean outline plus a contrasting outer outline. Add a 3D extrusion for depth and fill with spray and gradients.

What's the difference between a tag, throw-up and wildstyle?

A tag is a fast single-color signature focused on hand style; a throw-up is quick bubble letters with an outline and fill; wildstyle is complex, interlocking, hard-to-read letters with arrows and connections. Beginners should start with tags and throw-ups before wildstyle.

How do I keep graffiti letters readable?

Build them on a simple skeleton first so the underlying structure and spacing stay correct, and don't over-add connections and arrows. Even highly stylized wildstyle keeps an eye-flow from left to right. Starting from a clean block structure is the key.

How do I give graffiti letters a 3D effect?

Add a solid extrusion shape behind the letters, offset consistently in one direction, to act as their depth and shadow. Keep the offset direction the same across every letter, and combine it with a contrasting outer outline and highlights.