top of page


Urban Art/Graffiti Writing
Terminology - As described in the book "Style: Writing from the Underground"
Aerosol Art: that done in aerosol which can be conceived as art
Aerosol Culture: a wide spectrum of spray related practices
Bar Letter: a hard edged style with barrish connections
Bite/Biting: to copy
Bomb/Bombing: saturating trains/other spaces abundantly with ones name
Burner: colorful elaborated pieces
Burning/Burn: to best, defeat, or upstage, usually in competition
End to End: a piece or painting the length of a subway car (window down or top to bottom)
Fat Cap: special cap used to fill in large areas/thick line
Getting Up/Getting Around: having ones name in quantity or in many places
Heart Bottom Letters: letters with heart shaped bottoms
Hot 110: a name used to write over others who write over others
Hump Letters (Feet/Foot Letters): a letter with a rounded protrusion bottoms/backs
Lay-Up: an underground/elevated track where trains are parked
Loaf: a half circle/oval that comes off of a letter's end
Machine Letter: a machine like lettering style
Married Couple: two train cars interlocked and functional as one unit
Marshmallow: a lettering style with puffy bottoms
Masterpiece: a combination of outlined filled stylized letters
Mechanical Letters: a mechanical like lettering style
Physicals: friends or individuals
Platform Letter: a stemmed or extended letter style or accessory
Racking Up: the confiscation of spray paint and other items
Roast: see "Burn"
Sandwich: a cut [letter] segment of three or more layers
Softie (Bubble Letter): a widely used soft rounded Bronx lettering style
Star Letters: letters with star shaped protrusions
The Shit: good or better than good/dope
Throw Up: a scarcely filled in or quick piecing style [most notably popularized by In/Kill3]
Top to Bottom: a piece or painting from the top to the bottom of a subway car
Toy: originally a writer with no status or recognition, usually due to lack of hits or masterpieces
Window Down End to End (WIDEE): a piece or painting the length of a subway car and under the windows
Whole Car: a piece or painting expanding a subway car's width and length
Writer: one who writes
Writing: the act of one who writes/uses marker or spray paint
Graffiti artists who wish to be visible and recognized, contact us to have your handle added to the urban art page.
All flicks were taken in Grand Rapids, MI












Send us your flicks to add to our graffiti gallery.
bottom of page