Graffiti’s Variant Structures Guide!
All Variant Structures in Graffiti
Are you looking for a straightforward list of all variant structures in graffiti, look no further, this is a complete list of variant structures for graffiti. Understand, not all letters have variant structures, and those letters will not be in this list. We’'ll be sure to share this list again later in the blog so you don’t have to scroll back up. If you want a full guide on variant structures and how they work as well as how they are established then feel free to read on and learn all about graffiti and it’s letters. For tons more information just like this, check out our book “The Ultimate Graffiti Guide Book: Part 1”
Full Guide
Alternate versions of letters have been around for centuries, and many of them we use on a daily basis. While this topic is established and talked about in in different words and termonologies for various letter-based art forms such as typography, and calligraphy, its a topic that hasn’t been talked about or established in graffiti. This is for good reason too, because each letter-based art form uses these structures differently and has different fundamentals, and therefore not all of the same structures qualify for each of the art forms. Using graffiti’s and general art’s fundamentals, alongside speaking with professionals in other letter-based art forms, and language studies, I have established variant structures. To be clear, these have always existed, like all core fundamentals for all art forms, no one creates these, but rather we here at The Artist Block simply defined and developed the topic. So what is a variant structure? Well a variant structure technically speaking is an alternate version of graffiti’s basic structures made using different basic strokes.
While graffiti does not at all emphasize the use of strokes when actually writing, that doesn’t mean that we don’t use them. Strokes are simply a fundamental part of writing and drawing letters regardless of how aware we are when writing. In pages 18&19 of our book you’ll find an explanation of how these basic strokes separate graffiti from other art forms. These very same strokes are what determine if a structure is a variant structure or not.
An Excerpt From Our Book “The Ultimate Graffiti Guide Book”
Variant structures are alternate versions of letters in graffiti that are made using different combinations of basic strokes. Despite variants using different strokes, the stem from the basic structure will remain in the variant counterparts since the stem is the source of the letter. For this to not be the case, the letter needs to take on a new structure (variant majuscule "E's" are an example of this). Now basic structures often use additional straight strokes for other letter segments so the structure remains in simplest form / lowest style. For this reason, variant structures will often replace these additional straight strokes with other strokes. Typically speaking, the basic structure also acts as a blueprint for the variant structures to build from. This means no matter the shape of the new stroke, the letter’s anatomy is still represented and the letter will keep its integrity. The biggest difference between both categories is the sheer number of variants when compared to basic structures. When looking at variants, we find that a single letter can have upward of twenty variants, whereas basic structures have only one for its uppercase and lowercase versions. Some letters have an enormous number of variant structures such as "E", "S", and "G", while others such as "O" and capital "H" have absolutely no variant structures at all. You can find a full list of variant structures toward the end of the book. Both basic and variants come together to make up the category called base structures. Base structures are simply any structure within the basic or variant category, and they will be your starting letter before adding style or letter distortions as you’d see in more advanced graffiti. Seeing as basic structures are the simplest form of each letter, variants naturally have slightly more style than their basic structure counterparts.
This is graffiti after all, which means we’re more than welcome to use basic structure Rs and style them up a bit. Just because they’re a basic structure doesn’t mean they’re boring, or basic by any means and it certainly doesn’t mean that they all need to look the same. While sure they’ll all share the same skeleton, you can move that skeleton around as you see fit. For an example look at the R in Star, Rebel, and Geser’s pieces. Each uses the same basic structure, yet they all add a little of their own interpretation to it while maintaining the letter’s structure. How you use the structure will depend not only on personal preference but also will depend on the context of the piece you’re working on (same for tags and throwies). Soker decides to use a variant structure R featuring a two-box leg, and as you can see it too was done in a simple way so now the question becomes why might we want to use these? Variant structures offer us a different perspective on a letter that may fit the context of our graffiti a little better than other versions of the same structure. For example, in the Soker piece, his O is smaller, and collared differently, clearly building up to a pattern that he keeps up with on his lowercase E. Since he knows his E will be similar in size to the O, he takes the opportunity to use a two-box leg K (another variant) to shoot the leg under the E while staying close to the stem of the K. Now we get to the R where he takes advantage of letter uniformity by having the R also be a two box leg variant. This also allows him the change to restrict how heavy the R becomes, since shooting the leg outward to the right like Star, Rebel and Geser would only add more weight to the letter. Could he have made any other R structure work? Sure, any skilled artist could, but he chose to go with a variant that he felt fit the context and his preference at the time the best.
Learning variant structures is no different than learning basic structures. To begin, take things slow, familiarize yourself with the skeleton of the letter itself, and try using the variant on the lettering chart (baseline, mean line, cap line) to see how the proportions of the letter are, as well as how the letter functions. As you become comfortable with the structure itself, then adding style to it should be easier to do. these variants apply to tags, throwies and pieces, though some are more or less common for other forms of graffiti.
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If you’re serious about learning how to make graffiti for beginners and developing your style, check out our Ultimate Graffiti Guide Book. It’s the only book on the market that teaches graffiti fundamentals in immense detail, walking you through the process of creating your own unique style.
