Top 5 Graffiti Handstyles (Voted by You)

One of the most important skills for any graffiti artist to master is the graffiti tag, the signature or handstyle that represents them. In this post, we’ll take a look at five of the best graffiti tags as suggested by the community and explore what makes these artists stand out.

5. Big Sleeps

Coming in at number five on our list is Big Sleeps, an artist who brings a unique and regional flair to their handstyle. As graffiti evolves and expands globally, regional styles are becoming increasingly rare. That’s why Big Sleeps’ work stands out for its distinct approach. Their handstyle is clean and well-constructed, embodying craftsmanship that’s not always easy to find in modern graffiti. Not only that, Sleeps paints awesome murals where they write each hand-style letter as large as the average letter for a piece. With that size, he can easily add smaller details like drop shadows the each letter that helps it stand out.

4. Oil

The third spot on the list is a posthumous tribute to Crude Oil, an artist with a legendary hand style that has inspired graffiti artists worldwide. Oil’s hand style is the textbook definition of crisp lettering. His tags showcase masterful control of negative space and letter placement, ensuring that each letter has its own defined space without cluttering the overall design. This precision is something every aspiring graffiti artist can learn from, especially if you're looking to clean up your tags and bring more clarity to your hand style. Rest in peace.

3. Ocuse

Number 3 is Ocuse, whose hand style is nothing short of diabolical in all the best ways in its precision. Ocuse’s mastery of fundamentals shines through in every tag, which balances creativity with technique. Each tag is carefully crafted and none of his tags demonstrate this as smoothly as his Spades tag that adds to its uniqueness. Ocuse exemplifies how knowing the fundamentals allows you to express your style while keeping the fundamentals correct.

2. Cancer

Coming in at number two is the versatile graffiti artist known as Cancer. This guy is famous for having some of the best tags in graffiti, and I have a feeling that if more people had voted he would have gotten first place! What sets Cancer apart from many other artists is their range. Cancer’s ability to shift between styles while maintaining a high level of quality is a true testament to their mastery. It’s one thing to dabble in multiple graffiti styles, but it takes real talent to manipulate and control those styles effortlessly. Whether it's clean lines, complex fills, or dynamic structures, Cancer proves that versatility is just as valuable as technical skill in graffiti.

1. Smoke

Smoke takes the number one spot with a hand style that’s as crisp as it is complex. Smokes ability to do stylish yet refined letters with clean structures is hard to match for the average writer, yet for Smoke, this comes effortlessly. These subtle yet important details elevate Smoke’s hand style, making it one of the most eye-catching in modern graffiti. Smoke's tag is a perfect example of clean, minimalist graffiti, yet it's anything but simple.

Each artist on this list has amazing work, be sure to click on their pictures to go to their social media pages. As for Cancer, Smoke, and Acuse, any one of them could have taken first place, they truly are all incredible!

Additional Resources:

Comprehensive Graffiti Book: Available in ebook formats here.
YouTube Tutorials: Check out our playlist for the best how-to graffiti tutorials.

Feel free to share your thoughts and share other people with dope tags in the comments below!

Top 5 Graffiti Hand Styles