10 years from now, how will you define hip hop art?
Art is not something that you limit to simple rules and definitions but if you wanted to give some one a frame of reference to begin, where would you start? The visual style of hip hop is based on street art. It has so many influences from the works of Bode, comic books, popular cartoons, to Arabic calligraphy. But what are the aesthetics of classic hip hop art? Here’s what I came up with, after 2 minutes of painstaking research and review of the pioneering books Subway Art
- Strong Character Design.
You don’t even have to create your own, think of it as sampling. Many early characters painted on walls were reused because they effective. Styles were reused as much as they are in popular manga titles.
- Complex and Simple Letterforms.
Some people love cute bubble letters but intricate detailed type appeared to dominate the art. There are wonderful examples in the book Graffiti World: Street Art from Five Continents
- Powerful and Vibrant Colors.
I’ve seen some great monochromatic pieces but I don’t think you can deny the power of color.
Ok, maybe some one has a better argument for what visually defines classic hip hop art. I’m obviously the self-styled expert. Any thoughts?
But if you are interested in a more comprehensive essay on the Definition, check out the new book published by PowerHouse Books. The book is not released yet but I’m sure it will be worth your while. PowerHouse also publishes a number a great art/photography books like the Breaks. Correction: The book will be published by Collins Design a division of Harpers Collins.
The forthcoming book Definition is written by Cey Adams. FormatMag.com has a great interview with him on their website.
Just wanted to comment on your drawings, very nice!!!
Thank you Jason! If you have any suggestions, constructive criticisms, or requests, please let us know. We appreciate you stopping by.
Hi there…Man i just love your blog, keep the cool posts comin..holy Saturday
man I’m going to check your blog like every day to see whats new! this is incredible.
I truly appreciate the comments Sean.
You can always get updates daily via RSS Feeds.
Hey guys I liked your blog and I am a big fan of the Hip Hop style. I am actually an artist myself and trying to teach myself the style in the past..almost year now. I was just wondering maybe if you have a minute or two you can stop by my site to see a few quick sketches I have done and let me know what you think. I am always trying to better myself, even though for now I am just doin it for fun.
Thanks,
Tali
I’ll definitely check out your blog. I think you’re on the right path. Do it for fun and just draw often, you will get better. Most professional in any field practice regularly.
Thanks for stopping by, you kind of inspired me to work on some hip hop style pieces. I’ll post them soon.
Thanks for stoppin through my blog, hoped you liked what you saw. I am definitely trying to keep drawing. Actually keep a journal of just ideas since I dont always have time to draw when I want. Glad I could throw a lil inspiration your way though… I will check the blog to see when they are up.
In response to your comment on my blog. I actually have a lot of “how to draw” books, including the “how to draw hip hop” which is a pretty good one. I have like 2 or 3 by Chris Hart I think. Thanks for the advice.. I think my biggest issue right now is finding the time, but I am slowly working on that.