Graffiti Artist David Samuels Conducts Workshops for Young Learners

“

Students at Eastleigh College were given the chance recently to gain a detailed insight into the professional and flourishing world of Graffiti Art.

Graffiti art originated in the late 1960’s and has been developing ever since. However, in spite of this, there is still a certain degree of opposition to graffiti as a recognised form of art. The students of BTEC National Diplomas and Pre-Degree Foundation Diplomas in Art and Design were joined by pupils from local sixth form colleges and schools in their Graffiti Master Class sessions, in which the undergraduates were treated with an exclusive visit form Renowned Graffiti artist David Samuels.

Creating Art in Creative Art

The Graffiti Master Class consisted of two workshops, one that tool place in the morning and another in the afternoon. Samuels began the workshops by explaining to students how they could create their own pieces of graffiti art. He then went on to teach the young learners various methods of drawing letters, stating that graffiti always began with the basic shape of letters.

Following this, three students were invited to join him and colour words that he had created through graffiti, which involved not only colouring, but in turn – outlining, and turning them into 3D structures. Students were able to ask questions at all stages throughout the class. Samuels finished the class on a high and created a graffiti piece exclusively for the college.

A Pioneer Bringing Knowledge to Young Artists

Samuels gained fame on the successful Channel 4 reality show, “Faking It” in which the artist mentored an art historian who was required to “fake it” as a Graffiti artist. Originally from North London, Samuels is the founder of the Rare Kind Art Gallery located in Brighton, which is the not only the first but in addition the only graffiti gallery throughout the whole country.

For the artist, the sessions were an opportunity for the learners to identify with graffiti as an acknowledged art form. “Tagging is the raw element of graffiti, and everything starts with the basic shape of a letter. Graffiti shows real skill and craftsmanship, and many companies are now commissioning graffiti artwork for their buildings.”

The interactive workshops helped students to develop and hone their ideas for their art projects, and enabled them to see the variety of skills that may be learnt through graffiti. The college marked the Graffiti Master Class as a great achievement, which allowed students to not only gain knowledge of a whole range of graffiti skills, but in turn, be able to practice their proficiency at the art within the class.

Tina Sharma

Graffiti art for young artists? Free your mind in the FE Blog

“