In the graffiti of the world's
walls, a
mastertful writer develops a tag that reflects the person's
artistic style. In the Graff Art scene, this is called a Handstyle.
It's obvious that everyone possess distinct
handwriting. Penmanship is determined by education, personality, and even
mood. Font in
graffiti writing is also affected by those three main
influences. The
letterform a writer uses to present his name or scribble to the world is his or her handstyle.
The handstyle is the most prevalent form of illegal public art. They are produced with more repetition than the bubble letters of a throw-up or the coursing bars of a wildstyle piece. Also, handstyles are generally diminutive in size, relative to sprayed or rollered works. Closest to what most think of as a "tag", the handstyle is beyond that belittling term.
In a graffiti artist's career, the first few years are spent tagging. Significant repetition of the name results in a definite iconography (selection of lines, symbols and attitude of flow) inherent to the individual. This change in letter form - from handwriting to personification - is the difference between a mere tag and handstyle.