Spray Paint Art

Spray paint art, sometimes called spray can art, was an art movement created in the early 1980's in Mexico City. The first artist credited with using spray paint for art in this way was Ruben Sadot Fernandez. He would sit in front of large crowds in parks and on sidewalks, and painted amazing works of art without the use of a brush. Followers of the movement, which was also called Aerosolgrafia, also created their art in public, combining fine art with performance art. They performed in places with a high number of toursits, such as Acapulco and Cancun. The high number of visitors helped ensure the artists a decent income. The style created by Sadot had spread all over the world by the mid 1990's.



Artwork from Spraypaint Creations

Spray paint art is most often used to depict space scenes and space landscapes. Because this art form allows the artist to easily and quickly create planets, moons, stars, and rock formations, it is often used in the creation of fantasy and science-fiction themes. And oddly enough, these often include pyramids. While some artists do choose to stick a little closer to home with their themes, it still tends to retain a somewhat fantastical feel.

Artwork: Lost Acropolis by Yannis Koutras

*Spray Paint - Preferably high gloss. Make sure to get the regular, round spray-nozzle (not the wide-angle spray).
*Latex Gloves - Keep your hands clean while you work. If you have a latex allergy, use nitrile or vinyl gloves.
*Posterboard or other non-porous material such as metal, glass, or plastic. Use the glossy side of the posterboard.
*Round bowls, lids, or other objects - Use as a stencil for planets and other round objects.
*Face mask - You don't want to breathe in all those toxic fumes from the paint!
*Magazine pages, waxed paper, and/or aluminum foil - Use these to mask of areas of your page or to remove paint in a random pattern.
*Scrapers or clay modeling tools - These can be used to scrape away paint and make different effects with the paint. A large scraper like a putty knife or joint compound spatula is great for large areas.
*Paper towels, rags, or sponges - Clean your scraper tools between applications or dip paint onto your canvas.
*Masking tape - Preferably the painter's tape or drafting tape. Use this to tape the edges of your work down to make a clean border or edge on your work.
*Stencils - Add even more interest to your work with stencils.
*Straight edge tools - Make perfect straight lines with these tools.

Artwork by Ronny Haklay