The graffiti alley in Melbourne taught me more about composition than any book

I was visiting Melbourne last month and stumbled into Hosier Lane. The layers of tags and murals there are insane. I realized those artists treat the whole wall like a canvas, balancing colors and negative space just like a pro designer would. Has anyone else picked up creative tips from unexpected street spots?

2 comments

2 Comments

alex30719h ago

Balancing colors and negative space just like a pro designer would" - I dunno, man. I walked through Hosier Lane and saw a lot of chaotic stuff that looked more like a mess than any kind of composition. Most of those artists are just tagging over each other's work, not carefully planning anything. Books actually teach you rules and principles, while graffiti is mostly about going with whatever feels right in the moment. I get that some people find inspiration there, but calling it a better teacher than actual design books feels like a stretch.

hugomurray17h ago

Nah, you gotta look closer - a good writer knows chaos has its own rules too.