My First Time Spray Painting in 20 Years

We have something that should be in any city around the world — a legal graffiti wall where artists can draw, paint, and express themselves without looking over their shoulders. I was lucky enough to be invited by the project’s creator, Arthur, to paint my signature Mustache Man on two of the available walls.

This was a big deal for me — I haven’t used a spray can in over 20 years, so I saw this as the perfect chance to practice and revisit an old skill.

Getting Started: Planning and Prepping the Wall

Like with all my art, I started by measuring the wall and taking reference photos to begin sketching. But before I could even start, I had to deal with the wall’s rough texture. Since my style includes a lot of fine lines and small details, I realized I might not be able to do it all with just spray paint.

That’s when I decided I’d also use Posca markers to help with the detailed parts later on. But first, we had to get paint, rollers, and supplies to prep the base.

Buying Paint and Dealing With the Heat

Surprisingly, spray paint turned out to be cheaper than basic interior paint, so I picked up a few cans. But the store had very limited stock — especially for black and white — so I was lucky to grab what I needed in advance.

The day I started was also the hottest day of the year. Not to mention that I was working in shade – I was soaking wet when I finished with this mural. And I decided to split the legal wall in two, or otherwise I won’t be able to finish in one day. Sand paper turned out to be completely useless, good that I had my trusty pocket knife with me, that came in very handy, and I was able to smooth out the rough surfaces.

Sketching the Artwork: The Old-School Way

For transferring my sketch onto the wall, I didn’t use a projector or any digital tools. I went old school — just a tape measure, marker, and a lot of patience. I marked out points like I do when I transfer my sketches to plywood for paintings.

When it came time to make circular shapes like the eyes, I used a simple trick: a basic wood screw and a string to draw near-perfect circles. I’m a perfectionist, so I want my wall sketch to be as close as possible to my sketch book with minimum deviations.

Learning About Spray Caps the Hard Way

At first, things weren’t going great. I realized the caps I was using were completely wrong. The spray was uneven and unpredictable. But once I switched to a proper skinny cap, everything changed — the lines were cleaner, more consistent, and I actually started to enjoy the process.

This was a big lesson: having the right spray cap makes a huge difference. It’s the kind of thing you don’t know until you try (or fail). So if you’re wondering how to get clean lines with spray paint, the answer starts with finding the right cap.

Shaky Hands, Fine Lines, and Creative Challenges

The longer I worked, the more I noticed my hands starting to shake — probably from the heat and fatigue. When doing fine detail work, steady hands matter, especially when you’re using spray paint or markers.

The Posca marker started to act weird too — probably reacting to the spray-painted surface underneath. The ink broke apart in strange textures like desert floor with random cracks. But I kept going. These small line details are an important part of my style, especially as a graphic designer who likes a balance of thick and thin lines. And I can go on forever adding and adding those small details, but luckily the marker ran out of juice and I had to stop.

Final Thoughts on My First Graffiti Wall

In the end, I’m really happy with how the piece turned out. For someone who hasn’t picked up a spray can in decades, I think I did okay.

The biggest takeaway? The right spray cap makes all the difference. And that I should definitely come back another time with a stencil for dot shading, which is something I often use in my studio work. That could actually be my definitive style and my crown jewel, as I haven’t seen anyone using that technique – I could own it 🙂

This was more than just a painting. It felt like a meaningful step in my creative journey — reconnecting with a part of myself I haven’t explored in a long time. I’m grateful for the chance to be part of this legal graffiti wall project and I hope to keep learning and improving from here.

Thanks for reading — and if you’re curious, I document all my creative experiments here on the blog and also on my YouTube channel and Patreon.

Until next time,
Stay curious, get inspired, and be creative.

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