The skeleton
Top bar and bottom bar first, the same length as each other and both full width. Then the diagonal joining the top-right to the bottom-left. Match the diagonal’s weight to the bars exactly, or the letter looks assembled from two different alphabets.
What happens when you inflate it
The two corners are the vulnerable points, and they fail differently: the top-right corner rounds off and the bottom-left corner opens up. Keep both tight, and keep the diagonal from bowing outward under weight.
What usually goes wrong: Drawing the two bars at different lengths. It happens constantly and it makes the letter look like it is falling over. Draw one bar, measure it, and copy the measurement.
Letters Z sits next to
Z sits with L, E and N. It is one of the best letters for a horizontal extension in wildstyle, because the top or bottom bar can be stretched into the neighbouring letter without changing the skeleton.
One thing to try
In handstyle, take the bottom bar lower than the baseline and let it trail off. A Z with a dropping tail reads as movement, which suits a letter that is already about direction.
How to draw the letter Z in four steps
- Sketch the skeleton. Top bar and bottom bar first, the same length as each other and both full width. Then the diagonal joining the top-right to the bottom-left. Match the diagonal’s weight to the bars exactly, or the letter looks assembled from two different alphabets.
- Inflate the strokes. The two corners are the vulnerable points, and they fail differently: the top-right corner rounds off and the bottom-left corner opens up. Keep both tight, and keep the diagonal from bowing outward under weight.
- Check the neighbors. Z sits with L, E and N. It is one of the best letters for a horizontal extension in wildstyle, because the top or bottom bar can be stretched into the neighbouring letter without changing the skeleton.
- Add your own twist. In handstyle, take the bottom bar lower than the baseline and let it trail off. A Z with a dropping tail reads as movement, which suits a letter that is already about direction.
Questions about the letter Z
Why does my graffiti Z look unstable?
The two bars are different lengths, or the diagonal does not meet them at matching angles. Both bars the same length, both corners square.
Should a graffiti Z have flat or angled corners?
In block, stencil and blockbuster styles the corners should be square with flat bar ends. In bubble and handstyle styles they round off, but they should still be the sharpest points in the letter.