A Small Study of Street-Art

Pouring sweat. Bruised knees. Raw fingertips. Could this be the results of football? Soccer? Sumo wrestling?  Nope, it's the "victory scars" that a sidewalk street artist acquires when creating a 
street-art painting.  

Street painting, also known as sidewalk-art is the process of rendering artistic illustrations on street pavement or actual sidewalks. It's been around since the 16th century; specifically popular in European countries. Artists depict their art usually where festivals are held. Sometimes as they "paint", passing audiences throw coins in appreciation. World War II caused an interruption in this particular art but in 1972 it was revived in the traditional manner along with a new  3-D perspective technique.

At first I wasn't sure how to proceed so I started by purchasing a set of brilliantly colored chalk sticks from Prang, Freart, (12 sticks). Next, I taped together several large sheets of newsprint, side-by-side. After securing the paper sheets on a wall, I drew on numbered graph lines. Using the graph lines, I sketched my simple illustration on to the newsprint. Then I cut out large areas like a giant puzzle (usually 4- 6 pieces).  

At the art-site, I would then "trace" my pattern pieces on to my assigned space using a white chalk stick. My first street-art piece measured 4'x6'. At later festivals, I graduated to 8'x10'; more impressive to passing audiences.  

I always start first with rendering the face simply because it's placed in the middle of the illustration; making it easier to work out to the edges. Street-art festivals are usually held in summer. An over-sized, wide-brimmed straw hat, sun screen, and plenty of water are necessary "accessories".  

In recent years, I participated in four street-art festivals. Each were held in a two-day period that gave the artists plenty of time to finish a small "masterpiece".

At one particular festival in Fort Collins, Colorado, most of the artists were half-way through their art work at the end of day #1. During the night, a hard summer rain hit the area. On day #2 we all came back to our renderings which looked like they had melted. Colored chalk streaks meandered throughout the street pavement.  

The festival visitors were aghast at this colorful mess and expressed their condolences for all the artists's hard work. But we artists were ecstatic at viewing the newly painted abstract art that mother-nature did!   

What a fun way to become like a child again, gleefully drawing on the street with chalk all over my face and clothes. My mother would be proud indeed.