Recently, I published a post on Reddit challenging everyone to what I called the State Your Name Challenge. I realized:

• You paint a piece a few times, it takes a few hours to execute, and you get it right the first time.
• You paint a throwie a few hundred times, it takes a few minutes to execute, and you get it right after a few years.
• You paint a tag a few thousand times, it takes a few seconds to execute, and you never get it right.

The truth is, you never really perfect a tag. There’s always a new style you’re working on or a new twist you’re adding to a letter. So I decided to issue a challenge to you all…  

How Does State Your Name Work?

Below, I’ve linked to a worksheet that has 100 spots for 100 tags. Download it and print it out. On the first page: Write your tag 50 times, in different styles. Here, we challenge your brain to step out of its usual way of doing things. It challenges you to be creative and come up with new shit. In that sea of tags, a couple might stand out as being worth looking into. When you’re done, circle your favorite.   On the second page: Take your favorite style from page one, and redo it 50 times. Here, we challenge your brain to simplify the steps, and rounds out the initial jitters your hand has with a new style. Feel free to make small changes, and try new stuff, but keep that main look and feel. By the end of page two your tag will feel loose, and overall smoother, stronger, and easier to look good. When you’re done, circle your favorite.  

“What Do I Do Afterwards?”

After you’re done, take a quick photo of your two completed worksheets, upload them to Imgur (super easy) and either post them in a comment below, or email them to me directly! Be open, and leave comments on each others work, too. No one is too advanced for this challenge, and no one is too shitty, either. Good luck and remember to have fun. A lot of people are looking forward to seeing your results!        

Putting my money where my mouth is, and completing the challenge myself

Didn’t want to leave y’all hanging so I put my money where my mouth is and completed the challenge myself, first.

Worksheet 1: Write Your Tag in 50 Styles

I chose to write the word “PRINT” because I had just printed the sheets. Not the most original, but it serves the purpose. I tried a bunch of silly shit, and ended up choosing #49 to use on Worksheet number 2. I also liked #29 (two columns to the left of #49), but in the end, you can only choose one. You could also go back and do 50 of #29 and see what you like from each.  

Worksheet 2 – Write Your Tag 50 Times

Now that I have picked the style I want to work with, I write it fifty times in a row with slight variations, to see what else I can squeeze out of it, and learn about the letters.

• You’ll see I discover/experiment with the word PRINT6 (and later PRIN6) at #10 and officially by #11 I’ve given it a shot.
• From #26–#29 I happen on a new T I like, but end up abandoning it for the most part.
• By the last column, I was starting to get comfortable and switching into a Sharpie for thicker lines and to feel it out a bit more, and get loose.
• At #46 I like PRIN6, then #47–#50 I’m set on PRINT6.

I end up choosing #49 again. I think that speaks volumes on how important it is to get your numbers in. I’m sure if I did 100, I’d choose #’s 95–99. Repetition *helps you learn*. Get out and practise. Or sit down and practise. Get your hours in!  

Worksheet Results – The final graffiti handstyle

So that’s it! Here’s what we ended up with. I’m pretty happy as the first person to complete the State Your Name Challenge. To think, just 10 minutes before doing this I had never tagged PRINT or PRINT6… this is from a stone-cold start and I think it’s not too bad!         So that’s me completing the challenge. What do you think?         Looking forward to seeing yours!