Many graffiti artist end up becoming graphic artists. Such is the case with an artist named Zero-a former Knoxville resident who has since moved to San Francisco. Some graffiti artists travel around the country by hopping trains, painting along the way. As a result, a lot of graffiti is found in train yards. Artist frequently sign thier area code to identify thier home region, Music says.
Some graffiti does include figures or abstract forms.
A parody piece underneath the 640 bridge shows Santa Claus holding a decapitated body and a demonic snowman holding a child's head. The sides of the tracks are littered with empty spray cans. The average mural can be created in 30 to 45 minutes. Most artist start by rolling over old pieces, and then go to work with thier cans, using various size nozzles for different brush lenghts, Music says. There are 150 spray paint colors available in the U.S., but artist create more colors by mixing paint from half empty cans, he says.