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S in Graffiti Letters

By Maya Chen, lettering designer and type educator · Checked by Jordan Hale · · How we review content

Capital S
Lowercase s

Rendered in the Sedgwick Ave Display typeface, an open-source font. It is a reference shape, not a hand-drawn letter.

S is the letter every writer has a personal version of, because it is a single moving line that you can bend into almost any shape. A tag S is often an elegant double curve, a throw-up S is a fat snake and a piece S can be a ribbon with two arrows. The trouble is consistency: the middle of the S is a diagonal that tends to shrink, and the terminals need weight to match.

Outline version to colour or trace

Open in the graffiti generator →

How to draw a graffiti capital S

  1. 1Draw the skeleton as one continuous line: a curve over the top, a diagonal spine and a curve under the bottom, leaning forward.
  2. 2Make the top curve slightly smaller than the bottom curve so the letter sits firmly on its base.
  3. 3Thicken the whole line to an even width, paying special attention to the diagonal, which tends to thin out.
  4. 4Outline the shape and keep both inner curves open, so the S does not turn into an 8.
  5. 5Finish the terminals with a flick at the top and an arrow at the bottom, then fill, highlight the upper curves and add a block.

Tip: Draw the spine as the thickest part of the S, then taper toward the ends. A heavy middle gives the letter weight and hides a lot of wobble in the curves.

How to draw a graffiti lowercase s

  1. 1Draw a small S skeleton at x-height, narrower than the capital, leaning forward.
  2. 2Thicken the curve evenly and make the spine as thick as the two bowls.
  3. 3Round the terminals and give the lower one a flick that heads toward the next letter.
  4. 4Outline and keep both inner curves open.
  5. 5Fill, highlight the upper curve and add a small block along the lower right.

Tip: A lowercase s is nearly the same shape as a capital S, only smaller, so the practice you do on one carries over to the other.

What makes S awkward or easy

S has no straight lines to lean on, and the outline of two opposing curves eats the inner space of both. The spine thins out or tilts the wrong way, and the terminals look like they belong to different letters. It is also the most commonly sketched letter for a tag, so personal quirks matter. A strong spine and clean curves make S unusually expressive.

Variations

A tag S is a single flowing double curve, sometimes crossed with a stroke. A throw-up S is a fat snake with a thick outline. A piece S may be split into a top and bottom ribbon, with arrows at the ends and a block along the spine. Wildstyle S often loops and doubles back, so the letter is a knot of curves.

Common mistakes with graffiti S

  • The spine is thinner than the curves.

    Thicken the diagonal until it matches the width of the top and bottom curves.

  • The two curves are the same size and the S looks like an 8.

    Make the lower curve a little larger and keep both counters open at the sides.

  • The terminals are blunt and identical.

    Use a different shape at each end, such as a flick on top and an arrow below, so the S has direction.

  • The S leans one way while the other letters lean another.

    Tilt it to match the angle of the rest of the word before you add any detail.

Ideas for graffiti S

S begins names like Sam, Sofia and Skye, and words like Style and Spray. A good practice sheet is a page of Ss in different spine angles, from nearly upright to nearly flat, so you learn how much lean a word can take.

Printable graffiti S sheet

Trace the outlines, then fill the empty rows with your own letters.

Graffiti letter S s Name: ____________________ · coolletteringgenerator.com

Graffiti S you can copy and paste

There is no graffiti alphabet in Unicode. For copy-paste lookalikes try bold gothic 𝕾 𝖘, black squares 🆂 or bubble letters Ⓢ ⓢ. They are fixed glyphs, so the spine will not bend or taper like a drawn S.

Graffiti S: questions

How do you draw a graffiti letter S?
Draw one continuous skeleton with a top curve, a diagonal spine and a bottom curve, leaning forward. Thicken it evenly, make the spine the heaviest part and outline. Keep both inner curves open, finish the terminals with a flick and an arrow, then fill and highlight.
Why does my graffiti S look like an 8?
The two curves are probably closed and the same size. Open the inner curves on the sides and make the lower curve larger than the upper. Keep the spine diagonal rather than horizontal, and the S will read as one flowing line.
How do I draw a lowercase s?
Draw a smaller S skeleton at x-height, thicken it evenly and outline it with both inner curves open. Give the lower terminal a flick toward the next letter. It is the same as the capital in a smaller size, so practise them together.
What is the best terminal for an S?
A flick on the top and an arrow or blob on the bottom works well. The ends should differ, so the S has direction, but both should match the style used on your other letters. Avoid giving both ends the same blunt cut.

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