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X in Graffiti Letters

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

Capital X
Lowercase x

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

X is two strokes crossing, and the crossing is both its charm and its problem. Where the strokes meet, outlines pile up and make a dark knot, but where the four arms end you get four places to put arrows or flicks. X is a letter with plenty of space around it, so it can be dramatic. It is also rare enough in words that you can design it with total freedom.

Outline version to colour or trace

Open in the graffiti generator →

How to draw a graffiti capital X

  1. 1Draw two diagonals crossing near the middle, one slightly thicker than the other and the whole shape leaning forward.
  2. 2Make the crossing point a little above the centre, so the top arms are shorter than the bottom arms.
  3. 3Thicken both strokes and let one pass in front of the other, so the crossing reads as a weave and not a blob.
  4. 4Outline the shape, drawing a small gap in the outline of the back stroke where the front stroke crosses it.
  5. 5Tip each of the four arms with arrows or spikes, fill, highlight the upper left arms and add a block under the lower arms.

Tip: Choose which stroke is in front before you outline. A clear over and under crossing keeps the centre clean and makes the X look three-dimensional.

How to draw a graffiti lowercase x

  1. 1Draw a small X at x-height, leaning forward, with the crossing at the centre.
  2. 2Thicken both strokes and make the front stroke slightly heavier.
  3. 3Round the arm ends and flick the lower right arm toward the next letter.
  4. 4Outline, keeping the over and under clear at the crossing.
  5. 5Fill and add a highlight to the upper left arm.

Tip: A lowercase x is nearly a smaller capital, so practising one improves the other.

What makes X awkward or easy

The crossing forms four triangles and a dense middle, so the centre fills in as soon as the outline is drawn. X is symmetrical in a style that likes asymmetry, which makes it look static if drawn evenly. It also has four terminals, and each one pulls attention, so decorating all of them makes a mess. Pick one or two for arrows and leave the rest plain.

Variations

A tag X is two quick slashes, often with a dot or a circle. A throw-up X is two fat bars with a single outline. A piece X might have arrows on all four ends, a woven crossing and a deep block. Wildstyle X can stretch one arm across the word and tuck another behind the neighbouring letter.

Common mistakes with graffiti X

  • The crossing is a blob where the outlines merge.

    Decide which stroke is in front and break the back stroke's outline at the crossing.

  • Both strokes are identical and the X looks stamped.

    Make one stroke thicker and one arm longer, so the letter has direction.

  • All four arms have arrows and the X looks busy.

    Put arrows on one or two arms and leave the others plain or flicked.

  • The X sits upright when the rest of the word leans.

    Tilt the whole X in the same direction as the other letters.

Ideas for graffiti X

X is rare in names, but appears in Alex, Xander and Max, and in words like Flex and Next. It is also a popular mark for crew tags. Try drawing ten Xs with different crossing styles: woven, flat, looped, split and arrowed.

Printable graffiti X sheet

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

Graffiti letter X x Name: ____________________ · coolletteringgenerator.com

Graffiti X you can copy and paste

No graffiti alphabet exists in Unicode. For close copy-paste forms use bold gothic 𝖃 𝖝, black squares 🆇 or bubble letters Ⓧ ⓧ. They are fixed glyphs, so the crossing cannot be woven or leaned.

Graffiti X: questions

How do you draw a graffiti letter X?
Draw two crossing diagonals with the crossing slightly above centre, leaning forward. Thicken both strokes, choose which one is in front and outline with a gap at the crossing. Tip one or two arms with arrows, fill, highlight the upper left arm and add a block.
How do I keep the centre of an X clean?
Choose the front stroke before outlining and leave a small gap in the back stroke's outline where it passes behind. Keep both strokes the same weight at the crossing. A woven look is cleaner than a flat overlap, and it adds depth.
Should every arm of an X have an arrow?
Usually not. Four arrows compete for attention and the letter turns busy. Choose one or two arms for arrows or flicks and keep the others plain. The arm that points toward the next letter is a good candidate for the longest decoration.
How is a lowercase x drawn in graffiti?
Draw a small leaning X with the crossing at the centre, thicken both strokes and make the front stroke slightly heavier. Keep the ends rounded, flick the lower right arm toward the next letter and add a highlight on the upper left arm.

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