Graffiti letter K

The graffiti letter K is a stem with two diagonals meeting at its middle, and that meeting point decides whether the letter reads. Below is the K in every style, followed by steps, mistakes and how its kicked-out leg links to the next letter.

Throw-up graffiti K with chrome fill and black outline — Throw-up

Handstyle graffiti letter K with drips — Handstyle

Blockbuster graffiti K with a 3D block — Blockbuster

Old English letter K in gothic chicano style — Old English

Stencil letter K for spray paint — Stencil

Neon graffiti letter K glowing on a dark wall — Neon

How to draw a K in graffiti

To draw a K in graffiti, pencil a stem, then an upper arm and a lower leg meeting the stem near the middle. Make the joint thick, kick the leg out further than the arm, thicken everything, keep the wedge-shaped gaps open, outline it and add 3D. The kicked leg gives the K its attitude.

Stem. Pencil a vertical line.
Arm and leg. From just above the middle of the stem, draw the arm up and right and the leg down and right.
Kick the leg. Extend the leg further out than the arm, ending in a point or a foot.
Thicken the joint. Build the body with a solid block where the arm and leg meet the stem.
Check the wedges, then 3D. Ink it and make sure both gaps are open before you extrude.

Letter structure: the parts of a K

A K is a stem with two diagonals meeting at its middle. The upper diagonal is called the arm and the lower one the leg. They meet the stem at the waist, sometimes joining it directly and sometimes meeting each other first. The open wedges between stem, arm and leg are the counters, and they need to stay clear.

The K in bubble, blockbuster, wildstyle, throw-up and Old English

Bubble. The arm and leg become two round lobes off a fat stem, like a stem with two balloons tied to it.

Blockbuster. A thick stem with two angled blocks. Blockbuster Ks look best with the leg slightly longer than the arm.

Wildstyle. The leg kicks out as an arrow under the next letter, and the arm can split or point up and away. Its diagonals already suggest movement, which makes K a natural wildstyle letter.

Throw-up. A quick stem and a sideways V, filled flat. Keep the V wide open.

Old English. The blackletter K has a tall stem with a thin flag and a curling arm, and its leg ends in a sharp diamond foot.

Common mistakes with a graffiti K

Joining the diagonals in a thin point. That joint fills in and the K turns into a blob.
Arm and leg of equal length. The K then looks like half of an X stuck to a stem.
A leg that drops straight down. It makes the K look like an R missing its bowl.

Uppercase or lowercase K?

A lowercase k is a tall stem with two short arms. The arms are small, so make the joint thick and the gap between the arms clear.

Adding arrows to a K

The lower leg of the K is one of the best arrow spots in the alphabet. Kick it out and finish it in a point. See how whole words lock together in wildstyle.

Making a K flow in a word

The kicked-out leg can run under the next letter. K shows up at the start of names (Kai, Kira, King) and at the end of words (Mike, Rock, Kick). At the end, the leg can kick out as the final flourish of the whole piece. In "CK", let the C wrap against the K's stem, and in "KI" the leg can slide under the I.

Want to see it with your own name? Type it into the graffiti letter generator, or learn the whole process step by step in how to draw graffiti.

Practice words with K

Tap one to see it in graffiti, then draw it yourself.

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Questions people ask

How do you keep a graffiti K readable?

Keep a clear notch where the two diagonals meet the stem. Make the joint thick and the gaps between the arms open. As long as the stem stays straight and both wedge-shaped gaps show, you can bend, split or arrow the arm and leg and the K will still read.

Where do arrows go on a graffiti K?

Mostly on the lower leg, kicked out to the right. A second arrow can come off the upper arm, pointing up and away. If the K starts a word, the leg arrow can run under the next letter; if it ends one, let it point out as the last stroke of the piece.

How do you draw a bubble letter K?

Draw a fat stem, then two rounded lobes coming off its middle, one pointing up and right and one pointing down and right. Keep a deep notch between the lobes and pinch them where they meet the stem. Outline the whole shape in one line and add a soft shadow under the lower lobe.

Can I download these graffiti K letters?

Yes. They are free for personal use, such as school work, social media and gifts. For a transparent PNG or an SVG, make the K in the generator. For commercial use, see the image license.