How to draw a Q in graffiti
To draw a Q in graffiti, draw a graffiti O with an off-center hole, then add a thick tail from the bottom right that crosses the outline and points out along the word. Outline the O and the tail as one shape and add 3D. A bold tail is the only thing that makes it a Q, so do not hold back.
- Draw the O. A tilted oval with a smaller, off-center hole.
- Place the tail. Start it inside the bottom right of the ring and pull it down and out.
- Make it bold. The tail should be at least as thick as the ring.
- Shape the end. Point it, curl it, or end it in an arrow or a drip.
- Outline as one. Ink the O and the tail together, then extrude both.
Letter structure: the parts of a Q
A Q is an O with a tail. The tail can sit under the bowl, hang off it or slice right through it, depending on the font. In graffiti, the slicing tail is most common because it reads from far away and gives a natural place for an arrow.
The Q in bubble, blockbuster, wildstyle, throw-up and Old English
Bubble. A fat O with a stubby, rounded tail, like a ball with a handle.
Blockbuster. A square O with a short diagonal block jutting from the bottom corner.
Wildstyle. The tail turns into a long arrow sweeping under the rest of the word.
Throw-up. A round blob and a quick flick. Make the flick obvious.
Old English. The blackletter Q is an angular O with a long, curling tail that runs under the next letter.
Common mistakes with a graffiti Q
- A timid tail. Too small and the Q is just an O.
- A tail that starts outside the ring. If it does not touch or cross the O, it looks like a separate mark.
- A tail pointing back to the left. It reads as a dented O or a G.
Uppercase or lowercase Q?
A lowercase q is the mirror of p: a bowl with a stem dropping on the right. The bottom of the stem can flick right into a small tail.
Adding arrows to a Q
The tail of a capital Q is begging for an arrow. Let it cross the outline of the O and point along the word. See how whole words lock together in wildstyle.
Making a Q flow in a word
The tail can sweep under the next letter. In English, Q is nearly always followed by U (Queen, Quinn, Quest), so draw the two as a pair. Let the tail sweep under the U, or let the U sit on it. The round shapes of both letters make "QU" one of the easiest pairs to bubble together.
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.