Graffiti letter R

The graffiti letter R is a P with a leg, and that leg is one of the best places in the alphabet for an arrow or a kick. See the R in every style below. The steps, mistakes and pair tips that follow focus on that leg and how it hooks the next letter.

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

Handstyle graffiti letter R with drips — Handstyle

Blockbuster graffiti R with a 3D block — Blockbuster

Old English letter R in gothic chicano style — Old English

Stencil letter R for spray paint — Stencil

Neon graffiti letter R glowing on a dark wall — Neon

How to draw an R in graffiti

To draw an R in graffiti, pencil a stem and a bowl like a P, then add a thick leg from where the bowl meets the stem, kicking out past the bowl. Thicken everything, keep the hole in the bowl open, outline it and add 3D. End the leg in a point or an arrow for more style.

Stem and bowl. Pencil a stem and a bowl covering the top half.
Leg. From the bottom of the bowl, draw a diagonal down and right, ending past the bowl's right edge.
Kick it. Bend the end of the leg outward or upward into a foot or an arrow.
Thicken. Build the body, keeping the junction between bowl and leg solid.
Outline and 3D. Ink it, keep the bowl's hole and the wedge under the bowl open, then extrude.

Letter structure: the parts of an R

An R is a P with a leg. The leg (sometimes called the tail) can start from the bowl or from the stem. Its angle sets the mood: a straight diagonal looks formal, a curved kick looks bouncy and a sharp arrow looks aggressive. The wedge of space between bowl and leg is what tells the eye it is an R.

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

Bubble. A balloon P with a short, round foot. Keep a gap between bowl and leg so it does not look like a B.

Blockbuster. A square bowl and a thick diagonal leg. The leg block shows depth well.

Wildstyle. The leg kicks into an arrow, the bowl can sprout an extension pointing back, and the stem can split.

Throw-up. Often a lowercase-style r or a P with a stubby leg, done in one stroke.

Old English. The blackletter R has a broken bowl and a leg that ends in a sharp hairline flourish.

Common mistakes with a graffiti R

Attaching the leg low and thin, so it looks like an afterthought.
A leg tucked inside the bowl's width. If it does not kick out, the R looks like a P with a bump.
Closing the gap under the bowl. The R then reads as a B.

Uppercase or lowercase R?

A lowercase r is a short stem with a small shoulder. It is easy to lose, so make the shoulder bold and let it reach toward the next letter.

Adding arrows to an R

The leg of a capital R is the arrow spot. Kick it out past the bowl and end it in a sharp point. See how whole words lock together in wildstyle.

Making an R flow in a word

The leg can reach under the next letter or hook around it. R appears in a lot of pairs: "ER", "AR", "RE", "RA", "TR", "GR". When R comes before a vowel (Rosa, Ryan), its leg can run under the next letter. After a letter (Mark, Sara), the R's stem can tuck behind its neighbor. In "RR" (Harry, Kerry), let the first R's leg slide under the second one's stem.

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 R

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

Write your name in graffiti

Open the generator

Questions people ask

Why does my graffiti R look like a B?

The gap under the bowl has closed, or the leg starts too low and curves back toward the stem. Keep the bowl to the top half, start the leg right where the bowl meets the stem, and point it out and away. A clear wedge of space between bowl and leg is what reads as R.

Where do arrows go on a graffiti R?

On the leg, kicked out to the right. You can also run a second, smaller arrow off the top of the bowl pointing back. Keep the bowl itself free of arrows, because its round shape and clear hole are what tell the reader it is an R and not a K.

How do you write a lowercase r in graffiti?

A lowercase r is a short stem with a shoulder flicking to the right. In graffiti, make the shoulder chunky and stretch it toward the next letter so it does not get lost. In a tag it is usually written in one stroke: up the stem and straight out into the shoulder.

Can I download these graffiti R 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 R in the generator. For commercial use, see the image license.