How To Reproduce Real Life Graffiti?

It is a lot easier to use the pen and do it directly. Just practice a few times first.

The decal method is far more difficult. Isolating the text and dropping out the gray of the car is the easy part. Then you have to print it, seal it, apply it, set it, and dull it.

5 minutes vs 5 hours

Personally, I would go for the pen on such a straight forward project, or better yet, I would have my wife do it. Her handwriting is better.

Pen for that. Now the stuff that is showing through the paint or the low right-that requires an artist. Here's some train art(Graffiti)

Leave it parked on the wrong side of your pike.  The gangsters should find it a easy target.

Actually I'd find someone with some artistic talent (or yourself) and give them a el-chepo $15 (or like) car to try and see if you like the results.

Jim

Black on a light colored surface is easy. Any graphics program can do the art....then print on clear decal stock.

I like the idea of the decal.  You can write it larger and then shrink it to size and create the decal.

A real small can of spray paint.

First write the train graffiti in pencil, as it can be washed away.  Once you achieve the desired effect, go over it with a felt tip pen. 

It is not train art but a crime against private property. 

These are some faces I will soon be adding to one of my autoracks. Icame across this "mural" yesterday while doing a preplan with fire department and just had to snap a picture. There is plenty of ways to achieve graffiti on your railroad. Get out and explore, or simply watch a youtube video of how to do it. 

"Writing" on a car for graffiti has to be the easy type to do free hand. You really can't screw it up... it's graffiti. Whether it's a nice print or some chicken scratch print, just write it on there with a fine tip pen or sharpie. A quick wipe with paint thinner will take it off if you don't like it. It is easier to do however, if the car still has a gloss or smooth finish.... writing on a car is NOT as easy if you have already sprayed it with a flat finish of some sort.

I tend to agree 100%......and in my fantasy world none of my modern rail cars have graffiti on them....dirty yes.  But those that want to model the current or recent real world will need SOME graffiti on cars......it just will not happen on my planet!!!!