Graffiti Name Art Lesson Back To School Name Art Color Wheel Art Project

In this Graffiti Name Art Lesson, students turn their own name into a bold, graffiti-inspired artwork with arrows, overlapping shapes, strong black outlines and a bright color wheel background. It is a personal, high-interest project for teachers, art teachers and homeschoolers, and it teaches line, shape, space, color, value and creative design.

It is a natural fit for back to school and the first week of school, and it works any time you want a graffiti art lesson, color wheel art project or creative name design activity. Finished pieces make a striking class display.

WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING

★★★★ “This was a great art project for my grade 4 students to work independently on or to complete together as a class. I had the assignment on our LMS system where students could follow the steps with the picture on their own. The images were very helpful for students to see what to do for each step. My grade 4s loved that they could make graffiti.” Stacey E.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (NON-EDITABLE PDF)

• 1 cover page
• 1 teacher prep and how-to-use page on projecting the PDF, preparing materials, photocopying handouts and using the example as a lesson hook
• 2 lesson plan pages with learning outcomes, overview, materials, competencies, big ideas, Socratic questions and teacher/student actions
• 1 full-page art rubric for execution, creativity, evidence of process and responsibility
• 1 full-page finished example
• 1 Step-By-Step Draw handout, a condensed visual guide for sketching
• 26 step-by-step tutorial pages with visual and written directions

HOW TO USE IT

The tutorial guides students through the whole process: lightly sketching their name, building each letter into a graffiti style, overlapping letters and adding inner shapes, erasing guide lines, then sketching arrows that bend, tangle and overlap. Students trace in black felt marker, use water and a paintbrush to pull the marker inward for a painted ink effect, divide the background into sections and finish the color wheel with pencil crayon.

Materials: pencil, eraser, black felt marker, cardstock or blank paper, pencil crayons, a paintbrush and water. Students practice name and graffiti lettering, mixed media, line, shape, space, texture, color, form, value, composition, overlapping, craftsmanship and following visual directions. It suits elementary and middle school art, classroom art, homeschool art and bulletin board displays.

FAQ

Who can use this resource?

Teachers, art teachers and homeschoolers, including classroom teachers who teach art and want a guided back to school project.

Is it only for back to school?

No. It also works any time of year as a graffiti art lesson, name art lesson or color wheel art activity.

How long will it take?

Usually 2 to 3 classes, depending on student age, class time, detail level and how much support students need.

Is it editable?

No. It is non-editable.

ALL TEACHER REVIEWS (12)

★★★★ “Just what I was looking for. Thank you.” CLARICE C.

★★★★ “Great first week art project to do with the kids” kindle K.

★★★★ “my students loved this activity” Michael A.

★★★★ “I covered Graffiti art with my students and this is a great final product. The students are completing it at home with their remote, online learning. The explanations are clear and concise.” Teaching 4 Always

★★★★★ “Great instructions with pictures! Students are loving it!” Leanna R.

★★★★★ “Thank you. Great start of year activity.” Kim B.

★★★★★ “Great resource!!” Ashley C.

★★★★★ “Great resource for my unit.” Kim D.

★★★★★ “Great!” Geraldine B.

★★★★★ “Tried this project with a group of grade fours and it worked really well. Well well laid out and the directions were easy to follow. Love the step by step...” Gillian P.

★★★★★ “Great step-by-step art project for the beginning of the year! The kids really enjoyed it and the results were amazing!” Celebration S.

★★★★★ “My middle school students really liked this.” Jennifer M.

Get free, classroom-ready art lessons and printables in my Free Art Lesson Library.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen McGiveron (Ms Artastic) is an artist and educator who has been featured on NBC LX News and was the featured educator on the cover of OCO Magazine (October 2025). She designs art lessons for kids and educational resources for teachers, art teachers and homeschoolers, with strong visuals and real art skill development. She is the founder of Ms Artastic and hosts the Ms Artastic YouTube Channel and Podcast.

TERMS OF USE

This resource is for single educator use only.

YOU MAY: use it with your own students. Please purchase additional licenses if more than one teacher will be using it.

YOU MAY NOT: share, copy, upload, post online, distribute or resell it in any form.

Sincerely,

Ms Artastic