Graffiti generally comes in 3 incarnations: a tag, a small
sticker or initial set (think
telephone pole or newspaper box); a piece, or a fairly detailed picture or symbol (these are rare - piece is short for
masterpiece); and a throw-up (aka bubble-up), a large scale rendition of the
artist's name usually put up in 2 or more colors (these are the kinds seen on the sides of
train freight cars).
There is a method to the
apparent scrawl in tagging - arrows point in the
direction the artist lives. In the Los Angeles area, telephone area codes sometimes accompany the tags to show
territory. A crown on top of a tag is letting you know that the artist thinks he/she is
hot shit, a 1 in a circle lets you know he/she works alone. A line through a tag shows
disrespect, and 187 reveals murderous intent.
If graffiti intrigues you, a good place to learn more is from a magazine - usually found in a
local skate shop or
head shop.