Ten Of The Best Street Artists In The World

D*Face

D*Face has created his own world, with his own characters. Born and raised in London, the bizarre and twisted mind of D*Face has gained him a massive following, especially in North America and England. Sold out shows to see his classic skeletal images are just the tip of the ice berg.

Dolk

Norwegian stencil artist Dolk started creating street art back in 2003 and was originally seen as a possible pseudonym of Banksy due to their similar styles. Yet Dolk's darker and more humorous style has since drawn a huge following from around the world.

Faile

The instantly recognizable pop culture images of the New York based street art collective known as Faile have been popular since 2002 with a large number of world wide exhibitions and shows. Faile have collaborated with other great street artists such as Swoon and David Ellis

Jef Aerosol

Along with fellow Frenchman Blek Le Rat, Jef Aerosol was among the first street artists to use stencils to create his artwork. He's been stencilling for almost 30 years and you can find his work predominantly in France.

Swoon
Hailing from the streets of New York, Swoon has been big in the street art scene for going on a decade now. Her unique style of wheat pasting life sized images of her family and friends have gained her a huge following around the globe and her work keeps getting better.

Vhils

Stunning crowds at the 2008 Cans Festival with this stunning piece of stencil art. Argentinian artists Alexandre Farto (aka Vhils) chiseled away at a white wall to create this stunning and almost 3D image.

BanksyPossibly the most well known street artist in the world, Banksy has been in the public eye for close to a decade now and his popularity shows just how big street art is in the 21st century. His recent summer show opened in Bristol with 4 hour queue to get through the door.

Blek Le Rat
Blek Le Rat is one of, if not the first major stencil artists of all time. Starting way back in the early 80's. Regarded as many as the "Godfather" of stencil art. Even Banksy showed his respect to the Frenchman with one of the most famous quotes in Street art. "Every time I think I've painted something slightly original, I find out that Blek Le Rat has done it as well, only twenty years earlier"

BluBlu took street art to a new level a few years ago. Instead of keeping it as a flat single image, he combined street art with animation to create a video named Muto. This incredible video spread round the Internet like wild fire and firmly placed Blu as one of the 21st Century's most innovative street artists.

CES53

CES53 has been in the street art game for almost 25 years now and his work keeps getting better and better. Becoming famous for being one of the first to paint on the side of Northern European trains, he's since branched out into paintings and sculptures. In 2005 he joined Dutch street art collective Lastplak.

New Stencil and Street Art on Canvas

Artwork Update: [July 2008]

We are well into July now, and deep in the middle of this fluctuating seasonal summer of 2008, & we have a cheeky art update that might brighten up your day! We have just finished furnishing the site with load of brand new street inspired designs and prints which we are very happy with. Featuring a mixed of street art, from abstract macro cross sections of graffiti, to some hand produced pieces that have been put together in-house by some of our outstanding new artists.

The abstract selection of macro photographs, are all based on paying homage to the fantastic lines and shapes that make the art of graffiti something impressive to behold. We've really tried to capture the vibrancy & impact of what you get on the streets and translate it to something that can hang on your wall, without it looking too offensive.

The aptly named "Pollock Graff" is almost Jackson Pollock if he had taken to the streets with his brush and a few spray cans.. It is a real piece of graffiti, overlayed and built up over time to produce a really tidy piece of abstract modern art.

The "My name is..." is a good example of this urban linear art, taking just a small section of the colourful graffiti, and presenting it as an abstract piece of art. This kind of art will not suit every home, and is a bit more of a daring purchase. I wouldn't be looking at mixing with cream walls and leather sofas, these graffiti prints are going to sit well in an eclectic environment. We are not just talking urban flats & loft conversions, but any abode that dares to be different. This kind of modern art, call it urban, abstract, contemporary, it is all becoming very popular, certainly for us, as it is becoming fueled by a new generation of people that want something different & unique & are not happy with nipping to Ikea for a piece of generic, of the shelf art.

Moving on to the hand produced stencil art and what can I say? This selection is absolutely fantastic, the quality has exceeded our expectations. Originally produced for an exhibition at the D&G offices in London (which is still on), the artists in question here are Pegs, and Vic Mason.

Stand out designs here are "Panda Style" by Pegs, a very green piece of art. It has been produced from various layers of stencils, which have had his trademark surface scratching technique applied. Another stand out print from him is "Gee-raff" as simple, yet effective simple one colour stencil design over pastel tones which forms a subtle, light background.

The "Mexican Boston" by Vic Mason has a hand painted background, with sprayed and rolled top end, and represents a beautiful little Boston terrier dog. The fusion of browns, mustard's and burnt oranges will sit well on most walls, and the abstract nature of the print makes it pleasing on the eye. Reggie Jaxx pays homage to the Bull Terrier, king of dogs. This print has delicate pastel tones on top a linear floral pattern, and a combination of sprayed and rolled paint over the top.

If you want to see some more of these new pieces, we have been prototyping & showcasing a selection of them for the last couple of months at an exhibiton in London. The venue is: The D&G offices, which is The Media Village, based just North of Oxford Street. [131-151 Gt Titchfield Street, W1W 5BB.]

So that is it for now, stay tuned, we will have more updates. As usual, you can check all our canvas art from WHoArtNow, as well as subscribing to this feed for regular updates to our world of art!

How To Pick Your Canvas Art

How to pick your canvas art.

Is your living rooms missing that something special? Or your office lacking a certain 'Wow' factor? If your thinking of getting a canvas for any location, this article should give you some ideas about what to buy so you get exactly what you want.

(Great use of textiles and canvas to add colour)

As with any interior accessories, getting the right piece of art to represent your personality is key, but you should also remember the effect and personality of the space you wish to create. Get it right and you'll have a stunning focal point for any room. Get it wrong and you might up ruining all the other hard work gone into the space.

This article will focus on the 3 key areas to look at when choosing your canvas.

• Style and Subject

• Size and shape

• Colour

Style and subject:

Style and subject aren't as easy to pick as you might think. Yes there's a big argument to just pick something you like or are interested in. However, you need to think about the feel of the space. For example, a kitchen would suit more organic and floral images, and maybe not a canvas of a MK1 Escort.

(Fantastic use of height on this custom 2.5m high canvas)

Does the space already have a theme your working too? If so, stick to it, if you've gone with stripes, retro pattens in bright colours would compliment if at right angles.

If your a fan of entertaining guests, your living room would work well with a focal point piece, and the more interesting the better. We have hundreds of interesting and bold canvas designs on our site, however, for a talking point, why not consider a photo to canvas. A focal point canvas where your the artist, gives you a little more to talk about!

Size and Shape:

Next to consider is the size and shape of your canvas. As you'd assume, canvas's come in all shapes and sizes, and even sizes not usually advertised on our site. Sizes available at WHoArtNow:- 10", 16", 24", 32", 36", 48", 60" and 72" (please note, we can only print up to 36" wide)(Rectangular canvas work well in long rooms)

So with a minimum of 10"x10" going all the way up to 72"x36" (6ft x 3ft!) there's a large amount of options to choose from. Its not however a good idea to just get the biggest you can afford, buy the most suitable for the space.

As a rule, I prefer bigger, however, something too big can make a room feel cramped and something to small can look lost and out of place. Its not a good idea to hang a canvas too close to the ceiling, doors or windows, try leaving a gap of 16" - 24" as a boarder around the outside, and try not to hang in alcoves or on narrow walls (unless you plan on a tall, narrow canvas). You may also want to hang the canvas at eye level (the middle of the canvas at approximately 5ft6 of the ground to be at the average eye height) however with large pieces that may not be possible.

Got a very large wall but don't want to spend a fortune? We offer a selection of Due-pic, Tri-pic and quad-pic pieces to cover a larger area for less money. Or how about a canvas in Andy Warhol style pop art for each of your family members all hung at the same level with the same gap,interesting and personal.

The shape of the canvas has a lot to do with personal taste, and if your not sure, a square canvas will be safe for most rooms. However, if you have a long thin room, pick a long thin canvas (ie 60"x16") and hang on the long wall, or a smaller (ie 36"x36") square canvas for the short wall (to help square off the room)

Hanging a canvas above a fireplace is an easy way to transform a room, and as a general rule, picking a canvas in the same proportions works best. For example, if the wall above your fireplace is 3m wide and 1.5m high, going for the same (2:1) ratio will fit, for this a 72"x36" will look simply stunning.

Colour:

When deciding on a colour scheme for a space, don't just pick the first colour you can think of, think about the use of the room, the people who will be using the space, and get some sample paints. All colours have their own energy and personality, so getting the colour right is the key to a successful space. The list of colours below works for the colour you decorate the space, and also works for the colours on any canvas you may be looking at.Try and resist the temptation to paint your favourite colour if it feels wrong for that room, and don't be afraid to ask someone you know for some advice. They may think of something perfect you hadn't considered.

(Perfect use of colour in this office space)

Red: one of the warm seductive colours and works well in a room your passionate in.
Ideal for dinning rooms and kitchens, although works well with red as a main colour with something more subtle as a majority colour. Don't be fooled into thinking red will work in your bedroom however,the colour red is notorious for bringing on nightmares so avoid.

Orange: is great for bright rooms such as kitchens. The warm and bold colour helps stimulate the appetite so works best in areas for food preparation and consumption.Its also great for stimulating the mind and helping to focus, so offices and study's should also be considered.

Yellow: like orange is great for kitchens because of the same reasons, and its also good for small crapped downstairs toilets. The bright and bold colour is best as a full on Big Bird yellow rather than a pale yellow as a mood lifter.

Green: is a good natural colour, and a good nature colour.The vibrant colour helps promote well being and healthy lifestyles. It feels warm and helps sooth.Works well in any relaxing room, bedrooms, living spaces and conservatories.

Blue: is the calm and clean colour. Its refreshing and peaceful, but at the same time comes across as a very cold colour. Works well in areas you'd want to be clean, such as the bathroom, but can also work well in the bedroom because you can awaken feeling refreshed and ready to go. Also consider mixing with striking bright white.

Purple: and violet and the glamour colours. Modern and bold purple has seen a massive rise in popularity in the last decade or so. Helping to get you creative, this rich and slightly feminine colour works wonders in rooms to be cosy in, bedrooms, living room or library/studies are perfect for modern living, but can also work with the more rustic residence.

Pink: being the most feminine colour, but men should note, its a luxurious and very romantic colour. Helping to heighten affection and romance can be mixed with the tranquil calming side. ideal for bedrooms, and expressing your feminine side. If your a little scared of the message it will give off men, try mixing with purples or reds to break it up.

White: is the purest of colours (even though its not technically a colour) and works with any colour, Using off whites to compliment colours can help expand the mood, but stop a colour from over powering a room. Works well anywhere, and especially small rooms (to help make them feel larger) and bathrooms for the clean finish.

Black: is one of the 'in' colours for 2008. 80's black on black style conveyed a sleek and modern feel. Done correct, black can be a timeless classic and feels strong. bold and authoritative. Consider this in your hallways and dining room and match with gold bronze accessories.

Brown: is the earth colour. Warm and homely browns calm you down so work well in relaxing rooms such as the bedroom or living room. Consider a feature wall in a chocolate brown, with he remaining walls in a softer brown, caramel for example.

As well as the full colours, there are 2 types on canvas you can get not mentioned above.

Sepia and Black and White: are the ultimate for subtle art, the lack of colour doesn't grab you as much as something bold, but more often than not, the colour drained aged look sepia can make a picture more about the image than the colour. Works well with urban images in living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms. Also works really well in B&W with some small bold colours like red and yellow.

Multicoloured and Pop Art: is the modern look. Bold and bright contrasting colours (ie Andy Warhols' yellow and pink Marilyn Monroe) Retro colours are 'in' at the moment, and so are urban photos with flashes of bright and bold colour. Bright colours show a level of confidence in the owner and are a great conversation starter.

(Sleek black and vibrant pink work well on this cult classic)

The great thing about all this though, is its all down to your personal choice, yes there are some guidelines you can work to, if you like something and feel confident with it, go for it! Experiment with colours, textiles and furniture. If your not happy with a room, how do you expect to relax in it?

New Cult Art Canvas Designs

WHoArtNow

New Art updates [June 2008]

We are just putting the finishing touches to a selection of new canvas art for the site. There will be 85 new pieces of art in total, in a range of categories. Expect to see new Retro, Stencil Street Art, Urban, Organic & Iconic Cult prints in the next couple of weeks. There will be a new selection of ranges too, and not forgetting the long awaited BOYD Street Art range, so watch this space.


So for the new Cult Art selection, we have a new square canvas of Al Pacino, in the Godfather. In classic black and white, on a contemporary red background. On a similar bold and modern background, comes a new Marilyn Monroe, as featured in our Magazine advert for Town and Country Living. Also, a much requested version of the "The Stig", the infamous legend and cult hero, on a deep blue background. You can find this on a limited long and thin box canvas. We've also got a couple of re-works of our classics - a four Piece Hendrix "Quad" and grey scale black and white re-colours of the massive Pulp Fiction canvas. We've also got a brand new two part Coldplay canvas set, in the classic black and white colours.


So, that's it for the Cult art updates for now, if you fancy receiving live updates, feel free to subscribe to the rss feed. It's also an invaluable tool for interior designers or any one in the wholesale and resale industry to keep check of what we are putting out.

Cans Festival 2008 Final Wrap Video

After the massive success of this years Cans Festival, the official video has been posted so you can have a look at the exhibition being constructed.

As you can see in the video, a lot of hard work was put in by a lot of people. Work I think you'll agree paid off, especially when you see the size of those cues! Proving street art, and specifically Stencil art is becoming the current must have art on your walls. Check out our ever expanding selection of stencil art over at WHoArtNow and some specials by Frazier Boyd.

London Exhibition May / June 08

We've got a few peices of work currently on at a London Exhibition. It's a great oppertunity to Showcase some of our latest stencil art work, and push the whole Street Art Phenominan. There are prints on canvas, and a number of framed prints too. From JaxxStar, we have "Boston Blue", Pegs features "Tiggerrrr" & not to mention, Mr Frazier BOYD Esq with the "White Zebras" (See the flyer on Right)

The Media Village is the Venue - based just North of Oxford Street, and hosting this Graphic Art and Illustration exhibition. Located in the same building as the D&G London offices, the security is a bit tight, however if you ask nicely I'm sure you won't have a problem. The exhibition was a great success on opening day and will hopefully be up for the next 3 months if your interested in popping down, the address is 131-151 Gt Titchfield Street, W1W 5BB.

Frazier Boyd Goes Live

With the recent success of joining the WHoArtNow team, the subversive stencil artist Frazier Boyd has finally launched his website www.frazierboyd.co.uk. Boyd is constantly working on new ideas and approaches to stencil art and as such is producing images both on and off the street all the time. With his news RSS feed, you can be the first to see whats current in his world, or subscribe to his Flickr Photostream to check his uploads as they occur.

If your a fan of his work and would like any of his images on Canvas, head over to WHoArtNow or if your in the market for something a little more unique, (See the Commissioned Rossi Canvas print above) , contact us to for a commission piece.

As a fan of street art I'm looking forward to seeing what he comes up with in the future. Its a great time for street art, and WHoArtNow are proud to be a part of it.

Hand Painted Murial for Glastonbury

We've taken on a mammoth project for two of our veteran painters, Steve and Nick. A giant hand-painted Murial, measuring an incredible 80 ft x 16 ft which will be used for Glastonbury & some other festivals for this Summer of 2008.

The giant image is hand painted in a distinctive Lichtenstein style, on up to 50 wooden boards, which will be assembled at the coming summer festivals. Steve and Nick are true Veterans of the Murial circuit, painting professionally as freelancers for almost the last three decades. We are pleased to have them on-board on a more permanent basis.

I have to say the Glastonbury Murial is looking fantastic so far, the sharpness of the painting is second to none, and I really couldn't tell it apart from a screen print. The reality is that you could never screen print anything this big, there are just no screens large enough. And solvent printing may be a little bit cheaper, but they are no way near as durable as these hand-painted panels, each having up to 4 undercoats and a few layers of varnish over the top. This is precisely why a lot of our clients are regressing to using traditional hand-paintings again, it just looks that much more impressive, and gives the art a more traditional feel. We are finding more and more that art and design is turning full circle, with more and more clients choosing hand painted art over more modern Computer aided designs (CADs). When new technologies arrive they can wipe out entire industries, and it would be sad to see the skill of hand-painting to disappear. So we are working extra hard to make sure that it is not lost in the ages, a victim to the modern day computer and Adobe Photoshop. You can expect a lot more hand produced art from us in the future, we are certainly moving that way with are street art prints and Plastic art ranges, as well as bringing new artists on board like BOYD to produce hand produced, hand stenciled real art.



If you would like a quote on any hand produced art, Murial's, film or theatre sets, please let us know - you can email us on the WHoArtNow contact pages. We intend to keep this news feed going, so watch this space and you can follow Steve and Nick's progress through the 30 day marathon of solid painting that they are undertaking!

New Stencil Art Designs from Frazier Boyd

I've just put the finishing touches to some new stencil art that I am very proud of... We have been working on a load of briefs here at the WHoArtNow studios, recently loads of 1920's style art, and trying to mix up stencil art with what we call "Retro" art. It's Germanesque, it's vibrant, minimal, colour orientated, Kitchsy, call it what you want, we call it art! It's a move on from some of our successful, trademark vector designs like "Soul Sister" and "Technocolour", and an attempt to fuse the 60's, bold, vector driven shapes with the rough and rawness of the street art stuff.

So, as I said, 1920's is prevalent in my new art as I'm really into all the movements and styles of that time. Bauhaus changed the world that we live in, and then you have Art Deco, the highly original 20's fonts, and the whole Flapper imaginary, I just find it so iconic, the classic short black bob cuts and black and white photography also make for some stunning stencils.

So 20's aside, there is plenty of retro style and vintage icons thrown into the mix to create a whole new range of canvas art prints. I've been experimenting a bit with scanned stencils on walls and touching them up a bit with photoshop, there is a bit of new experimentation with the real stencils on metal, something for the "Plastic Art" range for WHoArtNow. So, please watch this space, there are plenty more designs to follow.

So in terms of dates, all of the new designs for canvas are due to be put on the WHoArtNow website very soon, May / June 2008. Some will also also be available as frame mounted prints, which is exciting" If you want a sneak preview, please free to check out my art on Deviant-Art, I've just popped some new designs on there & in the last couple of hours alone I've been inundated with comments and messages of positivity - nice one guys and gals.

Breaking News: Location Of The London Cans Festival this weekend.

Following on from the earlier announcement, we can now announce that we have been given the location of the The Cans Festival, A street festival of Stencil Art that kicks off tomorrow in London..

The Venue:

LEAKE STREET, LONDON SE1 7NN

Around Three Minutes from the London Eye, near the Waterloo line. It'll be open to the public [for Free!] from 10am Sat until 10pm Mon.

--------RULES OF ENGAGEMENT--------

This is an open event,coming with your own stencils to produce your own art is encouraged but please note the following:

- This is a stencil only event no freehand lettering or characters
- Report to reception on arrival, they will show you where to
paint, Painting outside the designated area may well result in
prosecution.
- No going over other artists.

A few of us from WHoArtNow are planning to go down for it, I'm certainly getting myself down there armed with some stencils, paint and a few tinnies. Feel free come and say hello!

An introduction into Street Art [Pt1]

Street Art is a growing trend in the 21st century. Wiki describes it as "art developed in public spaces". Yet I'd prefer to say its a modern artists means of creativeness. Yet its worth remembering, even as street art rises in popularity, the vast majority of work you see on the way to work is illegal.

Art, So what does "street Art" consist of? You maybe asking. Well, street art can be broken down in sub groups, Graffiti, Wheat-pasting, Stickers/Sticker Bombing, Poster Art, Video Projection and my favourite, Stencil Art.

"CeeThreePeeOhhhh" [right] by Frazier BOYD is a brand new piece, commissioned exclusively for WHoArtNow, due for release on the site in May 2008.

So why do people break the law for their artwork? Is it stupidity? or a true love for their art so strong their often willing to sacrifice their own freedom. Political opinions and moral objections are popular expressions on the streets. Going against the "system" is a big part of street art, so is humour.

The image on the left demonstrates the political and humorous side of street art, and also shows the use of a stencil. This image and many like it are fast and easy to post, making it a great way to get your work seen by more people and to limit the chance of getting caught.

Where are you likely to see street art? Well, due to the popularity of street art, you can see it everywhere. From capitol cities, to rural hamlets all over the world. If your in a city and looking for street art, there are some clues to the street art. Areas of increased foot traffic are key. Bridges, foot paths, train stations are all popular, but the best thing to do is keep your eyes open!

So how can I get some street art of my own? Well, many art supplies are picking up on the street art phenomenon and you can now get some great graffiti and stencil art on canvas, prints, even on 12" vinyl art!

If however you have a little bit of cash and want to splash out on something original, most graffiti artists can be commissioned for custom work. But as with all commission pieces, it can get very costly.

New "Plastic Art" Range Launched for WHoArtNow

We are very pleased to an announce a brand new range of unique hand crafted art, produced exclusively for WHoArtnow.co.uk. We have been hard at work for the last 4 months, developing art on diverse materials such as 12” vinyl records, perspex and, Metal and textured aluminum that have a superior look and feel, and are like nothing else being produced out there. Feel free to check out the new Plastic Art range.

We are also proud to introduce our "resident" designers, like Frazier BOYD [see Jimi Hendrix Above] who have played a huge part in putting the Plastic art together.

Plastic Art is a move-on from the digital "giclee" canvas prints that WHoArtNow has been producing since 2004, and we have tried to position the new brand, so that it will not detract from the original product, but compliment it. It has been designed to be for the more discerning person that is looking for something completely different for their abode. The textures and imperfections created by stencilling are really what make these art pieces unique, you just can not re-create these with traditional wide-format / solvent printers, and the hand-crafted element gives it a real sense of uniqueness.


On the reverse of the Plastic Art, comes a hand made fir wood frame, similar to the frames we use for our canvas prints. The frame will sit the 12" Vinyl Art off the well by 1", and comes complete with slotted mirror plates, ready to hang. We are running a competition to win a 6 piece Jimi Hendrix, in a special limited mint green colour. It's worth £159 & all you have to do is sign up to our monthly newsletter, or join us as a fan on our new facebook page, please feel free to visit our competition page for more info.