Vhils

Street Artist Biography

Etching and Carving

Alexandre Farto (Also known as Vhils) was born in 1987 and raised in Portugal- which was deeply affected by the revolution at the time. It was then that he witnessed much destruction and the effects of the war on the walls.

Explosives, projectiles, and demolition- sounds like scenes from the civil war of a third world country. Truth is, Alexandre Farto is leading a revolution on his own. His technique has, without a doubt, changed the face of street art forever! Vhils is a very young artist who has already engraved a permanent mark in street art history. He divides his carvings into layers of images and then begins by destroying to create. His work consists of faces of individuals, often unknown beings within a community.

This man believes that destruction is a form of construction. You read that right. As crazy as it sounds he has found a very impressive method and that is by etching, scratching, carving and even exploding walls! Of course, much graffiti can be labeled destructive, but his work is truly pushing the boundaries. He believes change is necessary to communicate with the mass public, and this includes society.

One of Vhils most popular forms of media is his relief portraits. These portraits are chiseled into plaster and brick walls all over the world. Other forms of media are collage, wheat paste, wood, metal, installations, and more.

Source: http://alexandrefarto.com/

Wheat Paste

Proper Wheatpasting Techniques: How To

Wheatpasting, or wheat paste, has been around for a very long time. In fact, people have been using it as a form of adhesive for many needs; including crafts, book binding, wall stickers, and for a variety of other sources. This type of paste can be known to be similar in strenght to diluted white glue and stronger than straight glue when applied to paper.

It used today by promoters, street artists, activists, and any one willing to have some fun with minimal imagination. 

There are many methods to create wheat paste. Below is the best way to create and paste wheatpasting.

Materials to Create

• White Flour or Whole Wheat Flour
• Pot to Boil Water
• 2 Containers
• Water

1. In order to ensure proper creation, one must start by paying close attention to detail. Begin by measuring near-exact 1:4 ratio of wheat flour to water (One cup of flower for every 4 cups of water). Place both of them in separate containers.
2. Add water to the pot in hand and begin to boil.
3. Once water has begun boiling, pour wheat flour in the pot. (Do not be afraid of failure once the boiling mixture boils or foams, just continue to stir.) Make sure to stir thoroughly through until the wheatpasting is very smooth and appears to feel like glue.(Destroy all flour balls and clumps in the mixture.)
4. At this point, feel free to turn off heat and place pasting into another container. 

Materials to Paste

• Bucket
• Paint Brush
• And/Or Paint Roller
• You may also use a squirt bottle.

For proper creation technique:

• Add some white sugar or corn starch for extra stickiness to container once paste is at room temperature.
• Paste should be used as soon as possible for maximum efficiency. If you plan on waiting a day or two for your project, ensure you store in a refrigerator. 
• Add copper sulphate to make the wheatpasting last longer

For proper pasting technique:

• It is important to always put a layer in the area where one's pasting will be. Once the area is slightly wet, follow it by placing the image layer over the pasted area. Finish the process by adding another layered coat of wheat paste over the image layer.
• Ensure wall is smooth or semi-smooth
• Use a paint brush to clear corners or hard to reach spots- as oppose to a paint roller.
• Add wood glue right before pasting for a more powerful stick. 1:5 ratio would work where 1 is wood glue and 5 is paste.
• Minwax Polyacrylic works great as a strong clear finish and waterproofer. 

Other Names for Wheat Paste

• Paste up
• Wheatpaste
• Wheatpasting
• Pasting
• Street Art Poster
• Urban Sticker

To Lazy to Make? Shop AMAZON for SUPER cheap!

• AMACO Wheat Paste Powder- 8 Ounce Package
• Pure Wheat Starch

Video: Slightly different but will still work. (not as effective)

Popular Artists:
JR
Leo and Pipo
Ludo

Sources: 

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Wheat-Paste
http://thesecretyumiverse.wonderhowto.com/how-to/street-art-101-make-wheatpaste-poster-0137642/

Warning: Use the wheatpasting techniques at your own risk. We do not encourage anyone to commit illegal acts. ALWAYS ensure what you are doing is legal and with full owner's permission.

Ludo

Street Artist Biography

Wheat Pasting

Ludo is a Parisian street artist.

Initially after studying sociology in Paris for three years, Ludo realized his potential in graphic designing. Not only was he more satisfied, but he also obtained money through freelance jobs. During his time in Milan, Ludo's street activity was kept affluent and his learning process continued. He did not have any major street art mentors at the time, unfortunately.

You may often see his work of art as an incredible sight. Most of his work primarily focuses on the combination of nature and human technology. More specifically, he prefers to emphasize on the way society takes nature for granted. Often, we disrespect and over-exploit it- leading human control into a vast destruction. His work focuses on our surroundings and effects all while providing a form of humility. This is the basis of his work and is sure to leave one amaze at first sight.

Ludo's primarily forms of mediums used in street art are composed of silkscreen, acrylic, pencils, scalpel, tape, and printers. This is all used for wheat pasting or paste-ups. He also currently works on street installations and sculptures by re-using objects found within the streets.

The use of green shades is used as a simple method to gain recognition. It is a well known mix that Ludo uses to convey his artwork, designs, and messages. He enjoys the idea of obtaining his very own color someday.

Sources: http://thisisludo.com/

Claudio Ethos

Street Artist Biography

Murals

He calls it urban contemporary art. We call it, AMAZING!

The Brazilian artist by the name of Claudio Ethos was born in 1982 in the Sao Paulo Brazil. Since then, he has accomplished some phenomenal feats. In fact, knowing that the competition was very heavy and difficult did not prevent him from expanding his presence through out he city.

Ethos began spray painting around the age of 15. Although spray paint is one of his primary tools for painting, he is also known for his amazing skills with the ballpoint pen. His style is so unique that one can easily distinguish it at a glance. 

His large scale murals have not only conquered his country, which is filled with many known street artistic figures, but he has also captured the eyes of many around the world. His murals have helped many of the traditional contemporary artist to take a second look at street art.

Claudio Ethos - Casa Das Caldeiras from Jared Levy on Vimeo.

Wall - Ethos from Alessandro Cima on Vimeo.

Claudio Ethos, Cityleaks Cologne 2011 from CityLeaks on Vimeo.

Sources: http://www.claudioethos.com/
              http://www.juxtapoz.com/