This week Spray Planet had the amazing opportunity to interview the one-and-only Eskae545. He is hands down one of the most active graffiti writers on the East Coast coming straight out of Florida. Known for demolishing anything in his path with non-stop flow and a super smooth style, Eskae545 is not only creative but also very calculated when laying down the paint. This dude can execute a multi-color burner with absolute ease.

In this Spray Planet interview, Eskae explains the origins behind his name, his first experiences painting while coming up in the graff scene, and even talks to us about his some of his favorite letters and go-to color schemes to paint when he’s rocking a spot. Keep reading to find out more about Eskae545 and how he approaches the graff game!   

 

The history & background of Eskae545

Spray Planet: Let’s start it out with the basics. What do you write, what crews do you rep, and where are you from?

Eskae545: I write ESKAE. I am part of STV (Specialized To Vandalize), WH (Writing History), KBT (Kings By Trade), and 4S (See Something Spray Something). I am from Miami, Florida.

 

Spray Planet: Tell us a little bit about how you started writing the name Eskae (What is the origin/meaning)?

Eskae545: I originally started around 1989. I used to write another tag for years which I was mostly known for in Miami but, I got in some trouble with the law. I later changed it to ESKAE around 2007. I have always liked tags that can be written in shorthand and can also be spelled out. On my second round of picking a name I chose SK – ESKAE.

 

Spray Planet:  Interesting. So, what is the significance of the 545 in your name? What exactly does the 545 in your name represent or stand for?

Eskae545: This came from the pick-up artist community.  I once heard someone say, when you are able to approach 5 hot girls in one night (not just any hot girl but rather perfect 10s) and pick them all up in one night, then you are a true pick-up artist. They meant either getting their number or getting them to kiss you. If you went for 5 attempts and succeeded with all 5 in one night then, you went 5 for 5.  545!

 

Spray Planet: Haha! Clever! So, how exactly did you get exposed to the graff culture?

Eskae545: I think the first few times I wrote on anything it was more gang related reasons because of who I knew or who I was hanging out with at the time. Although I didn’t realize it then, I think it was a rebellious outlet, mostly being mad at the world. Later, I learned more about the culture.

My older brother BEAN and my friend BROOZ were probably the reasons I started paying attention to the graffiti culture. I started becoming very curious about graffiti once I got my hands on Style Wars and Subway Art. Shout out to BEAN and BROOZ!!

 

Spray Planet: Can you describe to us what your first experiences of painting graffiti were like?

Eskae545:Initially it was mostly bombing.  Marker tagging the back allies of supermarkets. The first time we painted with colors was a racquet ball court just a few blocks from my house in Miami. Me and DAR went out one night and did our first illegal colored fills. I know we were so excited to see how it would look in the daytime but while we were doing it, we were freaking out. DAR might have ran away and came back to finish a few times for any little noise he heard. DAR!

 

Eskae545 graffiti in more depth

Spray Planet: Nothing like those first days, eh? So, you’re obviously into technical piecing. Is that something you initially wanted to do when you first started writing graff?

Eskae545: Yes, I was always inspired to piece but most of my effort was put into street bombing for many years. Bombing is my favorite discipline in graffiti. There is nothing like getting your name up and being able to drive by it and see your name up everywhere. Piecing came much later for me. I knew I had it in me but never had the desire to use so much paint for one spot nor the patience.

 

Spray Planet: How often do you paint? Is something that you do weekly? Daily?

Eskae545:I am pretty much writing on something daily. I am usually painting at least a couple of pieces every week.

 

Spray Planet: What is your favorite letter to paint? Why?

Eskae545:  I like letters you can extend or kick out. R’s, S’s, K’s, and E’s.

 

Spray Planet: Do you have a preferred color to use in your pieces and, if so, how do you like to use it? (3D? Outline? Background? Detail?)

Eskae545: I do have a few go-to color schemes. I typically use bright colors for my fills and darker outlines. Yellow fills, light blue fills, pink fills. Lately I have been trying to do the reverse and use dark fill colors with lighter outlines. These darker color fills with light outlines look more dramatic to me. I think it makes your pieces look like they are glowing. Understanding colors takes time. Eventually it clicked for me.

 

 

The impact of graffiti on Eskae545

Spray Planet: How has being a part of the graffiti culture impacted your life?

Eskae545: It has impacted me in many ways. It’s allowed me to meet some amazing artists/people who I’ve become great friends with. So many great adventures and missions. We definitely shared a lot of laughs along the way. I keep telling my team “We just know how to have more fun!”

 

Spray Planet: How long do you see yourself doing this?

Eskae545: This is something I will do forever. It’s proof I existed.