With Markers

• 1). Make a horizontal line through the letters with the lightest color you're working with. Ideally, the line will be placed about 1/3 of the way from the top of the letters. This will mark out the first blended edge, where the lightest shade will meet with the medium shade.
  
  
• 2). Use smooth, even strokes of the lightest marker to outline and fill in the top 1/3 of the letters.
  
  
• 3). Use the medium marker to make a line 2/3 of the way from the top of the letters.
  
  
• 4). Use smooth, even strokes of the medium marker to outline and fill in the middle 1/3 of the letters.
  
  
• 5). Pick up the darkest shade and use smooth, even strokes to outline and fill in the bottom 1/3 of the letters.
  
  
• 6). Use the lightest shade to go over the edge of the medium shade to further blend the two together. Use slow horizontal lines to encourage the inks to bleed together slightly.
  
  
• 7). Do the same with the medium marker, over the edge of the darkest shade. The edges should now look more like a gradient that starts with a dark bottom that becomes bright at the top.
  
  

With Spray Paint

• 1). Fit all of your spray paint cans with fat caps. If your letters are about three feet high, use cap with a medium spray diameter, such as a "Rusto" or "New York" fat cap.
  
  If your letters are much larger, use a cap with an extra wide spray diameter, such as a "Pink Dot", "Orange Dot" or "24 Karat" fat cap.
  
  
• 2). Start with the darkest color at the bottom. Outline and fill the bottom 1/3 of the letters with this color.
  
  
• 3). Outline and fill the middle 1/3 of the letters with the medium shade of spray paint.
  
  
• 4). Outline and fill the top 1/3 of the letters with the lightest shade of spray paint.
  
  
• 5). Pick up the medium shade of paint. Hold the can further away from the wall than when you were filling the letters and apply the paint in a smooth, horizontal motion over the line where the dark and medium shades meet. The line should now appear seamless.
  
  
• 6). Pick up the lightest shade of paint and apply paint in a smooth, horizontal motion over the line where the light and medium shades meet. Continue until the line appears seamless.