For These Muralists, It Took 3 Years to Spell Out the Alphabet

Anybody who's not three sheets to the wind can write the alphabet in under a minute. For these Berlin-based muralists, it took three years to do so, as well as three cities and 26 different artistic techniques.

The legendary A-B-Cing was accomplished by street-art collective KLUB7, whose intricate chalk doodles look like the blackboard of a mad scientist on military-grade amphetamines. The artists shot on location in Berlin, Halle and New York, eventually winding up with 15,000 photos that they arranged into a time-lapse ode to graffiti (and to learning!).

To make their often giant-sized letters, KLUB7 used all the standard street techniques: spray paint, chalk, what could be construed as yarn bombing. They also pulled out a few from their toolbox that you might not've heard about, like a "digital spray can" from the Graffiti Research Lab and a Facade Printer that decorates buildings by shooting paintballs at them. Then there's the yellow crime tape, fire, a bunch of random furniture and (not to give too much away) a piece of body art that might have to be removed in the future with a laser.

Stick around for the credits, which show the techniques and location for each letter.