Your
Artist Signature
© by Carl
(CAKUart); all rights reserved
Your artist signature
is essentially your symbol of recognition, just like
every successful company uses it's logo or name as its branding
tool.
In many
respects your signature is your trademark, and it is the
indicator that you are the artist of a work that is officially
completed.
Although you
may produce art that is recognizable, having a distinct artist
signature on your work will ultimately become what people know
you by.
Sign Your
Art For Success
The best way
to describe how you should go about signing your artist
signature is to sign it in a manner that represents added value
to your work.
Ideally,
you'll want to spend some time developing your artist signature
to maintain a level of consistency, so your signature is
recognisable and can be read easily.
Avoid trying
to be clever with your artist signature. You don't need to prove
your creative genius with signing your art - you just need to
sign it in a way that represents that you are successful.
If you frame
your work, then make sure you sign your name in far enough so
that the framework does not conceal your signature.
Additionally,
signing your name a little way in from the edge of the canvas
allows your signature to show up clearly in your photographs.
If you
photograph your own work as I do, sometimes you need to cut the
edges off your photo image. The reason for this is; every so
often your painting may not have been completely straight when
you took the shot. Or the actual painting image has bowed edges.
So to get a
nice straight edge and not expose the subject matter behind your
painting (white wall, lawn or in my case sometimes… my kids
toys) you need to crop a bit of your paintings edge.
Unfortunately, if your signature has been signed right on the
edge of your painting, you can end up cutting half of it off.
Artist
Signatures Provide Authenticity
Sign your
work as soon as you have finished. If you come back at a later date to sign your work,
your artist signature may not match the color tone of the
painting. It can end up looking a little fake.
The last
thing you want is people questioning the true authenticity of
your work based on your signature not looking legitimate.
I have made
this mistake in the past and noticed that signing my work a few
days or even week after completing it, made my signature stand
out like a penguin in the Sahara. It looked slightly out of
place.
I totally
admit it, but I have also completed a painting, waited for it to
dry properly then varnished it…only to look down and realise
that I had forgotten to sign it.
If you have
to sign over varnish, the paint often beads. It's frustrating
to say the least. Being left with no option but to write your
artist signature after the painting has been varnished makes
your signature look a little artificial… and too bold.
Yeah, there
are artists that won't admit they goof up, but I do… and I
have...still do - but I'm ok with it, I'm still popular (wink).
Mind you, I
am in the habit of signing my work as soon as I finished a piece
these days. But six or seven years ago, I would often need to be
reminded to sign my work by my friends who came by to view my
new paintings.
Not cool…
and not a very organised artist was I. But alas… I have mended
my ways… in this area of my work (wink).
Dating
Your Artwork
Personally, I
do not put a date next to my artist signature. It is something I
use to do. But I grew to dislike the look of a date on the front
next to my signature. It was more or less a personal thing. It
just didn't look right.
Some
collectors regard dated works as outdated works. Personally I
think this attitude is completely unnecessary. Art doesn't
really go out of date. In some respects I can appreciate why a
collector might rub his head in wonder at a painting that is
prominently dated 2004 next to the artists' signature, when
it’s the city's annual art festival for 2009.
However,
there are artists that hang onto selected works. It could be
that they had an emotional connection to a painting, therefore
never knew what kind of price to put on it. So instead they kept
it.
But even if
there is a stigma associated with noticeable dating on the front
of a painting, it doesn't mean you shouldn't date your paintings
at all.
There are
galleries and collectors that actually like to see a painting
dated even if it is on the back – which is what I do.
In addition
to signing my artist signature on the
front of the painting, I
also put my signature and a date on the back of the canvas.
What
Medium Should I Use To Sign My Art?
If you use
watercolors then use watercolor paint to sign your work. The
same goes with oils, use oil paint... and acrylics… use the
same acrylic paint you just used to produce your painting, to
sign and date your work.
When you go
to sign your painting, it doesn’t need to be a separate act
from the work of your actual painting. What I mean is, you don't
need to go clean your brushes and prepare for the signing.
Simply use the same dirty brush and the same paint your were
using just moments before you finished the piece.
The most
important thing is not to get all flustered about how to sign
your work. If you struggle to come up with a signature you are
happy with, don’t let it bother you. You'll nail it
eventually. Just remember to make it look important but easy to
read.
Power to you
and your art!
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