What's in a Signature?
A note about signing artwork...
I often avoid putting my name on a work of art. If there is a place to sign the work that is "perfect" for the work itself, I go for it. If I feel that my signature will distract from the composition, I don't sign the artwork. Instead, I sign just below the corner of the painting on the inner mat, in the space between that and the second mat. This is common practice in printmaking and I do this occasionally on a watercolor work that has no "good" place to sign. In all cases, I put my signature, the date and title of a work on the back of the work itself.
Back to the front: I have tried signing with first initial/last name and full name, but decided to purposely sign only my first name from now on, with the wonderful thought that my first name will some day be recognized even beyond other artists with the same name. When people hear the name "Lorena" my artwork and writing will come first to mind. I like this thought - even if it never happens - it's a good one.
I was told by an artist from whom I took a class once that I shouldn't sign on the diagonal. The reason: that would distract from my painting. However, when I do sign a work - usually in another media, but sometimes in a watercolor, I prefer the diagonal signature. I succumbed to this man's guidance for a time and signed many works on the horizontal, but it looks weak and commonplace. I don't like it. To make my point, I have made a graphite rendering of my glasses in a case marked with the maker's name: "Signature". I could not resist the temptation to write my name with a fourish on the diagonal, just below and to the right of the image. I like it! From now on, my signature is likely to appear anywhere on an artwork, in any position, but never on the horizontal! I am, after all, in charge, am I not?
Here is an interesting bit of information from Stephen Pugsley, etcher/printmaker, published in the Artist's Magazine: Why artists use pencil in signing original prints: "They are signed in pencil because graphite can't be printed! A signature in ink might just be a part of the printed image, but a graphite signature authenticates that it was added by hand."
We live and learn! If you have an opinion to share about your 'signature' experiences, I welcome your comments.
I often avoid putting my name on a work of art. If there is a place to sign the work that is "perfect" for the work itself, I go for it. If I feel that my signature will distract from the composition, I don't sign the artwork. Instead, I sign just below the corner of the painting on the inner mat, in the space between that and the second mat. This is common practice in printmaking and I do this occasionally on a watercolor work that has no "good" place to sign. In all cases, I put my signature, the date and title of a work on the back of the work itself.
Back to the front: I have tried signing with first initial/last name and full name, but decided to purposely sign only my first name from now on, with the wonderful thought that my first name will some day be recognized even beyond other artists with the same name. When people hear the name "Lorena" my artwork and writing will come first to mind. I like this thought - even if it never happens - it's a good one.
I was told by an artist from whom I took a class once that I shouldn't sign on the diagonal. The reason: that would distract from my painting. However, when I do sign a work - usually in another media, but sometimes in a watercolor, I prefer the diagonal signature. I succumbed to this man's guidance for a time and signed many works on the horizontal, but it looks weak and commonplace. I don't like it. To make my point, I have made a graphite rendering of my glasses in a case marked with the maker's name: "Signature". I could not resist the temptation to write my name with a fourish on the diagonal, just below and to the right of the image. I like it! From now on, my signature is likely to appear anywhere on an artwork, in any position, but never on the horizontal! I am, after all, in charge, am I not?
Here is an interesting bit of information from Stephen Pugsley, etcher/printmaker, published in the Artist's Magazine: Why artists use pencil in signing original prints: "They are signed in pencil because graphite can't be printed! A signature in ink might just be a part of the printed image, but a graphite signature authenticates that it was added by hand."We live and learn! If you have an opinion to share about your 'signature' experiences, I welcome your comments.
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