Pricing can be a difficult thing. Here’s how I price my work.
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Hi! I’m
Nicholas Wilton
the founder of Art2Life.
With over 20 years experience as a working artist and educator, I’ve developed a systematic approach that brings authenticity, spontaneity and joy back into the creative process.
Join me and artists from all over the world in our Free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group or learn more here about Art2Life.
Happy New Year Nicholas! I’m really excited about being part of the A2L community into 2017…so much to look forward thanks to you and the team!. As for signing my work, I like having it on the front but I agree with you to do it in a subtle way. Good idea to put the additional content on the back. Thank you.
As a woman starting her 7th decade and third marriage, I can tell you that after having 4 last names, I don’t feel very attached to one anymore. It’s profoundly disturbing to see my old work bearing a discarded last name. Yet how presumptuous it seems to sign just my first name, like I was Cher or Beyonce or somebody you should know by one name. I don’t have a middle name. Sometimes I sign with a logo of my initials, like a Chinese chop, but that changes too as the last name changes. I’m thinking of making an abstract shape as a kind of logo/chop for the front, and put the full name on the back. It’s another way of saying “this is by me”. I’ve already left a lot of work out there under various names. If anyone ever wanted to put together a catalog raisonne of my body of work, they’d have to be a detective.
Exactly! I’ve been married twice and I now find it quite annoying that going back in time, all women are only identifiable thru a male surname. So I dropped the ‘current last name’ Jenkins (my lineage: Berschauer, Galloway, Jenkins…). If I used female lineage last names (which are still male surnames) I would add: Bishop, Twitchell, Mai, Weeks, etc. Men do not have to contend with this.
For now my website is Phyllis Anne. I sign phyllis anne or p’anne. Tho for now a subtitle on the website is ‘the fine art of phyllis anne jenkins’. Eventually I will drop the Jenkins altogether.
I am confused at what to sign on mine. My full name looks too long and formal. But as a woman just singing my name with my surname WILKES looks butch or aggressive. So I have been signing myself as Irene. Now I am thinking this does not look serious enough for an artist. And then the confusion of whether to do it in block letters or just the signature I use at the bank. What to do? I have also gone through the dilemma of big and small. I have had a painting returned by a client who said my signature was too intrusive. So indeed Nicholas, signing is not a trivial matter!
I usually write my usual signature with a Posca paint pen slightly darker or lighter than the painted area that I’m signing. It doesn’t detract from the painting, and is easily recognisable. It’s always worth having details on the back. Have a Happy New Year….I look forward to more of your excellent advice.
I had an artist professor in grad school who would put his signature smack dab in the middle of the painting. That was so weird and distracting to me. When you looked at his paintings, his name was the first thing you noticed. Ugh!! LOL I have always put my name on the side edge. This is simply because many of my paintings have words in them already. I don’t want my name to be in that same painting field. Like you say, there is no right or wrong way. There have been times I didn’t sign at all. Who knows, tomorrow I might put my name smack dab in the middle. NOT. LOL BTW HAPPY NEW YEAR! Love watching your videos. 🙂
I have been signing on the bak of the painting…. as every time i try it on the front it is distracting to the eye. Some artists signatures look great on front…. they seem to integrate with the work. So far i have not found a way… But i may try scratching something in so it is barely visible, as you suggest in the video
In college, my roommate and I had this discussion. At the time I used my first and last name. Many years later, after I married, I realized my surname was too encompassing. If I used my maiden name (Gorczyca), sometimes people commented on that, and I felt I was referencing my entire family. If I changed to my married surname, then I was referencing another family (Wigent). So, then I used only my first name. It seemed incomplete. I am finally happy with my first and middle name; that feels like I am signing who I am: Julia Agnes – and without bringing in the entire family!
Hi! ME TOO. Without my back story, I sign Phyllis Anne or abbreviation p’anne. My website is Phyllis Anne and (in parentheses, small type: the fine art of phyllis anne jenkins). The whole male gendered sur name is problematic for me; I’ve been married twice. Who am I? Geez
I always sign my name on the front (small) and on the back as well. I struggled with signing my name when working in oils and cold wax and sometimes the scratching looked too messy and illegible as I sign both my first and last name. So, I came up with signing my name very small on a piece of thin paper (like sturdy tissue paper) and then collage it on with clear wax.
Thanks again for these videos Nick. Here’s to an exciting and abundant 2017!
I cannot sign my work on the front because it disturbs my composition. I’m an abstract oil painter and it takes me weeks to complete a painting to my satisfaction. I sign on the back. My only nod to a “signature like practice” is to incorporate (where it works) a small dab of each of the various pigments I have chosen for the work. Several years ago I was told by a gallery that represented me that a signature on the front was imperative to selling work, and I still couldn’t do it. 🙂
Happy New Year Nicolas, and thanks for sharing such interesting ideas.
I sign my paintings in the bottom right corner, very tiny and using a slightly lighter color than the area it is painted on so it is barely discernible.I also sign, name and date it on the back.
I too put the same details as you on the back of my painting. It’s a reminder as well to me about the piece since sometimes I won’t remember the title. In the front bottom left I will generally use my initials or my first name but I am now more confident and will now sign my full name using a fine pen or with a brush in a colour that might be in the painting so it doesn’t become part of the painting. It’s an acknowledgment of my own work before I send it off.
Since I work in encaustics, it’s just about impossible in most cases to sign my name on the front that actually looks like my name. Instead, it leaves an awkward visual impression of my name since scratching through wax does not flow out easily like paint or any other writing instrument. I do sign the back and have not put the pertinent information that you do but, I will now! This has been good food for thought and I think I might start signing the side of the cradle walls so it is still visible, easily signed, yet still does not disturb my composition. Thank you!
Good question… the signature. I wanted consistency so I made two rubber stamps (one larger, one smaller) out of sets of rubber alphabets that you can purchase in craft stores. I match the size and colour to the painting and voilà! It’s done, I wash off the paint and the stamp is ready to go for the next time around. it’s consistent, yet versatile. Bad wobbly paintbrush signature problem solved.
I agree with you Nicholas, and like my signature to be discreet, to blend in.
And we’re off to a brave new year! All the best to all of you.
I like this idea; thanks!
Hi, I use my initials on my paintings. I put them on so that they look like a Japanese Chop. Happy New Year to you too and as always, thank you for all you give to us.
Thank you, Nicholas for this video, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
I love your video, and I love all the comments below. How interesting. Everyone has certainly given this topic a lot of thought. Me, too! I feel it’s important to have my signature on the front, as one time a customer who didn’t see it, said to me, “did you sign this? It’s an original!” I pointed out where my signature was located, and she felt relieved. I think I could have lost the sale if my signature had been only on the back.
I’m going to try your method of scratching it in with a pencil. That way, it will be permanent. Thanks again. I too, am so happy to be in your ART2LIFE course/accademy.
Happy New Year Nicholas.
Thank you for sharing how you sign your work.
As I create in several different mediums, I tend to have a different way for each.
Where I have always struggled thou is with my acrylic paintings.
I do like the way you simply last your last name and scratch it in.
That resonates with me.
I plan on starting a new painting this week.
I think I will try it and see how it feels.
Thank you for sharing your authentic self with all of nus.
One of my goals in 2017 or 2018 (Lord willingly I am still here)
is to take a class from you.
Cheers to Creativity!~
Traci
HAPPY NEW YEAR ! what is index number?
I sign on the back with my signature, the name of the piece with a copy right mark, the inventory number (which tells me when it was made ), the dimensions. The inventory # cross references a book where I now usually put what materials I have used. I am an encaustic/mixed media artist and my name has 16 letters so I feel signing on the front is disruptive. I will consider the “stamp method” one person mentioned and just printing my last name somewhere as you do. I see the point in having my name on the front but when I’ve done it I hated the look.
I put all info on back… have been reluctant to sign front because it’s distracting. I like how you put yours so subtly. I do think your right, that people like to see a signature.
Hi there!
I look so forward to someday attending one of your workshops. Thank you for all the wonderful information you give out!!!
I sign my work on the side and back.
Nice to hear your perspective. I’ve always felt that signing the front of my paintings was a distraction to the piece so I’ve signed the back with my 1st and last name, title, year, and sometimes my website.
But…after being a full-time artist for over a decade now I’ve finally embraced signing the front of my paintings. I have come to the conclusion that it adds more value to the piece and people want to see that. Collectors want to see it.
As my prices have inched up over the years I feel that it just needs to be there now, even if it’s in a very subtle way. I think the key is to make it subtle.
I’d love to hear your technique on how you apply your cold wax medium finish to your paintings. I just started playing around with it and I’m watching youtube videos.
Thanks for all your wisdom sharing. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year Nick! Thanks for all these conversational videos that share great information. It’s wonderful to ‘see’ you so often – it makes everything real. I’m all over the place with my signature, trying different things over the years. On some pieces I put a calligraphic sig on the front which does become part of the design, usually on larger work. On other pieces I put the calligraphic sig on the side. It occurs to me that our signatures reflect our art as well as who we are. You scratch yours in which is totally in keeping with your work. My calligraphy background is part of my art. I do write information on the back and sometimes sign it there too.
I sign the front in small letters and put more information on the back.
Happy New Year to you and many thanks for all the useful and inspiring videos!! Great topic! I sign my work on the back, along with identifying information, mainly because in school, painting professors told us not to sign on front, as it was considered unprofessional. This was years ago and most likely that standard has changed in today’s world. I do think that people look for a signature when they’re considering a painting and I’ve had collectors ask for my signature on the front. I’ve done a few when asked… but I’ve always found it difficult to make it look harmonious. I love your idea of scratching the signature discreetly into the paint, since I naturally incise into my paintings anyway!
I sign the front as you do Nick, small and color compatible with painting. Viewer has to search a bit to find it. I sign because I’ve discovered buyers want the signature confirming it as original. I sign first and middle name: phyllis anne or (abbrev.) p’anne.
I’m dropping the surname altogether as I go. I responded to several people (below) who share the uniquely female issue of “who am I?” esp if married more than once. All last names are male surnames. Females lose their identity as they go forward. So my solution, drop the surname altogether. I’ve thought about making one up but it’s easier just to use first,middle.
I put identifying information on the back of the painting as you do…except I haven’t a formal archive number system yet. Developing that.
Despite multiple relationships, I have ALWAYS signed my work with my birth name. Thankfully we women no longer are pressured into changing our names upon marriage!
I respect the idea of honoring your birth name. I am named after my father, “Phillip”. I do not expect anyone to share my particular sensitivity regarding females tied to male gendered surnames. There is a whole story for me that involves being a third child with 2 older brothers..& younger sister. My family had a reverence for my father’s ancestry and ignorance ( ignoring the genetic pool) of my mother’s lineage. I adored my artistic father and identified with him.. At the same time, early on, I wondered why half of our (siblings) collective identity was overlooked: my mother’s contribution to our lineage. I happened to also deeply admire her creative genius. Early on, I noticed and wondered how women were remembered in the family history. I noticed my mom’s maiden name was a male surname… No trace of female lineage by surnames. I identified strongly with my brothers. I recognized or at least felt I was different, an “other” in the naming process. I saw it as a way of making females invisible.. Anyway I think I was a feminist at 5 years old, in retrospect, given what I was noticing then. So there you go. The seeds of questioning identity based on surnames began very early for me. My choice re signing art work or even choosing how to be identified as an artist has something to do with multiple marriages but goes much deeper for me. I don’t expect other women to share this confusion of identity. I own it. This was awakened in responding to Nick’s question. I haven’t shared this publicly before now. The truth for me is that this issue came up front and center for me when I grappled with my artist identity. (Complicated by the fact my paternal artist grandmother, who mentored me and whom I adored, was of French extraction, carried a French male surname…Lost when she married my grandfather, of German/Polish extraction. Was she French or something other, lost when her mother married a French man?) So you see, this is my personal struggle. I don’t expect others to share my experience or angst or thoughts about it. I was just reporting my struggle with signing artwork. Nick’s question bought up this issue for me. I could have bypassed it. Turns out it was & is very big for me and I was willing to risk sharing it. We’re all different in some ways while sharing many commonalities
My maiden surname is Berschauer(German/Russian-Polish). My mother’s maiden surname is Weeks (English?). My maternal grandmother’s name is Bishop (English?). My paternal grandmother’s name is …(French).? My maternal great grandmother’s name is Twitchell (Swedish). I didn’t check the geneology of our family for accuracy but you get the idea). It’s my deal
So, who am I?
I usually sign my name on the back, but since reading this and the comments, I am reconsidering signing my work on the front. I like the idea of scratching it into the wet paint on the very bottom.
I sign the front of my paintings with my initials “HRB” but on the back with my name “HarryBell”, the year and usually the title.
I like my signature to be inconspicuous too — I write it as small as I can and as pale as I can, usually on the bottom right, but any place that will not draw attention away from the picture — in pencil, thin light marker or sometimes thin paint of color similar to the color where I place it. I like your idea of putting other info on the back, with the date, dimensions, media, title and image number. (Do keep a log book with info on the painting and a photo of it?
Also, on another subject, how do you pick titles for your paintings? Sometimes I find it easy and sometimes not!