Answers to common artists' questions e.g. 
What's the best way for an artist to sign a painting?
Should you date as well as sign a painting?
How should you sign a fine art print?
​These are just some of the questions about signatures asked by artists and art lovers - and below you can find a lot of the answers!  

This section offers a structured introduction to artists signatures for ARTISTS who want
  • to know more about the best way to sign and date a work of art
  • help with their signatures when using specific types of art media
BELOW you can find out about:
  • Pros and Cons of signing your art
  • Initials, surname or change your name?
  • Monograms, initialed signatures & motifs
HOW TO SIGN
  • TIPS: How to sign your art
  • How to sign:
    • an oil painting
    • a dipytch/triptych
    • a watercolour painting
    • a pastel artwork
    • a drawing
    • a fine art print (limited edition)
    • a copy of another artwork
  • Signature Membership (of an Art Society)
FIRST review:
  • your own practice in signing and dating your art
  • what over 2,000 other artists do

FINALLY - for ART LOVERS AND COLLECTORS 
who want to know more the signatures of artists from the past and present
  • review How to check out an Artist's Signature
(on another page - to be published - coming soon)

WHY SIGN YOUR ART?
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How do YOU sign your art?
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Try the four polls - which quiz you about YOUR artistic Practice - BEFORE before you start reading this page about signing art and artist's signatures.

​​The charts BELOW demonstrate the results from the polls about signatures that I ran on my previous website for some years. I now run the polls on Crowd Signal.

You can check more recent results by clicking 'view results' under each poll.

How to sign art - the artists' perspective

What follows are the views of other artists - expressed via a number of polls I ran on another website.

​The charts cover:
  • size and location of the signature
  • whether you plan your signature in advance
  • whether or not to date your artwork
SIZE & LOCATION OF THE ARTIST'S SIGNATURE: Which of the following is the most like YOUR artist's signature?
There's a very clear favourite when it comes to signing art. Not too obvious and not too difficult to find and very definitely readable is the preferred option of 75% of artists. By way of contrast:
  • just 6% prefer a more flamboyant 'in your face' style
  • 19% would really prefer it if the signature was not something which jumped out at you and if nobody spots it, so much the better. 
Your mark should identify you as the artist, compliment the painting and not distract from the work.
Róisín O'Farrell - Signing Your Work
PLANNING YOUR SIGNATURE: Do you think about WHERE to place your signature when planning your art?
Planning signatures tends to become something you do over time as you create more and more painting - and begin to wish you'd thought rather more about where the signature was going at an earlier stage.
  • Over half ALWAYS plan where they will place the signature
  • 72% almost always sign and think about this before signing
  • 20% do not sign their art - either because they don't yet consider it good enough or because they never plan a signature before they start - and then decide 
Picture
Degas signed his artwork "Dancers practising at the barre" (Metropolitan Museum of Art) on the skirting board - just in front of the spout of the watering can.
DATING ARTWORK: Do you include a date on your artwork? 
There's a variety of views - and practices - about dating artwork.
  • 40% rarely date or do not date at all
  • Just over a third make the date obvious. 
  • 25% do date - but somewhere not obvious or where you might only see it if you owned the work.
It's worth noting that:
  • dates help to establish an artist's progression and development over time
  • dates are very helpful to establishing the authenticity of works of art.
  • dates are more important to artwork in an auction market where they help with validation.
  • ​artists can sign - and date - their work in ways which are not visible
  • ​dates for an artwork can also be provided by evidence of its provenance eg diaries, letters, invoices etc - all of which are extensively relied on by the auction market.
Constraints on dates
Serious artists have told me that galleries are very against having paintings dated on the front as it can sometime be off-putting to buyers who for some reason think a painting painted five years ago is less good than one painted yesterday!

However, it's very odd that art collectors don't have a problem buying art which is 105 years old as opposed to 100 years old!
My Practice

I always sign and date my artwork on paper with my real signature and the date of the artwork - but I then cover that with mat and frame and initial the work on the part that shows. Plus I keep folders of paper and digital files relating to each artwork - as do very many artists.

Bottom line - signing the work is extremely important - but dating it in a visible way is not, if you are keeping other records of how and when you work was made.

Pros and Cons of signing your Art
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Why should you sign your art?
​What are the benefits for you - and for those buying your art or inheriting it in the future? 
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PROS​​​
  • enables an artist to assert the artwork was created by them
  • assists with issues and disputes relating to copyright
  • collectors like artwork to be signed
  • galleries like artwork to be signed
​CONS
  • flashy signatures can detract from a painting - and make it more difficult to sell
  • no signature can create problems for dealers
  • no signature can pose issues for valuation of your estate - and those who inherit your artwork
  • if people can't read your signature then
    • it effectively has no signature and
    • might be claimed by anybody as their own work
  • leaving your signature off means an artist can be "rediscovered" as an artist of merit in the centuries to come - because nobody knew who the artwork was by!
TIPS RE. WHETHER OR NOT TO SIGN YOUR ART
  • sign your art - somewhere!
  • keep your signature simple and recognisable.
  • make your signature readable by anybody (i.e. not just  you or the people who know you) - illegible signatures help no one!
  • try to keep your signature consistent over time - this helps to avoid misleading people
  • place your signature in one of the bottom corners - this is the traditional approach - however you can sign a painting anywhere you like!
  • you can sign artwork on the reverse as well as the front
  • you may have signature status with your art society - but that doesn't mean you have to include the initials in your signature!
  • it's less easy to identify an artist from a monogram or initials than you might think
Picture
How Rembrandt's signature changed over time
REFERENCE:

Initials, surname - or change your name?
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The question of which name to use and how to sign it is a more common one than you might think.
Here are some tips:
  • Find out if you have a common name - do an internet search. You have problems if you have the same name as a very famous person as their coverage will swamp yours
  • If you have a very common name, you need to think of a way to ensure people don't confuse you with other artists of the same name (don't forget to do that comprehensive search online). You may well benefit by making it more distinctive. Some people
    • add in initials 
    • convert their first name to initials
    • use a pseudonym instead
  • It gets complicated in relation to contracts and bank accounts and people trying to pay you for your art. You need a business bank account with a "Trading as" Name as part of the title.
  • If you have a very unusual name you can use it and make your art signature distinctive. However if you opt for initials then you're back in the crowd of other artists who all have the same initials.
  • if you use a new name - you run the risk that the people who already know you will not recognise that this is you
  • Think long and hard about how you sign your name.
  • Whatever you do - make sure you use the name you use for your art for your website domain name. When people are looking for you online the first thing they do is type in your name to to the search box
REFERENCE
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Monograms, Initialed Signatures & Motifs
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Monograms have a long history when it comes to signing paintings. They can be:
  • a unique symbol or logo - this might be graphical or involve letters
  • initials relating to the individual who created the artwork - combined in such a way as to create one graphic image i.e. a monogram
The main problem with separated initials as a signature is that lots of artists with different names will also have the same initials.
Picture
The butterfly motif of James McNeill Whistler
Whistler chose to adopt the butterfly motif (a popular image in Oriental art), as a signature in the 1860s. Over the years his butterfly signature evolved and he began to place it in his paintings as a deliberate compositional element, as well as a monogram from 1873.
​James McNeill Whistler's Butterfly Signature | Joseph Scissorhands
How to create a Monogram

A monogram is a motif which indicates a work was created by a particular person.

A monogram is normally made of letters or graphemes (a grapheme is "the smallest semantically distinguishing unit in a written language".
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The process used for creating a monogram for use in published documents is also one which can be used when trying out different ways you can create a monogram from a selection of all or one initials in your artist's name.
REFERENCE:

HOW TO SIGN......
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This section covers:
  • TIPS: How to sign a painting
  • How to sign an oil painting
  • How t0 sign a watercolour painting
  • How to sign a dipytch/triptych

​TIPS: How to sign your art
​

TIPS include making a decision about:
  • what your artist's name will be e.g. whether to use your full name, surname, initials or a monogram / hallmark
  • whether your name will be gender neutral (eg use initials)
  • which name you want to use for your signature (try to stick to this!)
  • whether to sign with your initials - How many other artists share the same initials as you! Do your initials actually indicate that you and you alone are the artist?
  • how to create a legible signature - otherwise you may as well not have signed
  • how to create a unique monogram from your initials
Picture
A selection of monograms used by Albrecht Durer on different artwork
  • what's the best way to sign your chosen name - in a way which is not too difficult to do
  • whether the colour of the signature will be standard or vary with the overall colour scheme of the painting
  • whether to sign the painting in the same media as used to create the artwork - one risk you may run is one fades faster than the other
  • whether the signature will always have a consistent position - or the position will change with the design of the artwork
  • whether the signature will be obvious (e.g. red paint) or unobtrusive (e.g. a monogram tucked away in the painting somewhere)
  • if you want to be traditional - sign in one of the bottom corners of the painting
  • where to sign the artwork to make sure it can be seen  i.e. how much allowance to leave before the artwork is matted or framed
MUST DO" TIPS
  • sign the painting BEFORE you varnish or glaze it
  • sign the painting BEFORE you frame it!
  • use a colour compatible with the artwork - unless you have a monumental ego which demands everything be signed in red!
  • date your art - it doesn't have to be the same place as the signature and you can date a work on the back
  • BE CAREFUL!
    • Do not disqualify your work, if entering a competition which requires anonymous entries and hence no signature
    • Do NOT overpower your art with your signature - artists with enormous egos seem to have enormous signatures but do remember that the purchaser is buying the art and not your ego.
Your signature should NOT be the first thing that jumps out at you when you view a work of art. It should never compete with the painting and never be the focal point.
​On signing your art | Liz Haywood-Sullivan Fine Art
A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series of uncombined initials is properly referred to as a cypher and is not a monogram, although ciphers are frequently referred to as monograms.
​Wikipedia - monogram
REFERENCE:
Below you will find links to articles discussing the importance of a signature and provide some tips on how to do it

How to sign an oil painting
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Techniques for signing an oil painting vary. Normally there's a formal signature: people sign bottom left or bottom right - but this is not always the case - using oil paint used in the painting.  Plus an informal signature - on the back of the board or stretchers where the artist might use another medium e.g. a sharpie to make clear who produced the artwork

You should ALWAYS practice first! Until you have developed a skill in signing a painting in oil paint.

You can:
  • ​scratch out your signature in the wet oil paint - using the non-brush end of your brush. A technique which is effective but requires practice
  • wait until the oil paint is drier and then use a pencil to create a template for your signature in paint
  • create a fluid oil paint - using whatever medium you use to promote flow. Practice will create the knowledge about how fluid the paint needs to be for you personally. (i.e. what works for one artist is not necessarily right for another)
  • sign in pencil or a marker pen on the stretchers on which the canvas has been stretched
  • invest in a signature, liner or calligraphy brush - these help you sign your name more easily
  • use a solvent-based marker pen which sticks to oil paint (but try before you commit to signing the painting)
REFERENCE:​

How to sign a diptych or triptych
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Picture
'Bigger Trees near Warter' by David Hockney | Oil on 50 canvases | 180 7/10 × 482 3/10 in | 459 × 1225 cm
If you only sign one panel of a diptych or triptych what happens if the painting gets split up either accidentally or on purpose?
  • Who would know who painted the unsigned panel(s)?
  • The safest thing to do if creating your own diptych or triptych is to make sure every single panel is marked with your name even if you only sign one on the surface of the painting.​
Signal this is a DIPTYCH (or a work of parts)
One other useful way of indicating that a painting is a diptych or triptych (or some larger number e.g. 50 - you too could become another David Hockney one day!!) is to
  • assign a number to each panel and
  • then indicate that it is part of a larger work i.e. also note the total number of panels (e.g. 2/3 meaning second panel of three in total) in the same way people do when creating a run of prints
  • ​then sign on the reverse
You could choose to only sign one panel on the front of the painting with your signature - to indicate this piece of art is one piece as opposed to two or three. However if you take the view that the signature indicates provenance there's nothing wrong with signing all the panels on the reverse to make absolutely sure it's clear who created the work.
​
This is what Robert Genn had to say on the matter
I believe in signing every unit. To avoid the goofy repetition look, understate the signatures or hide them in some obscure place, foliage, etc. Nothing worse than an orphan tych of a diptych or a triptych that wanders the world unknown.
Rovert Genn

How to sign a watercolour painting
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Always sign a watercolour painting in watercolour.
As always plan where you're going to sign it from the beginning. Your approach may vary depending on whether you are signing paper (e.g. as a botanical or natural history artist) or signing over paint (e.g. as watercolour artist of generic subjects)

You can:
  • use a brush suitable for lettering - such as a script brush - which is easier to use 
  • use a colour from the painting for the signature
  • sign with a stylus - which creates an indentation in which paint settles (I recommend you experiment with this technique before you try it on a painting)
  • use an appropriate (lightfast) coloured ink and a suitable pen nib - there's no requirement to sign in watercolour
  • BEWARE of:
    • brush pens where the ink is not lightfast
    • getting carried away with your lettering - brush lettering is very fashionable for notices and memes but not for signing watercolour paintings
Picture
Wing of a Blue Roller - a nature study watercolor by Albrecht Dürer (Watercolor and body color on vellum)
REFERENCE: How to sign a watercolour painting

How to sign a mixed media / acrylic painting
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Some suggestions for how to sign mixed media paintings - and note that some of the suggestions contradict one another e.g. re. the use of a marker pen. Note however that marker pens are not always lightfast - and the signature may fade.

Acrylic painters need to use more water to create a more fluid paint before attempting a signature. As with oil painters, the use of a brush designed for lettering helps with a signature.
REFERENCE:

How to sign pastel artwork
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​Signing a pastel drawing - where you've not covered all the paper is easy enough - however it's not easy to sign a pastel painting where the whole of the support is covered.

​In addition some surfaces work better than others if you want to include your signature as opposed to a monogram.
Things you need to think about which are specific to pastels
  • the nature of the surface will have an impact on the marks made and how sharp your pastel needs to be
  • the ability to sign a pastel painting is very much influenced by the amount of pastel laid down already and whether the surface will accept any more. It's a good idea to think about where you might want to sign it BEFORE you complete the pastel painting
I RECOMMEND that you always try experimenting with different methods before signing a pastel painting proper and see which one works best for you. 

​Don't experiment on a finished work!
FOUR WAYS of signing a pastel painting
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The general recommendation is always to sign with the medium you ar​e using however below are four alternatives:
  • sharpen a hard pastel to a point and use this on an area which still has some tooth
  • use a pastel pencil
  • use a coloured pencil. IMO this works better than pastel pencils in terms of control. Make sure you use one that is lightfast!
  • use a soft ordinary pencil. Beware this may leave a shiny mark. You MUST experiment with it before using on a pastel painting to see the effect
REFERENCE:

How to sign a drawing
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This is a checklist of things to think about BEFORE signing a drawing:
  • Avoid your signature being covered by the mat - I cannot tell you how often I have cursed when signing my artwork after cutting the mat only to find I've signed in the wrong place! The most common reason for a signature looking squashed in a corner if forgetting to allow for the mat before you sign - and I've committed this mistake more than once which is why it's top of the list! Remember to work out how much allowance is required for the mat covering the drawing and then remember to also allow for some space around it so it has some space to breathe.
  • Use the same material to sign your drawing as that used for the drawing - otherwise it looks as if it's been done by another person and/or added afterwards.
  • Artists should sign using a material which is no less lightfast than the drawing media used in the drawing - Do remember that not all media is lightfast and some media fades. Interestingly this is particularly true of a lot of ink unless designed to be lightfast.
  • ​Consider following the contour of the image you have drawn - in order not to draw too much attention to an image, some artists align the direction of their signature with a line within the drawing
  • Check your title and/or signature and/or date before you spray the final fixative - it's your last chance to correct any words spelt incorrectly or letters which look wrong
Picture
signature of Leonardo da Vinci on drawings
  • ​If using pastel consider using a pastel pencil or a sharpened hard pastel for the signature - they're sometimes much easier to use than a proper soft pastel
  • Try using a monogram if you've produced a botanical drawing - for some reason monograms seem to be more prevalent amongst artists who produce botanical illustrations
  • If you use a monogram on the front you can also sign your full name on the back - This is my practice with most of my drawings. I sign my full name on the reverse just inside the margins of the drawing. Obviously if you adopt this practice you need to be certain that the paper you have used is think enough that the signature on the back will not show through.

How to sign a fine art print - tips and techniques for printmakers
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The convention which maintains the distinction between hand-pulled fine art prints and prints which are mechanical reproductions is that
  • limited edition fine art prints (i.e. "hand-pulled") are signed and
  • unlimited reproduction prints are NOT signed
An artist's name on a print can increase the price by two or more times, and creators generally view signing and numbering works as a valuable source of income for themselves.
What's the value of a signature on an art print - Daniel Grant - Huffington Post (see below for link)
TIPS for signing fine art limited edition prints
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  • Only sign a fine art limited edition print if you approve it (ie you are happy to have your name and your signature associated with this print)
  • Make sure the print is completely dry before you start to sign!
  • Handwrite the Title
    • Use the Sentence Case i.e. Only use capitals for the first word and proper nouns
    • Title goes bottom middle
  • Only sign, date and number limited edition prints  
    • Make sure the edition number is clearly indicated before you sign - conventionally this is located on the bottom left of the print - lined up with the left edge of the image
    • The edition number is written as follows: the number of the print within the edition / the edition size (e.g. 3/50 - meaning the third print of an edition of 50)
    • Sign in pencil - NOT pen
    • Sign close to the edge of a limited edition print - in the centre or the bottom right of the print
    • Indicate the year after the signature (4 or 2 digits) bottom right - lined up with right edge of the image
  • ​Sign the Artist's Proof (A/P) but do NOT include this in the edition numbering
"DO NOT"

  • Do NOT sign an unlimited edition reproduction print - it's meaningless and you risk being accused of passing it off as a limited edition print
  • Do NOT sign any art prints you are not happy with - and make sure you deface them
  • Do NOT sign blank pieces of paper - this totally undermines the value of the work
REFERENCE:

How to sign a copy of another artwork
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The basic principle of signing your artwork is to indicate that you produced it.
However if you have copied a painting, it's NOT your painting!
  • It's called a derivative work.
  • If you represented it as all your own work then you'd be committing fraud.
It's therefore very important when making a copy to indicate that it's NOT all your own work.
.So how should you sign it?
​
  • Many artists leave such paintings unsigned - particularly if they were done for educational or study purposes. These after all will never be leaving your studio and won't be sold.
  • Some artists reference the paintings as being connected to the artist who has been copied in some way eg "After Van Gogh" (this is the most usual form i.e. "After (painter's name)". This might be done on the reverse
  • Some artists sign on the front - but again any painting which is a copy should indicate this fact e.g. via its title for example AND through the signature used

NEVER, under any circumstances, attempt to forge the signature of artist on an artwork you've produced - whether or not it is a copy.

Otherwise you could find yourself in Court or worse!
REFERENCE

Signature Membership (of an Art Society)
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This is MY definition of signature membership
"Signature membership (for artists) means all those people who have qualified to use a set of letters after their surname and be known as a full member of an art society. The process of becoming a signature member is almost always defined by a set of criteria which varies from art society to art society. It usually means you are also a fully paid up member in good standing as well."
Practice varies considerably as to whether or not people use the signature membership initials in their signature on an artwork. It's more usual to see them displayed against an artist's name in catalogues of an exhibition.

However not everybody seeks letters after their name. Take a look at Robert Genn's perspective (below) on credentials
  • Those important letters | Robert Genn - Painter's Keys - I'm told that in some jurisdictions credentials are important, but I'm not sure where those jurisdictions are. Further, I've never heard of someone coming into an art gallery and saying "Do you have anything by an RA?"