[Chris Saper]

Hi Hanna,

You should definitely use your last name, and probably at least your first initial. I think that there's an amateur bias and it's harder to have your work taken seriously with a first name only. Larsson is probably not an uncommon name in your area, so I don't see why you shouldn't use your whole name.

In pastels, I sign my name just as I would sign a letter or anything else. I'd do the same thing in oil if I could figure out how; instead, I just write "SAPER" in block letters. For all my paintings I also include a copyright sign and the the date, last two years.

At least in the United States, copyrights are best protected when the name, date and copyright sign are placed visibly. That's not to say you can't protect your copyright without these things, but they would all weigh in your favor.

As to concealing your identity as a female, in theory one would think that it would be possible for female painters to earn as much as comparably skilled males (if anyone wants to discuss this, it's a better topic for the Cafe), but the reality of portrait painting is that you have to meet your clients, so it doesn't really make any sense. Unless you paint for people who will never meet you, even landscape painters et al, for the most part, eventually want shows and exhibits at which they can be present.

I have an androgynous first name, so I tend not to think about it. However I have, a number of times, had people act surprised, and have been told: "Oh. You paint like a man." I still don't know what to make of that.

However (a long and circuitous route getting to the point here), I think you should choose a signature that looks good, that is not contrived, that feels natural for you to use, and that is placed with careful consideration.

For signatures, size, location and color matter. They will become part of the design of your painting, whether you want them to or not.