Signing the portrait

[Hanna Larsson]

Josef, that might be a good option. How do you write 2003?

[Josef Sy]

MMIII
M=1000

[Julianne Lowman]

O.K. Here's a new one that just floored me! At a recent art show I went to two artist's booths that had exactly the same signature, in exactly the same size on each of their paintings. It was done with oil paint instead of ink on a rubber stamp of their signature, the copyright symbol and the year the piece was completed. What do you all think of that?

[Leslie Ficcaglia]

Hanna, that's a lovely signature and I can't even tell that it's missing an "s." I think it'll look wonderful on your paintings. And personally I like Larsson better than Andersson, possibly because it seems more exotic to me in the U.S., Anderson being a more common name.

[Patt Legg]

I am still looking for a little feedback about my signature (see page 1 of this thread). I agree with others that I should be proud to sign my work and I am. It is not a matter of pride; I think I simply would like my signature to look artsy, too and can't seem to find the right feel. I can sign it with a pen on paper and love it, but when I brush it on with paint I no longer like it. I love the cursive or handwriting signature and must print it on canvas - I think that is it, too.

Again, Patt Legg: P A Legg, P Legg (if spelled too closely will read plegg, PAL, Patricia A. Legg, just PATT (as I do now print it).

I now just sign Patt but want to do something different, as I began to think of my grandchildren saying, "Patt WHO?"

Give me some ideas here please.

[Josef Sy]

I prefer P.A.Legg. You have to make sure the periods are clear and legible.

[Enzie Shahmiri]

Interesting how some of us struggle with the easiest part of being an artist. After having tons of trouble signing a rather long name, 13 letters in oil, I have been using a fine tip pen that is specially formulated for autographs on sport balls. It allows for full writing control, doesn't smudge and so far has not faded either. I don't date my work, but on some pieces the wooden support on the back will include a poem or a thought that led to the creation of the work. This ensures that people don't make wrong assumptions about what my objectives were.

Patt, I would use Patricia Legg. It sounds nice and people should recognize your work and it's creator by the full name.

[Hanna Larsson]

I think Patricia is a beautiful name, I would sign Patricia Legg. It sounds good and seems to be fairly easy to write beautifully (except from the L...) When you sign on an oil painting you can scrape in your signature with something sharp while the paint is still wet. Then you can write it the same way as you do with a pen.

[Karin Wells]

STAMP?...It was done with oil paint instead of ink on a rubber stamp of their signature...

Actually, I use my rubber stamp a lot. I often forget to sign a painting and I don't like my signature to "show" much as it is not an important part of the design. I consider every brushstroke that I apply to my canvas to be my "real" signature.

Here is an example of my stamped name below on a 48" x 36" painting. It is less than 1" wide and I greatly enhanced the first signature in Photoshop so it would be more visable. The second example is how it actually appears. You have to look closely to see it as the signature is nearly the same value as the background.

I do not like to put the year on the front of a painting. Sometimes if I have something to say for posterity, I'll write on the back of the stretcher bar in pencil.

[Marta Prime]

I think Karin has chosen the wisest way to add a signature. I've seen some paintings that have such large, ornate signatures, done in vivid colors, that it actually disfigures the painting.