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Thursday, July 20, 2017

When Do You Sign a Painting

'Return to the Marsh'          8x10          pastel         ©Karen Margulis
available $145
 Does signing a painting mean you are finished? For me it is usually the last thing I do. It prevents me from fussing and potentially overworking a painting. When I feel like I have nothing more to add to a painting....when I decide that another mark will not make a difference....I stop and add my signature.

Signing my painting is an important ritual. It means I am feeling good about it. It means I will stop and evaluate before making another mark. Signing slows me down!

After I sign the painting I take a break. I give myself some time and distance. I leave the painting on the easel and glance at it from time to time. I will return to it and touch it ONLY if I know exactly what I need to do. Usually I never touch it again. It's funny how a painting is often finished before we think it is. Signing and stepping back keeps the painting from being 'finished off'.

My signature is my initials....Karen Elizabeth Margulis

 CAN YOU HELP?
I am working on a blog post and video on signing paintings and I'd love to hear from you. If you'd like to share your answers to the following questions pleas do so in the comments.

1. How do you sign your name? Initials? Full name? First name only?
2. What do you use to sign your name?


Isn't this the coolest bag? 
My friend dropped by today to give me this wonderful birthday gift. It is monogrammed with my signature and I just LOVE the color! My friend and I call ourselves 'bag ladies' We can never have enough bags!


Painting notes:  8x10 on Uart 500. Schminke pastels for the yellow flowers. Terry  Ludwigs and Diane Townsend for everything else.

6 comments:

Sandi Graham Pastels said...

I sign when finished and off the Easel right before framing so I can see exactly how the signature will look on painting when framed. Do not want signature to compete with painting.
I use my last name and sign with pastel pencils.

Unknown said...

My initials are also KEM, which I've been using as my name since I was 12. I only began painting a year ago and signed my paintings "Kem". When I found your blog & began reading it daily, I decided to change my signature. I'm a retired pastor & always ask God to "paint through me". Now my signature is a flame - for the Holy Spirit - with a sideways "V" added to the line of the flame to make a "K".

I sign my painting when I think it is finished but leave it on the easel for a few days to see if I really am happy with it. So far I never have been! I've made a few changes, as well as, redone most of the painting! I'm still a new student so what seems finished one day may look like it is a disaster on another!

Keep blogging! You are a great help.

HappyPainter212 said...

I sign my name with my first name initial and last name. I had a distinctive "initial" for many years but i wanted my name seen so I integrated the initial M with the letter F then proceeded to the Z. But I love to sign my name so am often in a hurry to do so but have learned to be patient. Now I leave my paintings on my wall for several days so I can see them in a less involved state. But I have to admit that I sometimes do touch them up a bit after signing. I know I shouldn't do that but--I do from time to time.

Becky Chappell Artist said...

I sign when I'm sure I'm done. Usually lower right hand corner but depends on the painting. I don't like my signature to compete with the painting either, so it usually blends in. I use whatever works, pastel pencils, or this fun new idea of etching with a pastel coated piece of paper. I use first initial & last name.

Maree Angus said...

Hi Karen, I only sign my paintings when I am finished and happy with them, with my first and last names in capitals. After I have signed it, I do not do any more work on the painting. I use a brown charcoal pencil or pastel pencils. I used to use Conte, but found the pencils neater. Usually I place my signature in the bottom right corner, but it depends where it will look right, once I put it going up the trunk of a tree! I believe that your signature should be able to be seen but also not compete, but it can be way of introducing a colour into that area of the painting too. Keep blogging, Karen, am really enjoying what you have to say. thanks, Maree

Marcela Strasdas said...

I used to sign only when finished but I have changed that. I paint in oils and many many times, it's alla prima, all in one sitting (or sitting and a half!) so I like to wipe paint off by writing my last name with a rubber tipped tool. Nowadays the signature doesn't mean it's finished, in fact sometimes I paint over it if I need to change or adjust that area and just wipe again on the same marks.