paintings - signing, dating & titling? what's normal?

[btwo1]

Obviously artists do their own thing and "there are no rules", but I just wondered what's normal with a painting. To sign in the bottom left or right hand corner? What about putting the date there? To just scribble a title on the back?

[SeashellHoarder]

Hi! Not sure about others, but I sign bottom right year as well, title on the back. My dad did the same (probably why I do that then!)

[btwo1]

month and year - or just year...

just initials or full name?

[KurriKurri]

I do bottom right, initials and surname (although that's just my preference), title on the back and a description of the medium, just year not month and year.
Occasionally I sign something within the context of the painting - so if i did a small study of some flowers or something I might sign parallel to one of the stems (sounds a bit odd I know but sometimes it just looks less obtrusive that way).

[SeashellHoarder]

I do just year. Not surname, bizarrely I just use my first name. I think initial and surname is more normal tho.

[rockinhippy]

Bottom right & year only here too, initials only in my case though - I do think it's down to preference & style of work though.

I'm looking at a picture by a successful professional artist friend right now & I notice he doesn't sign the picture, but uses a symbol he's known for & his surname shows up at the top right of the picture, but as part of the artwork - he's signed the card mounting at the bottom centre - another successful pop art type artist friend does it in a similar way - I've seen a lot if floral art where the signature is along stems too, so where as bottom right is common, I don't think there are any hard fast rules, traditionally bottom right, but depends really on what you do.

HTH

[btwo1]

i guess maybe i can have a look at some different galleries and see what other painters do. perhaps some of the people using these boards went to artschool and no about these things - maybe its class one at art college.

[rockinhippy]

I did go to Arts School as I'm sure many did here

[btwo1]

allowing for artistic flair and temperament, i nevertheless wouldn't want to ruin things by sticking the info bits on there wrong.

[rockinhippy]

Sorry, but you sound like a bit of a pretentious prat - apart from over thinking it, you are ignoring lots if good advice already given by several well meaning people people who IME, - which I suspect from your arrogance is far greater than your own - actually DO know what they are talking about

Good luck

I suspect you are going to need it

[btwo1]

sorry there was supposed to be a level of irony in the tone of my last post and i've certainly not ignored what the other people have said.