Artists - How to Sign Your Artwork

Happy Friday again everyone!

As part of our new year's resolution to broaden our topics, today we will be sharing our tips for signing your art. Although it may seem very simple, signing your name can actually be an art in of itself (no pun intended). Just like any brushstroke, your signature is an integral and important part of your piece, and requires careful consideration and thought. Before you sign-off with your initials, keep these tips in consideration:

• Sign your artwork, legibly and clearly
• You can sign it anywhere (back, front, sides, corners, etc), but…
• Keep it consistent from piece to piece
• Sign with the same medium as your artwork
• Date it (on the back)

Having a unique, recognizable, and consistent signature helps market and preserve your brand, while preventing thefts or third-party replications in the future. Providing as much information about your piece on the back also allows historians and collectors to better track and place your artwork in context of history and value.

For example, 17th century Dutch artist Judith Leyster always signed with her initials (JL) with a star attached. It was a play on words (Leister meant 'lead star' in Dutch), and also acted as a watermark in certain paintings - for in some of her works, a star-shaped mark can often be found in the north part of the painting.

In addition to signing consistently, consider creating a certificate of authenticity to go with your work. Unique methods of identifications provide extra touch to the artwork buying experience and legitimacy. You can also use an embossing stamp on the certificate or print itself.

Finally, make sure you use proper materials to sign your originals or prints. For original artworks, try to sign with the same material as the artwork, as this would help deter counterfeits. For prints, stick to pencil or ink, either on the back or the bottom corners in the margins. This will help keep the focus on the art itself, while looking clean and professional.

And that's it! We hope this has been a helpful article for all our artists out there.

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KeenArt Media is a family-owned printing company specializing in fine art prints and reproduction services. Whether it's for the home or for the gallery, we have you covered.  Inquire today!

KeenArt Media Ltd. Toll Free: 1-88-533-6278
www.VancouverOnCanvas.com
Working Hours:
8:30 AM to 5:00PM Monday to Thursday
8:30 AM to 4:00PM Friday

Everyone Ready for #Inktober?

It's that time of the year again! For artists looking to practice their craft, Inktober is just around the corner.

There are many ways an artist go about Inktober. Traditionally it was meant to be in full black and white, but I don't see why it can't be in color either. After all, a lot of line art these days require more subtle hues depending on the style and subject being drawn, and thankfully ink comes in many different forms.

Example of an inked artwork fro JetPens

So here are some of our thoughts regarding materials used for Inktober:

Use dip pens with acrylic ink because hello they are so pretty!!

FW Acrylic Ink - watercolor-like fluidity and transparency but permenant

I honestly think watercolor should count as part of this challenge too, because you also "ink" and outline in watercolor pieces.

Inktober submission by WeThree3 and done in watercolors

This is my favorite watercolor brand to "ink" with.

Kuretaki Gambi watercolors. Super pigmented and affordable, and easy to load onto an ink pen via a brush.

Finally, of course, there are colored fine liners and Sakura micron pens. They should also totally count.

So those are some of our thoughts and feelings about the whole #inktober controversy. Ultimately, the spirit of the challenge is to practice drawing with commitment - as in, to practice what you're doing (with whatever medium you're working with) but also with a certain permanence (like what ink does). The permanence forces you to work with mistakes, encourages acceptance and drives you to complete a piece completely and authentically, without losing motivation due to perfectionism. So whether you're doing your pieces in ink, on the computer or by paint, commit to finishing your work with no "edits" - no restarting, no erasing, no cover-up. It is what it is, and be proud of it!

And if you feel proud of your piece enough to commemorate it, we offer scanning, printing and framing services! Our huge selection of fine art papers will suit any medium or illustration style, from bright, smooth matte paper for clean, crisp graphics, to textured German Etching paper to capture that watercolor texture and authenticity. We also print on metallic and gloss paper, to give your work a bit of sheen and shine.

Call us today, and happy  #inktober or #practicetober!

KeenArt Media Ltd. Toll Free: 1-88-533-6278
www.VancouverOnCanvas.com
Working Hours:
8:30 AM to 5:00PM Monday to Thursday
8:30 AM to 4:00PM Friday