Comments on: 5 Reasons to Title Your Art

By: Susan Gainen

Susan Gainen — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:01:27 +0000

One more reason to title your work: it makes you take a good close look at it as if you were a stranger to it, and to see perhaps more than you thought when you first painted the piece.

By: Allison Bratt

Allison Bratt — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:32:43 +0000

Great advice, Alyson! I have gotten in the habit of titling nearly all of my work, and while it can still be annoying sometimes, I’ve found it to be helpful (even if only for myself, so that I know what piece of work I am talking about.) I’ve gotten to the point where I can’t really stand it when someone titles their piece ‘Untitled’–just seems kind of lazy to me! It takes the fun out of being creative with it. I’ve started to enjoy the process, thanks for the reminder!–Allison Bratt (@AllisonBrattArt)

By: Artists: Your Work Deserves A Title « Exiled Stardust

Artists: Your Work Deserves A Title « Exiled Stardust — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:20:54 +0000

[...] Stanfield at Artbizblog names 5 reasons to title your art: “Titles don’t have to say everything, but they should say [...]

By: Titles < Deep Thought Thursday — Art Biz Blog

Titles < Deep Thought Thursday — Art Biz Blog — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:01:14 +0000

[...] lot of my clients have a hard time coming up with titles for their artworks or titles for their [...]

By: Sue Pownall

Sue Pownall — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 13:49:59 +0000

Thank you for this advice. I’ve just googled a couple of my titles and found images of some and not of others. This is because my blog-post has the title but not the image. This year, 2011, I aim to get my art out there, so this titling is fab starting point. Next step a facebook fan page.
Thank you!

By: Pat Saunders-White

Pat Saunders-White — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 19:15:51 +0000

I paint a lot of pet commissions. For many years I used the actual name of the animal. I don’t do that very often anymore. If it is too gender specific it may influence the purchase of a print. So now instead of “Lulu” for a small poodle I might name it “Snowball” or not have a name on the print if it is in a retail. But I have to have a name for inventory control or when someone sees it on my website and they wish to place an order.

By: Susan Gainen

Susan Gainen — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 19:08:16 +0000

Having paid close attention to Alyso’s advice, I name my paintings.

The glaring exceptions have been the nanoscapes’ series “The 31 Pumpkins of October” and “The 30 Leaves of November.” Each pumpkin is on a postcard and each leaf is on 8×11″ paper and 6-to-a-page. I created the pumpkins in anticipation of using the images for Pumpkin Festival Poster Contests, which are generally sometime in the spring — not the most conducive to painting pumpkins. I’ve used the leaves as a daily experimental exercise. None are for sale.

The pumpkins are on a slide show at my website under “Lives of the nanos,” and the leaves will go up in early December.

You’ll not be surprised to know that I plan snowflakes and Hanukah candles for December.

Thanks for the inspiration, Alyson.

By: Alyson Stanfield

Alyson Stanfield — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 15:09:41 +0000

Glad you found the article helpful, Randy. I think lots of artists have a hard time coming up with titles — usually because the title is insignificant to them. I get that.

By: Meltemi

Meltemi — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 10:30:05 +0000

Its the art in the artwork that sells…not the title. The Title is and should be fixed from the day you sign off your artwork as being finished.

By: Randy C. Brown

Randy C. Brown — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 04:16:56 +0000

Your article was spot on. I’ve found in my own art is to try to think of a story that the painting portrays and title it according to the events in the story.
Thanks for the information.