Sign Your Work

April 22, 2025


There’s a moment, after hours—maybe even days or weeks—of brushstrokes, sketching, layering, refining, reworking, stepping back, leaning in... when you finally know a piece is done. It’s whole. Complete. The only thing left?

Your signature.

It may seem small—just a few letters, a date, a symbol—but signing your work is far more than a finishing touch. It’s an artist’s declaration: I made this.

More Than Just a Name

A signature is more than a name—it’s a statement of authorship, a breadcrumb in the timeline of your creative journey. Whether your work ends up in a gallery, a home, or an archive decades from now, your signature ensures that your voice is recognized. It allows your story to be traced, your legacy to be honored, and your contribution to the art world to be remembered.

Without a signature, a piece can easily become “artist unknown”—its origin lost, its story untold.

Value Lives in the Details

From a practical standpoint, signed artwork is often more valuable. Collectors, galleries, and historians rely on signatures to authenticate pieces, determine provenance, and understand the evolution of an artist’s style. It’s a tiny detail that can greatly increase the credibility and marketability of your work.

Think of it as a certificate of authenticity, directly from the source.

Front or Back? It’s Up to You.

There’s no single “correct” place to sign your work. Some artists prefer the bottom right corner of the front—subtle, visible, part of the composition. Others choose the back, keeping the signature out of the aesthetic equation but still present. You might use your full name, initials, a monogram, or even a unique symbol.

The key is consistency and clarity. As long as your work is identifiable, the signature does its job.

Signature as a Signal

When you sign a piece, you’re also telling the world: This work is ready to stand on its own. It’s finished, it's yours, and it’s time for it to go out and make its mark—whether that’s in a gallery, on a wall, or in someone’s heart. It’s not just ink or paint on a surface—it’s the echo of your voice, the stamp of your identity, and the bridge between you and the people your art will reach.

Your signature doesn’t have to be flashy or fancy. It just needs to be yours.

By signing the work, you let the world know you were here.