![]() Phrases you hear or read – jot down anything that’s evocative, provocative, insightful, beautiful, mysterious, shocking, and whatever moves you. Names of things that have symbolic meaning, such as butterflies, pillars, mirrors, and clouds Names of other artworks- never copy another artist’s titles, but keep some great ones on file as examples only Names of colors in fashion, cosmetics, wall paint, and more ![]() Literature – look for book titles, quotes, and lines from literature to adapt and make your own. I call them “Title Makers.” Play with the words and make them your own. Include any words or phrases that intrigue or appeal to you. Keep a reference file of potential painting titles. The examples above can help give you a jumpstart for generating your next title. You’ll likely think of other categories, as well. Tenderhearted, such as “ Alice’s First Puppy”Ĭombinations of these, such as “ Alizarin Crimson At Sunrise,” work, too. ![]() Technical, such as “ Encaustic on Weathered Wood” Reference, such as “ Alexandria Revisited” Nostalgic, such as “ When Grandma Was a Girl” Mysterious, such as “ Dancing With Myra” (with no person or creature in the picture) Metaphoric, such as “ Bathing Beauty” (a pig in mud) Keep in mind that every painting has more than one good possibility.Ībstract Visual, such as “Checkerboard Swirl”ĭescriptive, such as “ Lake Michigan Looking North” Experiment with them to see what fits your painting’s message best. Fzaeuhgbheau’s Isthmus.” However unique your title’s idea, use words your viewers can grasp. I dislike words that are unfamiliar, such as “ Whilom” and un-utterable, such as “ Mr. ![]() Alliteration, such as, “Runaway Rosebuds,” can help make your titles appealing and memorable.Ĭhoose words that are comfortable to read and say, as well. The sound of your words makes a difference. Will your title help him or her correctly respond to your artwork? The viewer doesn’t know anything about you or your painting. Put yourself in the viewer’s shoes, and point those shoes toward your painting. Maybe you want to put a haunting spin on your piece with the title “ Quiet Barnyard Sounds” or a sad note, “ The Silence Is Deafening,” or perhaps you simply wish to describe a picture, “ Pink Tones Across a Field.” Maybe a single word “ Dandelions” tells the story of abandonment. Write down some key words from your painting, such as “dandelions, pink shadows, abandoned barn, calm, and years gone by” Select the words that best suggest your painting and try to form a title. When you formulate a title, consider whether the words help get that across to the viewer. I’ve developed some approaches for generating titles:Īsk yourself what you want the viewer to know, see, or feel. As is always true in art, there are no definite rules for titling a painting. Most artists probably start thinking about a title somewhere in the middle stages of a painting, as their imagery takes shape. Other artists have something clearly in mind as they create, and form titles along with that idea. I know artists who don’t think about titles until their artworks are finished and they see what their paintings evoke. Like most artists, my work is visual, not verbal. For me it’s been a challenge to come up with titles that fit my art and elicit the emotional response I want. Some artists have a knack for naming their artworks as an extension of their creative expression. Leave a little ambiguity for the viewers to solve and make their own. Don’t fully explain it, but give them a clue. They want to know what you are showing them and why. Viewers want to understand your visual narrative so they can get emotionally involved in the art experience you present to them. Some art may work best with titles that convey visual description, such as “ Study in Vermillion and Blue,” “ Painting Outside the Lines,” or “ Maple Trees After the Morning Snow.” Titles such as “ Doorway to a Dream,” “ Echoes in the Mountains,” and “ To Catch a Moonbeam,” suggest a mood rather than a clear visual description. I think of titling a painting as writing a bit of poetry, using words that convey feelings and intangible concepts. It gives the viewer insight into what you, the artist, hopes the viewer will see or feel in your work. ![]() A painting’s title is an important part of its emotional appeal. ![]()
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