Titles Matter
Telling Stories with Your Titles
Before we get to today’s article, we have a special announcement
Free Art Marketing Webinar, Thursday, Sep 28th
with special guest artist Kathleen Dunphy
and our marketing team
Free and Open webinar for all visual artists this coming Thursday, September 28th at 11:00 AM CDT!
Join us for our marketing webinar with special guest Kathleen Dunphy as we discuss her success and tips in Art Marketing. This webinar is open to all artists!
Thursday, September 28th at 11:00am CDT (12:00am EDT, 10:00am MDT, 9:00am PDT)
OK, on to today’s article…..
In our members-only series about how to turn your art into a saleable product, we emphasized the importance of stories. However, there is one simple story you can tell about your art that somehow, I have, until now, inadvertently left out of that series: the title.
Often, you can tell a whole story (or completely change the story) of a painting simply with the title. When I was in the gallery business we often collaborated with artists (at their request) to title their works to enhance the emotional resonance of a particular artwork. And, for a couple of artists, who didn’t speak English as their first language we (again at their request) actually wrote all of their titles for them. It’s a small, but extremely valuable place where you can tell a whole story with just a few words (similar to the old example of “Baby shoes. For sale. Never worn.”) and it is worth thinking through what originally inspired you about the image. What idea or energy are you trying to convey?
Sometimes, you truly may want the image to speak “on its own” and might deliberately decide not to title a piece. But, make that a conscious decision, don’t use it as an excuse to be lazy. Collectors definitely look to the title for cues and most are disappointed with cop outs like “untitled #423.” More often than not, there will be some idea or energy about the piece that you originally wanted to convey, and that idea can be enhanced with your title.
For example: picture a painting of an old Chinese man, sitting high in the Himalayan mountains, his village visible in the background. He is sitting contemplatively, smoking a long pipe. I created a concept for this “painting” in Mid-journey which is pictured below:
Here are some possible titles:
Smoke Break
Newly Exiled
Mourning a Wife’s Passing
Getting High
Awaiting a Grandchild’s Birth
After the argument
Watching the flock
The Moment of Enlightenment
Sentinel of the Village
Do you see how the title has completely changed the energy of that image?
Titles matter.
How have you used your titles to enhance the stories you are telling with your art?
Let us know in the comments!
Next week, we should be moving on to the next circle of art marketing which is that loved/hated topic - Sales.
Creatively,
Clint
PS - Don’t forget to register for the marketing webinar with special guest Kathleen Dunphy mentioned at the top of this post!
Da Vinci Brush Offer
Announcement: A Special Offer on da Vinci Paint Brushes From BoldBrush
We’ve worked with leading brush company da Vinci to bring their industry leading brushes to the BoldBrush community at a very special price!
A selection of da Vinci Brushes curated by BoldBrush for our community of artists
Use discount code BOLDBRUSH to get an extra 10% off already special pricing at check out.
I did a painting of a baby bird that was reluctant to fly, sitting on a branch looking outward. I titled it "Finding courage..." and it sold as soon as I posted it. To a mother who was sending her first child off to college... Clint is right.....
I like to think I practice a hybrid method when it comes to titles. The first thing that comes to my mind when finishing a painting is usually what I use and I like to keep it to one or two words. My website and other sites show the titles, even if just a series, like “Flow” 1,2, 3 and so on. However, back when I was hosting Open Studios, I numbered the paintings and had a separate price list with a corresponding title for anyone who wanted to see. I found that visitors came up with their own (sometimes surprising!) stories. The emotional connection was a revelation to me and opened up many interesting conversations-and also resulted in sales.