We've all seen it - the bored nude, sitting in a cold and poorly-lit studio, titled 'Summer Reverie'. Or an artificial arrangement of crockery titled 'Afternoon Tea'. Possibly worse, is the complex and mysterious abstract piece with the unhelpful name .....'untitled'. With a little thought you can avoid a title clangers and give your art a name which tells your viewer about the art. A good title helps them know how to approach the piece, and is especially important if the work is abstract.
Untitled Sketches
Often artwork doesn't need a title. Many sketches are simply that, working sketches that have no intention of standing on their own as a work of art. If you find yourself putting such a drawing on show, don't be pressured to give it a fancy title that might be incongruous with the nature of the piece. Instead, identify the drawing with a name that includes theme or subject, medium and date. For example:
- 'Landscape Sketch, December 2001';
- 'Untitled Figure Study';
- 'Domestic Scene';
- 'Sketchbook Page - Hands';
- 'Study from Rembrandt - Two Philosophers, National Gallery'
Figure Drawings
Studio nudes given a melodramatic title seem pretentious. Try to name the drawing by unique features - the model's name, date/time, medium and pose. For Example:
- 'Figure Drawing 1' for the basic naked model
- 'Torso - Graphite Pencil' 'Figure in Charcoal'
- 'Red-Haired Model' or something similarly descriptive
- '2-hour Pose Number 1'
- at a push, a little humour - 'Boredom Sets In'.
Still Life
Still life drawings can be rather tricky to title. Keep it simple. Creative still life setups will give you more opportunity to give them interesting titles, with natural 'slice of life' arrangements offering a 'story' more than something artificial. Your title can be descriptive without stating the obvious. Consider using time, season or mood as part of the title. For example:
- Simple: 'Still Life 1985' or 'Still Life - Color Study'
- 'Fruit Bowl', 'Found Objects', 'Spring Blooms' depending on the objects
- 'Katie's Favourites' or'Autumn in the Kitchen'
- 'Conversation', 'After the Argument' or 'Too Late' for metaphorical pieces.
Pets
Keep it simple, including the pet's name. Overly cutsey titles tend to be nauseating to non-animal lovers. For Example:
- 'Winston' - simply the pet's name
- 'Ch. Doogie Zanbern of Prague' - the full pedigree name
- 'Branford at Central Park'
If you've drawn a sad Zoo lion, for heaven's sake don't name the drawing 'King of the Jungle' unless you are after irony. If you've drawn a magnificent wild lion, don't call him that either - the cliche is too painful. 'London Zoo Lion' or 'Lion, Kenya 2000' are simple but adequate titles. By all means be more creative, but avoid cliche or sentimentality unless you have a good reason for using them.
Landscapes
Sometimes the location doesn't matter, but often people want to know if those familiar mountains are the ones they know, so let the title tell the viewer where the landscape is. Never assume that the viewer will be familiar with the scene. Even 'famous' monuments might be unfamiliar to young people or people in other countries. Revealing personal knowledge or connection is interesting: 'Oak Tree on Grandpa's Farm, Ontario' tells the viewer something about the artist. too. Often the title can pick up on irony, contrast or drama in the scene: 'Midsummer, Greenland' for a frosty northern landscape, or 'Waiting for Rain, Mildura' for a parched Australian paddock.
Abstract Art
Unless you want to make your art as obscure (and many artists do), the title of an abstract image is particularly important. Often the title is the only key to the art other than the piece itself. If you are interested in formal design, let the viewer know to stop at the surface: 'Design in Blue and Green' or 'Pattern No. 2 - Squares' informs the viewer not to look for deeper meaning. If your work is communicating a concept, give the viewer a clue into your mode of thinking. Titles such as 'Reading Beckett - May Be' or 'Quantum Mechanical Headache' are going to help your viewer understand and appreciate your work far more than 'Untitled Number 1'.
Final Tips on Naming Art:
