Lilikins I keep varying the signature between just initials and full one.
Any letters and words attract attention. So choice of color, size, positioning does matter.
I usually prefer to use one of the colors similar to color scheme of the painting not bright red.
I suggest to scroll through online museums and research how masters signed it. If you dry painting first (oil painting) then you can sign and if you like you keep it, if not erase with linseed oil and try in new color, form and place.

    Lilikins with acrylics you can sketch with pencil and erase it till you are happy. As soon you find the place you can apply paint.

    One more option: sign from the back, you can put your name, painting name, year, media.

    I do not think there is a wrong answer, just do what you like.

        Mine is just my initials; I’ve signed the same way since high school, J on the bottom, S on top. I try to run the S out of the line from the cursive J but it doesn’t always work.

          Thank you for your suggestions! @happylittletreeshhi its funny that sounds like how I was signing some of mine only a B at the bottom intertwining with the S on the top. Only thing is I get very shaky doing anything tiny which is in part why I admire your work so much - I could never do that.
          Sunnylady I never considered just signing on the back! That’s such an elegant and simple solution. I think I will do those on ones that I really like so to not risk messing them up.

            8 days later

            I have a set of what I call eraser pens. I understand that one of them can be used to draw a signature directly into the wet paint erasing your top layers and leaving your base coat exposed. You can even do proper joined up writing. I suspect you would need quite a smooth surface for best effect. I will give it a try and I will come back here with the results.

              TheLandscapePainter

              let me know how it goes! I paint in acrylic so probably won’t be something I could use. It stays wet for such a short time but someday I will probably try oils. I’m just worried because of my asthma and my lungs never fully recovered after being sick in February 😕

              thanks again for all the great suggestions! I think I’m going to sign on the side until I feel like my sig is pretty enough to go on the front. I can’t believe that never dawned on me that it could go anywhere else!

                  24 days later

                  Yes, I have been wrestling with this also for the same reasons you all have exposed above; shakes when trying to do something small and detailed at the end of a long (& often tiring) painting period, not detracting from the scene, etc. The fine point Sharpie idea (see that Forum thread) sounds like what I have been looking for.

                  I'm thinking on the basis that many landscapes could have a small old white milestone marker beside a track/path, white rock, signpost etc that could fit into the bottom somewhere. Once the painting is dry, my hand/arm is more rested and I can do it on a horizontal surface, I could print later with Sharpie; all of which should help me achieve better control. I'll probably just use initials and year.

                  Aim would be that it could look to be a valid part of the scene. As suggested, putting any other details on the back of the frame is a good option. Any thoughts?

                    Lilikins In my case if I free hand my signature it comes out horrible. What I do is to wait for it to completely dry then I could put my hand on the canvas for support and sign it. Bob Ross had 30 minutes to complete a painting. U don't. I have gone back into a painting the next day to fix something I don't like. Then again I'm not an expert. Just a student so I am pretty sure there is people here with better ideas. Enjoy and God bless!!:🙂🙂🙂

                      I'm kind of strange when it comes to signatures. For my first few paintings, I signed my initials in red. Then, after a while, I stopped signing, and I'd just indicate the month and year I created the painting behind the canvas on the frame using a sharpie. Now, I don't write anything. Maybe I should get back into signing them somehow. I figure, I upload them here, so that's a great way to 'time stamp' them for posterity. If I check my profile here, I can see just when I painted that specific painting, which is why I try really hard to upload the painting either the same day I create it or a few days out.

                      lightsnow I should probably add the year along with my initials. Years from now it will probably be nice to know when everything was painted.

                          I pick a contrasting color to whatever the palette is on the painting.. my first initial/last name then the year below it

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