How to Add Your Signature to the Front of Your Encaustic Paintings
Richard Coico
Signing encaustic paintings is a challenge if you want to place your signature on the front of your painting. Many artists sign the back of the wooden panels typically used for encaustic art in lieu of the more conventional location for artists to sign their work (the front). The method described here allows you to place a signature on the front that will look like you actually signed it. It uses a digital signature that is layered onto a photographed image of the section of the painting where signatures are conventionally placed (i.e., the lower right-hand side). The image is then layered with a “watermark” of your signature. It can then be printed, glued to the painting and then its edges painted and fused using encaustic medium The signature area of the glued paper is painted with Bulls Eye SealCoat, not encaustic medium which will dull the clarity of the signature. The method produces high resolution signatures visible on the face of encaustic paintings. It eliminates the need to use inks, stamps, or other signing methods which tend to be highly inconsistent in terms of the quality of the signature produced.
Materials
Finished encaustic painting
Camera (iPhone or other)
Photo editor software (e.g. Luminar, PhotoShop)
Computer and color printer
Shellac (optional)
A watermark version of your signature (e.g. Photologo image; www.photologo.com)
“Yes” Paste or other acid-free, water-soluble glue
Encaustic medium (molten for use)
Bulls Eye SealCoat Wax-Free Shellac
Method
1. Once your encaustic painting is completed, you are ready to photograph the section where you would like to add your signature. Take a close-up photograph of that section (typically the lower right-hand side).
Ideally, to improve the ability to see your signature on the painting once you complete this method, the area where it will appear should have a solid background .
2. Using software used to edit photographs (e.g. Luminar, PhotoShop, etc.), make sure the layering setting is 'on' so you can overlay your signature where it needs to be placed. Sometimes, this is a default setting so there's no need to change any settings.
PowerPoint will also enable you to cut and paste your image onto a slide and then layer on your digital signature where desired. Your signature will need to be a watermark version if using PowerPoint. If that isn’t available, see step 3 regarding the use of Luminar.
3. Open the photograph of your painting using photo editing software and then overlay your signature watermark onto it. This can be done by first opening signature and then using selecting “Copy” (e.g. 'Control C' if using Windows) or you can drag the signature file right onto the image itself. You can then resize the signature until it is the size desired.
Luminar allows you to turn an image of your signature (e.g. one taken with a camera or iPhone) into a watermark. YouTube offers Luminar tutorials that will show you how to do this (see Useful Web Resources below). Print the edited photo containing your signature
The image should closely match the area where you will paste the part of the printed section to your painting. If you need to adjust the size, you can do that with your editing tool on your computer and then re-print the image.
4. Cut the desired part of the printed image that has your signature and then apply Yes Paste to the back.
Try to keep the size of the cut paper to a minimum but leave at least a 1 inch boarder around your signature. It’s also helpful to cut it along any painted lines that appear on the painting where it will be glued (e.g. lines created by a shellac burn).
6. Apply the paper to the painting where the signature section is to be located. Use pressure (a brayer works best) to make sure it is glued firmly and completely, wiping up any glue that may seep out along the edges.
7. Allow the glue to dry for at least 6 hours (overnight is best).
8. Using non-pigmented encaustic medium, apply some to the glued-on paper but avoid coating the signature area. Gently fuse the medium just applied.
The goal is to fuse while not burning the area of the paper that has the signature. The signature area will be coated separately in the step below.
9. Lightly coat the signature area that was not covered with encaustic medium using Bulls Eye SealCoat. Shown in the image on this page is an example of the result of using this protocol.
10. If you used a shellac burn on your painting, you can further mask the edges of the glued-on paper by applying some shellac, being sure to only shellac the area where encaustic medium was applied. Allow the shellac to dry (3-15 minutes) and then do a “burn” in accordance with best practices for shellac burns (see Useful Website Resources below).
Useful Website Resources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj-wgZf0q30)
A video with instructions for making a signature watermark using Luminar software.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X6zeLTtjF8
A video by AliciaTormey who pioneered the use of shellac in encaustic painting showing how to do a shellac burn.
