How to Come Up With a Title for Your Artwork?

There are many approaches to titling an artwork. Some are clever or ironic. Some are straightforward. Some are intentionally ambiguous. There’s no right or wrong way to go about it, but since titling is one of an artist’s regular tasks, we wanted to learn more about various strategies. We took the question to a handful of Artists Magazine featured artists, and then opened up the question to the Artists Network community. We got loads of feedback. Here, 13 artists share how they go about it.

“My work is a visual diary and my paintings are the pages. A title often acts as a posting for the day. For example, I used the title Forgotten Towel, for a painting I made at a cottage on Harsens Island, Michigan. The family who’d been vacationing there left a towel behind on the clothesline. It was as if they’d never left.”  — W. Truman Hosner

“Sometimes I know the title of a work before I begin, but mostly I find little phrases out in the world and collect them into an ‘Orphan Titles’ document. When a painting needs a title, I go to my list and find the one that clicks.”  —Julie Beck

“My approach has tended to be mostly descriptive. If my drawing has two polar bears and a flamingo, for example, I’d title it Two Polar Bears and a Flamingo. Even though I may have been thinking of climate change or habitat loss, I want the viewer to attach their own narrative. Lately, though, I’ve been bringing in more of a message to the title. Still, I still try to keep it open to interpretation.”  —Adonna Khare

“I often have a title in mind at the start and compose the painting to uphold my title and narrative. Other times, a title comes later and can be inspired by almost anything: location, color harmony, the model’s name or even a podcast or piece of music I happen to be listening to while painting.” —Anna Rose Bain

“The title is in the story. I look for the story and there is always a story. Sometimes the story comes before the artwork. Sometimes it takes me by surprise and comes in the middle of creating. The story can even evolve days after the image is finished. I love the work of tying the two together. I enjoy making beautiful images and being called artist, but secretly … I am a storyteller.” —Louise Reading 

“More often than not, my titles come ahead of my work. I keep a journal with working titles and color stories and sometimes a simple composition concept. My titles lean toward the poetic and I allow it to lead me in a creative direction visually.” — Vicki Clarkson

“Creating a title for artwork can be simple yet impactful. A title should focus on the theme. What is the artwork about? It might highlight a key element, using subjects or symbols in the piece. The title should match the mood, reflecting the tone. Keep the title concise. One or two words often work best.” —Norma Ruffinelli

“If I try to think of a title after the finish, my mind goes blank. So, I write down little phrases and words that come to mind while painting the piece. Often one of these words or phrases will lead to a title.”  —Jodi Sparber

“Following advice from the late Robert Genn, I often write a pseudo Haiku about the subject (meaning sentiment, not strict form). The titles just fall out of them.” —Lori Ridgeway

“These days I’ve been using favorite song title.” —Sue de Danny

“When a piece is finished, or when I think it is for now ,anyway, I sit in front of it and wait for words to appear. I think about what’s been going on, what I’m worried about, what brings joy, or what the piece makes me think of. An anchor word emerges, and then I think of how I can engage my viewer using that word as a silent bridge. The title may be a sentence,  question or phrase—or sometimes just the anchor word itself works.” — Gretchen Warren

“Naming art is a lot like naming a puppy. You need to sit with it and get to know its personality before you christen it. The process I use begins with yellow legal pads in the studio, house and car. I jot down words, phrases, titles, poems and conversations—things I hear or things I read. I have a running list of probably 5,000 potential titles. Once the art is complete, I sit down with the artwork and the list of titles, reading through them until the paintings personality matches. Long before I begin all of this, though, I paint to a theme, with intention, so I know where the abstract art should be going and what it’s mood and energy and story is all about. That helps with matching the naming too.” —Beverly Todd

“Does the piece remind me of an emotion, social issue or experience? I take that thought and distill it into as few words as I can that still make sense.” —Denise Howard