How to Title A Watercolor Painting

Here's how find a great title for your watercolor painting.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Consider a descriptive name if the watercolor is of a person, place, or thing. The first, or whole name, of the person, place, or thing you painted makes a great title.
   
   Examples
   
   A portrait: James
   A street scene: Seville, 8:15 AM
   A landscape: The Back Bay
   An object: Study of A Ming Dynasty Lacquer-Brush Pot
   A still-life: Freeport Crab Apples
   
   The more descriptive you can be, the more the watercolor will tell a unique and distinctive story. By including descriptive nouns in the title, the viewer will know that you went to Freeport, Maine and picked and painted crab apples, not that you bought a bag from a midwest supermarket.

2. If your watercolor is abstract, use words that represent emotion, expression, and physical forces. as well as metaphors and abstract nouns.
   
   Examples
   
   An emotional abstraction: Lightweight Forgiveness
   An expressionist watercolor: Gestures In The Cornfield
   A very physical or environmental painting: Scene from the Edge of the Storm
   A more abstract piece, based on color or tone: Blue Shades From a Yellow Room
   
   Use your imagination and title abstract work as if it were poetry. Avoid cliches at all cost. Go for titles with multiple or ambiguous meanings. Single words like "Fire" are dreadfully overused and do not convey complicated emotional states. Go out on a limb, and don't worry too much about sounding pretentious. If you believe your title relates to the work, it will come across as honest and descriptive.

3. Look at the work of famous artists. Observe not what their individual titles are, but how these artists title their art so the title relates to the subject and meaning of the painting. Above all, be original.