The idea of marking in some way or signing your wood carving comes from some of the same reasons that painters sign their paintings. There are several reasons why marking in some way or signing your wood carving projects can be important.
- Claim Ownership
By marking or signing the wood carving, you are taking ownership and claiming that you produced that particular piece. This can be a valuable concept if you become well known for your wood carving, because it will allow others to see that you created that piece and they may consider adding it to their collection.
- Signifies that Piece is Finished
When a painting is complete and the artist is satisfied with it, is when they apply their signature or mark to it. The same applies to wood carving. When your wood carving project is finished and you are ready to show the world, that is when you apply your signature or mark to the project. It lets others that see the wood carving know that you are happy or at least satisfied with how the wood carving appears.
- Advertisement
You may have not thought of this but, your signature or mark on a wood carving is a form of advertisement. When you begin to become known as a wood carver, your signature or mark will be a type of advertisement for you work. When people see your unique signature or mark, they will know that you created it and may even begin to seek out other pieces that you have completed. Therefore, it is important to choose a way of signing or marking your wood carvings that will stay the same over time.
- To Show Progress
By marking your wood carvings with a date and not only a name or symbol, you will allow yourself and others to see how your progress in wood carving. After you have been carving a while, you may take a look at some of your work and try to determine which piece came first. If it is marked with a date notation of some sort, you will know. Marking with a date notation also will show the age of the wood carving.