putting a name on your piece?

[vergilius]

Hello everybody

I'm finishing a vignette and can't decide wether to put a name on it or not. On shows you see most figures or vignettes with bought or self made plaquettes in all kinds of materials but more and more you also see them without.
Do you think that putting a name on the piece is a must or do you even consider the piece as unfinished without one?

 

[Guy]

I personally like a brass plaque on the front telling anyone what the figure is. For years I could not afford this luxury and was finally able to get caught up with brass for all my figures now. I think its a matter of personal preference.

 

[John Bowery]

Vergilius,
I agree with Guy as not everybody knows what the figure is supposed to be. Especially if it is not his interest at the time of viewing. It is also nice for the general public that might be visiting the show and know nothing of figures and know or remember very little history.
Just my 2Cents.
Cheers
John

 

[moore]

I like a plaque on the base too. To me it looks more finished.
Also. you can get a bit creative with it or just put what it is. For example
I just did the Andrea U-Boat Cpt. and I had a plaque made.. and I called
it... Silent Hunter.

Dee

 

[Einion]

I like a good, professionally-done nameplate on models but I don't think of them as a must-have, more of a bonus.

Einion

 

[PJ Deluhery]

Seems to me that unless the subject is obvious or a very easily recognizable person, you "owe" the viewer some identification of who it is or what is going on. I also agree with Dee that a piece looks more finished with a name plate.

 

[vergilius]

Aha
a subquestion; what's your preference then? A factory made bronze plate or a self made 'something'?

 

[Guy]

I like the brass because of the appearance with other figures in a collection. When you have individual home made ones for several figures in a collection it takes away from the figures.

 

[Glen]

Nameplates are always helpful, especially to new painters who may not be familiar with all the eras which figure painting covers. Nevertheless, I don't view them as mandatory. My bases and ground work are usually very simple and I'm not adverse to working up a small nameplate in photoshop and white glueing it to the base. I know that's heresey to some, but they'll get over it...

Cheers,

Glen

 

[captnenglish]

I used to go with the traditional metal plates, but with the price of figures and the technology, I use my PC now. I don't have Photoshop, so mine aren't as fancy as some, but the still work and I can put more information on them.

 

[PJ Deluhery]

I would say the nameplate should have the same theme as the figure and reflect it somehow. I have used my computer for years to create nameplates by tailoring the design and materials used to the figure.

 

[megroot]

I will a nameplate on my base. It sets the figure on the base off.
My dealer is NameiT from the UK.
Awesome plate's for a good price. And you can choose from alot of fonts, plate's, colors, etc.

Marc

 

[moore]

As Glen mentioned.. name plates are good for people that are not familiar wth a figure. I am one of those. Being new to the hobby.. I am not that familiar with the figures and what they are.
I like the brass plates also... they look good, but having said that I have
some guys in the club that do it off the PC and they are very nice.
I just started with the brass plates and I get them for a good price so I keep
getting them. I am not that great with the PC is another reason.

Dee

 

[vergilius]

I am not that great with the PC is another reason.

Dee[/QUOTE]

Me too! Mostly I make them from all sorts of materials but I wonder if it doesn't deminish the quality of the whole piece

 

[moore]

I guess for me that's the bottom line... would the quality of the figure and groundwork change the total look by not doing a professional plate.. my answer to myself would be yes it would. I think we put too much time in painting and groundwork to put something other than a brass plate.
Again, this is my personal thought, because I am a slow painter and I put
a LOT of time and effort into these figures.
This is not to say the guys that do it on the PC are not doing a professional job... they look good... they really do. Like I said, one guy in our club does
it on the PC and it looks really good. The other thing I would wonder is
how does doing it on the PC hold up ?. I believe they put some kind of a sealer on it, but not sure.
Like Guy said.. its all personal preference.

Dee