Folders and files and finding things

Boxing Day Skating at the Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich
8" x 11.5", pencil and coloured pencil in my sketchbook
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

Although I can be very untidy at times, the one place where I am never untidy is on the computer. My file structure and organisation of folders for artwork is "awesome" – but very simple. Really!

The basic principle works for anybody who likes a bit of structure in their lives - like "cat's eyes" on the roads and signposts in airports. If you don't like structure you might as well stop reading now..... ;)

A folder and file system for artwork

At the beginning of each calendar year I start a big new folder for MY PICTURES 2008. This contains brand new folders labelled according to the categories I expect to be using a lot. In my case, as of yesterday, I now have folders set up which follow the main subject categories plus main activities - as follows.

• All Flowers, plants and gardens
  
• All Landscapes
• All Still life
• All Life
• All My Sketchbook
• All Projects
  
• All Photos

Inside each of the subject folders (e.g. All flowers) I then have a number of sub-folders for:

• Reference scans/photos/sketches.
  
• Work in progress
• Completed artwork
  

Within these categories I then have the basic building block - which is the folder for each individual artwork. It moves as the work progresses and this is how it works.

Reference: I start out with my reference shots - sketches and photos and scans. As I sort through these I transfer those that I love to separate new folders in the category that is the most relevant. They sit there for quite a time sometimes while I work out what to do with them. At this stage each folder is called something totally ordinary such as 'Blue poppy'.

Work in progress: When I start on the artwork, this folder then moves from the reference stage to the WIP category.

Final artwork: Finally it moves to the completed artwork folder. The folder name for the artwork gets changed to the title for the artwork which I finally decide on.

I also create categories for my sketchbook folder for the main types of subjects eg "Interiors", "By the Thames". Then within them I have little folders for each trip out. It just makes finding an image very easy. My projects folder will contain folders for each project which in turn have the work and images created during the course of each project.

Naming and sorting images: An individual folder can sometimes end up with a lot of image files particularly if I'm recording a work in progress. So if it's complicated I try and organise this as well so that at the very end I'm left with just the final 150 dpi scan, the final 300 dpi scan and the web version in the main part of folder or in a sub-folder called 'final images'.

The basic objective is that it should always be really easy to spot and retrieve a particular image at a particular resolution.

I also label files for final images as follows:

• final300dpi(titleofpiece);
  
• final150dpi(titleofpiece);
  
• web_(shorttitleofpiece) - all web images always have 'web_' on the front end and that way I know these are the 60-72 dpi versions of the image.
  

Things to remember: Now the only important things to remember are that:

• This is the system which works for me - but it won't work for everybody. If there's anything you like about it then please feel free to adopt it.
  
• if you need to be able to find an image for any reason then you need a system which works for you and your own particular predisposition around organising information. You just need to work out what's the best system for you.
  
• If you are habitually disorganised and it's a problem then why not try my system? Sometimes you just have to develop a habit to be organised - and it really doesn't matter whose habit it is so long as it's one that you can maintain.

Do feel free to leave a comment and tell us what works for you in the comments - or maybe why you need to find a system quick!

An inventory of artwork

This year I'm also starting a new spreadsheet file to record my artwork.

I literally had no idea how much work I produced in 2007 although it was quite a lot. Every year I look at the inventory and business software for artists and every year I can't make up my mind which one to use! Besides I'm a spreadsheet whiz so I should be able to come up with something which keeps me happy! I can't decide how sophisticated to make it – my inclination is to keep it very simple and easy to use.

Tomorrow I'll give you the details of what my excel spreadsheet contains and a peek at what it looks like.

This sketch and another plus photos of Thames high water at Greenwich are now posted on my Travels with a Sketchbook blog - Boxing Day ice skating in Greenwich.