This is how I keep track of my pictures:
- Most are still in the sketchbooks they were made in.
- I scan at high-res and label the files by the date they are "finished." If several are completed on the same day, they get the same date and a consecutive letter in their title. I rarely give poetic wordy titles although when I post works-in-progress on Instagram, they might have some pithy or humorous description. I generally use a low-res version for all on-line posting.
- The finished sketchbooks line shelves or form stacks in my studio.
- I write the opening and closing dates of the sketchbook on their spines. Then it's not too much trouble to find an original. The dates of books often overlap (so it may take some snooping to track down an original). And some works are on loose sheets and not in sketchbooks. There are piles of these stray works.
- My sketchbooks should probably have a permanent and sympathetic home some day!
- My studio is cluttered.