Why You Must Date Your Work - Draw Paint Academy

As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, we recently moved into a new house and I had to set up a new studio. During the move, I came across a heap of old drawings and sketchbooks that I had stored away. Here’s one I did back in April 2020:

I forgot I even did them. They are a pleasant reminder of all the work I have done over the years. Had I not dated the pages, I would have no idea when I created them. All I would have to go by would be a vague memory of a time many years ago.

I’ve been using the same dating system for over 11 years. It’s simple but powerful.

For drawings, I date the top right corner of every new page. For paintings, I create a folder on my computer with the date in the title (YYMMDD). For example, “241030 Kedron Park Sunflowers”. I start with the date in this format as it allows me to easily sort the paintings by date on my computer. These folders contain photos of the finished paintings. I do this for every artwork I create, apart from the odd sketch or study.

Now, I can stand back and see my progress over the years. Or I can zoom in and see what I was doing at a particular time or when I completed a specific artwork. Without the dates, everything muddles together and any sense of progression is lost.

Remember, one of the core joys of the art life is a sense of progression and growth. It feels good to see your abilities improve over time. Without this sense of progression, most artists, including myself, would probably quit. And dating your work is one of the most effective ways to track and highlight your progression over time.

If you don’t have a dating system, I would certainly consider starting one. It doesn’t need to be much or be the same as mine. As long as it tells you when you created the artwork and you can apply it consistently. Some other approaches could be:

Date the painting with your signature. You could just record the month and year, or just the year. For example, “Nov 25, or “25”, or “2025”. Claude Monet did this with many of his paintings.
Date the back of your artwork.
Keep a spreadsheet with key details of all your significant artworks.

Also, we will be opening our Color Masterclass for another cohort in a bit over a week. If interested, make sure to join the waitlist and I’ll send you more details before enrollment opens.

Happy painting!