How to organize project folders?

[Oogiem]

I have some illustrations and designs and such too, and I've been wondering how other people keep them organized, and if there are any artsy GTDers?!
Do you have and keep any 'doodles' or unfinished projects too, and how?

Not exactly artsy but I keep hundreds of doodles, possibilities and unfinished but may be turned into active projects around at all times.

Mine are mostly fiber related. I have folders for each major fiber craft I do like sewing, quilting, spinning, knitting, weaving, naalbinding and the ones I want to learn, sprang, lucet braiding, tatting) and within those I toss my doodles of sweater designs for knitting, cool things I want to make using naalbinding, historical uses of sprang, etc. whatever strikes my fancy. So I have file folders with reference material about those items, all the sprang items, all the naalbound items and so on.

Then I have on my someday maybe lists the actual items I want to make using those techniques. (14th century snood out of sprang, naalbound mittens for winter sheep feeding, lucet cord for the strings for my helmet hats, etc) I also include a reference to the folder in my reference files where I have stored the data about that item or specific technique. Some of those projects become active and in the notes about them I refer to the folder where the details are kept. Most of them become separate reference folders when they become real active projects.

So my tactic is to move from general cool ideas about some logical group or sets of stuff to specific folders because I have an active project stuff.

Does that help?

 

[Layla]

Thanks, Oogie!

Yes, this does help!

I had to Google naalbinding and still don't know what are some of those!

You are now officially beyond cool and awesome!! And I bow in admiration (and wonder where you have the time? And how do you 'assign' time - evaluate time/energy resources etc in getting it from idea to project' and 'done'?)

Is your Someday/Maybe with these 'just' a list, kept with other 'Someday/Maybes' or a folder (with pics)? (Are there several Someday/Maybe folders, according to focus area etc?)

My head is buzzing with all these ideas, a bit... I think I may need to re-read the notes from 'Prioritizing' and 'Procrastination' downloads, lol.. and maybe some other threads...

 

[matsuru]

Organise Illustration/project Folders - Matsuru Method

You are welcome, Layla!:-D

Just want to share and help each other. I too learn a lot from just reading the posts here in the forum. Everyone is very helpful and generous with their ideas.:mrgreen:

I treat my illustration/painting/drawing as a project. I keep my sketches, references etc in a single folder (either physical or digital or both. depends on how many and what type of reference I have).

I named my project. Before, I just put every items into a folder without any name. That create a mess for me when I wanted to find my stuff in the folder. Also, putting several small projects reference into a single folder and label MISC also creates alot of mess and confusion. So, now I file my each project into a single folder even it is a small temporary project.I named every project folder I've created and key in the title of the folder to my digital list. Naming can be the official project name itself, name/words/keywords related to the project or just the first 2 or 3 words that pops into your mind when trying to name the project folder. Usually the latter is the best name you can give to your projects simply because when you want to find the project folder later, you are likely to recall the same words again. And if you forgot your project folder names, you can always refer back to the digital list again or use desktop search. (Refer back to this post for details on this)

If I have both physical and digital reference (pictures I cut out from magazines, pictures I took with my digital camera, pictures I googled from the web), I create both physical folder and digital folder with the same name. so I know where to look for, and searching is easy with windows/google search.

Once I finished an illustration/project, I'll compile all my stuff together in 1 place and file them away. For example:-

- if I am doing my paintings with Adobe Photoshop, I usually have lots of reference pictures and sketches. If all are in digital format, I'll go through them and delete whatever that is not needed anymore. (Usually they are references and the additional increment backup files that I had saved during the painting process. If you are a digital painter, you should know what I am talking about)

- If I have both physical and digital stuff, I'll go through the same process and compile them together. If I have more digital stuff compare to physical, I will consider scanning them and archive them in digital format. If I have more physical than digital stuff, I might burned my digital stuff into a CD/DVD and store it together in the physical folder together with my physical stuff.

- the 3rd option is, store both in their own respective formats. Digital stuff in digital folder. Physical stuff in physical folder. Both with the same project name.

Btw, I use all CAPITAL LETTERS FOR ALL MY FILES AND LABELS. THEY LOOK VERY NEAT THAT WAY.

WOW~! now that I feel so motivated, I have the urge to compile and write a series on how I implement my version of GTD.

is this helpful?

 

[Layla]

Thank you, Matsuru!

Yes, this is helpful!!

I am not really a digital painter, but I think I know what you are talking about! (When I write articles or such I also have A LOT of backup or 'in progress' copies.)

Yup, most of my drawings or such are in a 'big pile' lol! (Or several.) Vertical or horizontal. Unnamed.
I am also trying to figure out best storage ideas for physical drawings, paintings etc. of different sizes.. Any tips? What do you use?

Do you also name 'just doodles' or do you keep them together as 'faces', 'animals' or such..? (Or have a separate 'doodle' folder, or several?)

It would be interesting to read more about your method and perhaps see any pics, so if you write about it, do post a link! (Or send via PM if you prefer to remain anonymous?)

Illustration and art have been on a backburner for a while (not really active), I'd still like to organize them well for easy access and to look lovely (and maybe start drawing more again! )
Part of the reason I stopped painting etc was because I didn't have a separate room for this (and paints can smell) and didn't have good organized storage either!

Thank you again, Matsuru! - I think I know the names for some of my folders already!

 

[madptd317]

Storing art, pictures,etc.

Layla. Just saw your post asking about how to store your art. I am assuming you know about keeping things out of sun light and everything that touches the paper must be acid and lignin free. I am a scrapbooker and artist and am very careful to only use things that are ment for archiving. You can go to Michaels Crafts store or Hobby Lobby and there are many things you can buy to hold and organize your pieces (even the doodles) and it will also keep them safe. Not sure if this helps and not sure what size paper you use but you can find some really big "folders" for artwork storage. Also there are many things out there for mothers that save their childrens art work from school years and they tend to be fairly large so you can add lots of stuff! Hope it helps.