The guides are practical texts for anyone who works with art: how to document an artwork, what to review before signing with a gallery, when an artwork ceases to be protected. They differ from the articles in the Public Notebook in their function. The Notebook analyses and interprets; the guides explain how to do something and which rules, data or documents each step relies on. That is why they are updated when what underpins them changes, and each one shows the date it was last checked.
Verified indicates that on that date, I checked every fact, rule and link against its primary source. Reviewed indicates that I re-read and updated the text without repeating that full verification. When only Updated appears, the date corresponds to the most recent edit.
The guides offer general information. They do not constitute individualised legal, tax or professional advice: for a specific case, consult a qualified professional.
Featured resource
Master artwork record
An open-format template for keeping a consistent inventory of your work from the studio onwards. The ODS workbook brings together four sheets: master record, restricted data, gallery deposit and key. It includes validations, filters, frozen headers and an example row.
The gallery deposit sheet fills in the title automatically from the inventory number. It is a record of the works delivered, not a contract. Terms of custody, insurance, sale, commission and return must be agreed separately.
The restricted data sheet contains personal, financial and location information. It must not be published, nor shared together with the general record.
The ODS is the main resource. The CSV files let you import the master record, the restricted data and the gallery deposit record separately.
The guides are currently searched and indexed in Spanish.
21 guides
My work has been copied: how to document it and the available avenues
What to do if you find a copy of your work: how to preserve evidence, check the rights involved and choose between direct contact, the platform, the administrative route or legal action.
Verified on 28 September 2026
- copyright
- cultural work
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How to authorise the reproduction of a work
What an authorisation should specify when the image of a work is used in a catalogue, in the press, on a website, in advertising or on a product.
Verified on 28 September 2026
- copyright
- cultural work
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Artificial intelligence and copyright in Europe: what has been decided in 2026
What the 2019 Directive, the AI Act and the European courts say about training AI on protected works, and what remains unresolved.
Verified on 27 September 2026
- art collecting
- generative AI
- digital infrastructure
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Authorship and works made with AI under Spanish law
What Spanish law says about the authorship of works made with AI, where the line of human contribution lies and what to document in practice.
Verified on 27 September 2026
- art collecting
- generative AI
- ontology of art
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Resale right: what an artist receives when their work is resold
When an artist is paid for the resale of their work in Spain, how it is calculated in bands, who pays and why this right cannot be waived.
Verified on 27 September 2026
- art collecting
- art market
- cultural work
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Lending your work to an exhibition: the loan agreement
What to check before lending a work to an exhibition: contract, condition report, nail-to-nail insurance, transport, reproductions and return.
Reviewed on 27 September 2026
- art collecting
- cultural work
- institutional validation
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Catalogue raisonné: what it is and how to start your own
What a catalogue raisonné is, why it carries so much weight in the market, how it differs from authenticating a work and how to start your own from the studio.
Verified on 27 September 2026
- art collecting
- art market
- recognition
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Technical data sheet, certificate and invoice: what each document does
What the technical data sheet, the certificate of authenticity and the invoice each do when a work leaves the studio, and how to keep them consistent.
Reviewed on 27 September 2026
- art collecting
- art market
- cultural work
Includes a downloadable resource
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Social media for artists and creatives: presence, archive and autonomy
How to choose platforms by function, post without handing over the master file, protect your accounts and build a presence that does not depend on a single network.
Reviewed on 27 September 2026
- artwork documentation
- digital infrastructure
- cultural work
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Corrections and contributions
If you find an error, outdated information or a better source, please write to me via the contact page. I correct confirmed errors and update the date of the affected guide.