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.
Total: 102
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 It must not be published, nor shared together with the general record.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.
102 guides
How to budget for a small exhibition
No single figure suits every exhibition, but almost all of them overlook the same items. A method for budgeting a small show without leaving anything out.
Reviewed on 1 October 2026
- artwork documentation
- cultural policy
- cultural work
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How to read an image licence and credit it
A museum offering an image for download does not mean you can use it for anything. How to read the rights statement of each file and how to credit it properly.
Reviewed on 1 October 2026
- copyright
- artwork documentation
- research
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An image licence does not always cover the work depicted
Paying a stock image library for a photograph does not always authorise you to use what appears in it. The layers of rights in an image and what to check before publishing.
Reviewed on 1 October 2026
- copyright
- digital infrastructure
- art market
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Quotation and illustration for teaching: what Article 32 allows
Quoting a work or using it to teach does not always need permission, but it does not allow everything either. What Article 32 of the Spanish Intellectual Property Act says and where it usually goes wrong.
Reviewed on 1 October 2026
- copyright
- research
- cultural work
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When a work enters the public domain in Spain
How to work out when a work enters the public domain in Spain, what happens with photographs, anonymous and unpublished works, and what still limits their use.
Verified on 27 September 2026
- art collecting
- art market
- cultural work
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Artist name, domain and trade mark
The name you sign with, the domain of your website and a registered trade mark are three different instruments. What each one protects and when it may make sense to register it.
Verified on 1 October 2026
- copyright
- digital infrastructure
- art market
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Commissioning an artwork
Commissioning an artwork, or accepting a commission, works best with a written agreement. What it should say about the work, deadlines, price, changes and rights.
Verified on 1 October 2026
- art collecting
- copyright
- artwork documentation
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An artist's archive and legacy
What happens to your works, your archive, your rights and your digital content when you are no longer here, and what you can decide now so that your legacy does not depend on chance.
Verified on 1 October 2026
- artist archive
- copyright
- artwork documentation
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Images of public domain works: what is free and what may be charged for
What happens to a faithful reproduction of a visual work in the public domain, what museums and image banks may charge for, and how to find files that are genuinely reusable.
Verified on 28 September 2026
- copyright
- research
- cultural heritage
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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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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.