Summarize:

No annotation to your artwork would be complete without a reflection on what you have created. Start by writing a brief description of the piece itself, including its medium, basic subject matter, and style. For instance, you might write “My piece title Constellation #3 is an oil painting on masonite board, with embedded nails. It depicts an angel in a night sky. I rendered the work using a rough impasto painting technique and a cool color palette.” For annotations, how you made the work matters as much as what you made. Spend some time describing the process you used, step by step. This can be a simple narrative of the work’s development: ”I started by laying black gesso over the masonite panel. I drove nails through the panel at random intervals to create texture. I then blocked out the subject’s basic form using a light wash of thinned paint. Finally, I built up the subject’s form through successive layers of thick paint.” In creating your work, you might have had other artworks or artists in mind. Or, you might have been responding to something from culture, like a movie, historical event, or performance. Make sure to give a brief statement that explains how you incorporated these points of reference. You can also mention if the piece is related to other artworks you’ve made. For instance, you might have been working on a series of paintings depicting night sky scenes. Annotations are often used as part of art education. Even if you are writing them for yourself, taking a moment to think about what you learned from the piece can help you become more self aware as an artist. For instance, perhaps you learned intricate details about how oil paint of various thicknesses dries at different rates. Being able to honestly and accurately critique your own work is as valuable as evaluating the work of others. When annotating your artwork, you can ask yourself a couple simple questions:  What have I done well in this work? Try to list a few specific points. What could I improve if I did the work over again? Here too, list some specifics. After you've thought about how you developed your work, your sources of inspiration, and what you learned form the piece, devote another couple of paragraphs in your annotation to these reflections. For instance, you can have one paragraph that describes your process and inspiration, and another that evaluates your work and discusses what you learned or how you would create the piece differently if you were to do it over again.  If you are writing about your own work, you can stop here. Make sure to proofread your annotation carefully, correcting any spelling or grammar mistakes, and polishing the style of your sentences to make sure they are clear and flow well.
Summarize what you have made. Tell the story of your artistic process. Mention any sources of inspiration. Acknowledge what you learned from making the piece. Evaluate your work. Write it all out.