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Subject: Digitizing tangible media

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LatrodectusLady
Posts:4

09/17/2007 11:46 AM	Alert
Hi everybody, I'm kinda new here, and I joined because I am not sure how to solve my techie problem, and I'm hoping someone here can share some advice. I've been an amateur artist all my life, but I'm starting to become a tad bit more serious, but I've hit a snag with posting my work on the web: my scanner bed is only 8.5 x 11 inches, and my SMALLEST work is done on 9 x 12 paper. I also do some in 11 x 14 and sometimes even larger. I have tried to take digital photos of my large pieces, but they never look quite right. I've tried to see if any large format scanners are available on the web, but I haven't been able to find much, and I don't know if Kinko's can scan things for you or if THEY would even have one big enough for my larger pieces ... So um ... yeah, that's basically it, does anyone have any past experience with this issue? I can't be the only one ... Thanks a lot, ~ LL

Larimar Osprey
Posts:60

09/17/2007 4:15 PM	Alert
I have that same problem. However, my scanner is a 9x12 (brand is epson). All my non-digital work is done on 9 by 12 paper, but it's frustrating, because I want to be able to draw big things (everything that isn't a scribble or doesn't bomb goes on my devianart). You should at least be able to get a 9x12 scanner.

http://mistywolf.deviantart.com

eyecandy

Posts:152

10/01/2007 10:50 AM	Alert
Scanners are not the answer to get your art work into the computer. Scanners of that size necessary would be much to expensive and too large for the average home studio. I would suggest a digital camera. See my entry in this forum on "taking glare free photos". It is also necessary to have a program such as Photoshop or Photoshop Elements to edit your pictures and reduce them to a size that will be acceptable for the internet. On this site, your photos must be smaller than 100Kb. This usually entails a resolution of 72 and less than 600 pixles on the widest border. I hope that I'm not confusing you or discouraging you, but I guess you have to become educated to the computer jargon to play in this game as well as learning something about photography

Phil Sydell Boynton Beach, Fl phil-4a@comcast.net or phil4a@msn.com

LatrodectusLady
Posts:4

10/01/2007 12:02 PM	Alert
heh heh, no, you're not confusing me. That was certainly the obvious solution. When I attempted that before, glare wasn't my issue so much as making the angle look right. Even when shooting straight on, the photos seemed to make the image look somewhat distorted. They looked kind of low-grade too, even though I don't have that problem when photographing landscapes. Maybe I should just make my boyfriend do it, he's a photographer so he might know what he's doing in that area a little more than me.

one who sees

Posts:508

10/19/2007 9:51 AM	Alert
sometimes its lighting...or how close you are to the piece...i know for me? i have to shoot my graphite pieces in one room...set on the floor with direct lighting but from a distance of about five feet...then i myself take the shot, level shot, from about two and a half feet....now it also depends on the type of lighting...you can get a blue cast, yellow cast, or even pink cast to the work...but that can be adjusted with software once you upload..... now oil paintings because of color issues are a whole other challenge...i try several shots, lighting, and ? if all else fails i shoot it outiside, in not deep shadows, but definetly not with sunlight hitting the piece....soon you will learn the ~sweet spots~ but it took me awhile to nail mine too...i never scan any pieces, i gave up that scanner long ago!

~I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it~ Vincent Van Gogh www.bettyannlemist.com

one who sees

Posts:508

10/19/2007 9:52 AM	Alert
staples can also do a pretty good job of creating copies for ya...maybe they can help?

~I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it~ Vincent Van Gogh www.bettyannlemist.com

LatrodectusLady
Posts:4

10/19/2007 12:49 PM	Alert
Thanks one who sees! Perhaps I should just keep trying until I nail it and not just get discouraged when its difficult at first ... that is definitely an issue I need to work on ... Thanks again!

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