Oil paintings reproduced in print form, best quality?

Question

I've tried many ways to copy my oil paintings into print form, with minor success. A format camera was suggested?

Answer 1

Some of my friends who are painters have asked me to photograph their paintings for the exact same reason you are wanting to photograph your paintings.
Because my friends are usually going to print really large, poster size and above I use a "large format" view camera http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/View_camera using what is refered to as chrome or slide film. In particular I use Fujifilm Velvia 100 because of its fine grain and accurate color reproduction http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velvia. As for the format of the film I use, I use 4x5. When you are reproducing paintings you want to use a camera which yields the largest negative possible(there are cameras which make 8x10 negatives, but I don't have access to an 8x10), and use a camera which is able to correct for parralax which does come into play when you are photographing really large paintings.
Regarding the lighting, this really depends upon how textured the image is. However, in general what I do if the painting isn't overtextured with things like wax, and gobs of paint I use sort of a standard copystand technique except on a larger scale and horizontal with two equally balanced strobe lights fitted with large softboxes on either side of the painting http://www.marietta.edu/~mcshaffd/macro/copy.html. Like I had mentioned this technique works well if you don't have too much texture, but it your painiting does have a lot of texture then what you want to do is to move one of the lights in close and sort of strafe the edge of the painting so as to create shadows and deliniate the textures. Anyhow, I know this probably all sounds foreign but to be honest this is the only way I know to accurately reproduce a painting photographically. However, it really isn't all that hard to learn how to photograph your paintings, more than anything it is getting access to the equiptment, which if you live in a major metropolitain area is available for rent at large professional photo stores.

Answer 2

I've done this many, many times using diffuse outdoor light on an overcast day. Do not use a flash. Shade the picture, if there are any glare spots evident. Use Auto White Balance or the shady setting.

A soft box, as suggested by Shelly above, also works, if you can fit the painting in the box. I like the simplest way possible, though, and that's as I described.

Answer 3

If I understand your question correctly, you are asking to output your oil painting (on canvas, I presume) onto photo paper. If this is the case, then use an E6 to photograph your oil painting with appropriate lighting (a soft-box works) which will capture the richness in the colors of the paint. You can then process this film at a photo lab where they can also print your choice of frame. Hope this helps!

Answer 4

There are many advantages to using oil paints, aside from its hardwearing property. They can also be left open for long periods of time, and in fact, they can often be left exposed to air for several weeks without drying. This characteristic makes it possible for an artist to work on a painting over several sessions without fear of the paint drying up too early. Of course, this trait can be looked at as a disadvantage by some, because it takes weeks for a project to be finished, and the slow drying process can make it difficult to move on to the next stage of the painting. Claude Monet oil paintings created a fascinating movement in the nineteenth century, that would tremendously revolutionize the art world as we know it today.

Answer 5

http://www.photoartomation.com/