BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: New Answers

lighting for copy work of pencil art

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December 21, 2005

First, rig your camera. Then place one light on either side of the camera pointed at the art work at an angle of 45 degrees. Using hot lights and non-glare glass, I've never had a problem although each set-up requires micro adjusting the lights through the viewfinder. Also, make sure your art work is flat and the camera is plumb and square to the work. That's very important. Either a camera level in the accessory shoe or on your tripod will help ensure that. Remember, angle of incidence equals angle of reflection.

If your art work is mounted instead, on an easel, since they're generally tilted back to some degree, again, first you need to make sure it's plumb, square and level to the camera lens. So you may have to shim for that while checking plumb with something like a torpedo level on the face of the picture. Set your camera lens equal distance to the center using layout string. Set your lights equal distance at 45 degrees to the art work and equal distance to the left and right of the camera position. Check the viewfinder for hot spots in the glass. Adjust the lights. Forget a polarizer. It'll likely just make your solutions more difficult and your lighting less even when you correct the glare.

BTW, as an artist, you probably know that oil-based pigments will flouresce under UV light. So, if you're using flash tubes on paintings at some point, use UV coated tubes to avoid that problem.
See if that helps.
Take it light. :>)
Mark

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December 21, 2005