Scanning?
Moderator: Gerald
Scanning?
Sorry to ask more of a technical than material question but what successes and failures has everone had with scanning sketches and watercolors? I have a mess of various scanners and cameras here and have had no luck in capturing anything flattering (and my sketches need all the digital flattery they can get!)
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- Newbie Crawler
- Posts: 32
- Joined: Tue Oct 24, 2006 6:29 pm
Indeed - thanks for the responses. I have played around quite a bit with scanning settings and can improve the colors, etc if I am willing to spend the time (which makes photoshopping easier). When all is said and done my results are still pretty disappointing. Looking at a sketch next to the scan is discouraging. I suppose I should spend more time practicing the sketch rather than the scan though!
Thanks! I think I can do ok with the colors now (not always worth the time but with the levels curves in PS it comes out ok). I seem to be having the most trouble with the (for lack of a better term) graniness of the image. The scanners I am using seem to do a great job of highlighting the grain of even the smoothest paper and the edges of the paint but a subpar job of picking up details I'd want. Perhaps I am being too picky but am determinied to come up with a process! It shouldn't be this hard right?
seeker & donnam: Thanks for the followup!
figure one
Well, I suppose the big issue is that I need to improve my brushstrokes and cringe when I see my scanner magnifying bad lines and downplaying qualities I like. Am I just coming to grips with a frustration that everyone else already takes for granted?
For instance, the image above is a watercolor I love on paper but the scan highlights some odd, messy strokes in the branches and subdues details (such as the prickly pears and derelict car) that I am fond of. After spending a lot of time tweaking the scanner and photoshoping it I decided it would be better to focus on honing my watercolors instead (although photoshop is a blast).
donnam: I'll try that scanner setting though, one of my scanners is a Canon as well.
figure one
Well, I suppose the big issue is that I need to improve my brushstrokes and cringe when I see my scanner magnifying bad lines and downplaying qualities I like. Am I just coming to grips with a frustration that everyone else already takes for granted?
For instance, the image above is a watercolor I love on paper but the scan highlights some odd, messy strokes in the branches and subdues details (such as the prickly pears and derelict car) that I am fond of. After spending a lot of time tweaking the scanner and photoshoping it I decided it would be better to focus on honing my watercolors instead (although photoshop is a blast).
donnam: I'll try that scanner setting though, one of my scanners is a Canon as well.