Artists who paint or draw are continously confronted with the difficulties of documenting their work for such things as portfolios for school, personal cataloguing, or submitting digital files to places like deviantART. Often, the work is small enough to scan - which will give you excellent lighting and great reproduction.

Larger paintings however, offer other problems.

_{(Throughout this article I will assume you will use a digital camera.)}

Must Haves for Nearly-Professional Documentation:

A large wall able to support your work.
Two lights - preferrably floods, on tripod stands.
A good camera with a tripod!
At least 10 feet of space between the painting and where you will be shooting.

Some Suggestions:

1) Hang your work level on a wall that is either black, grey, or white. Avoid colours that will effect the way the viewer will see the colours of your own work, if there are any gaps between the work and the frame of the camera, they should be neutral and non-descript. Use a drop-sheet if necessary and hang it taut behind the work. Try to level your work as best as you can using a proper level, or your eyes - if they're good! It will only make it easier for you when aligning your camera.

2) Step back with your camera approximately 15 feet from the work on the wall. You will see in your viewfinder the small box, or any other guidelines that will help align your work. Make absolute sure your camera is in the middle of the painting or drawing. The exact middle! Not aimed at the middle, but at a height that is perfectly centered. No compromises, because you want to avoid bending or warping of each edge of the piece. Galleries, schools, arts councils, or clients want to see the straightest lines possible in your 2 dimensional work.

3) Take your light stands, and raise them about a foot above the camera before placing them. This will light your work in a uniform way, and will also avoid under-lighting. Slight 'above lighting' imitates a professional setting such as a gallery. People within the art field will notice how well your work is lit - believe me, they are aware of the details. Next, place them at 45 degree angles to your painting.

4) The distance your lights will be from the work can be adjusted based on how much reflection you are seeing through your lens, if there are any 'hot-spots' on your painting (which you want to avoid at all costs!), or if it is not evenly or strongly lit. Keep the aperture and speed low. If your work is wet, let it dry. If your work is glossy, you have some adjusting to do because varnished work is tough to shoot with uniform lighting.

5) Move your tripod so that your work best fits the frame of the camera. It's better to get a shot that is filling the frame rather than leaving edges, space, and otherwise unwanted 'stuff' that people don't need to see. Often there are photographs of work that documents an easel, a bedroom, or objects the work is resting against. If people wanted to see your private life, they'd go to Facebook! Keep it simple.

The Details:

Essentially you want to have the most uniform lighting on your painting or drawing as you can. This gives the best colouring, hues, and tints to your work possible, and will give you a sense of professionalism with your own documentation.
Work with adjustments on your camera. Try lower lighting (or shooting at night) with the spotlights for the best image possible in documenting 2 dimensional work.

DeviantART has too many poorly photographed pieces of art - step ahead of the norm and present something professional. There will be better chances for you in receiving a DD, getting accepted into school, or receiving grants from government institutions, not to mention the great level of personal satisfaction you will have with your own art.