How To Take Decent Photos of Artwork Using Your Phone’s Camera and Genius Scan For Posting Online

Use your phone and the Genius Scan app to take photos of artwork, such as paintings. Genius Scan is a PDF scanner with a crop tool that will unskew images and allows you to place each corner manually.
First, take a photo of the artwork, using a light source that best shows the color. Take it at an angle to avoid glare. We can unskew but we can’t remove glare.
Second, open Genius Scan, hit the + button for a new document or open an existing document, then tap photos. You can also shoot from within the app. Click the check box on the camera roll images you want (the check box will turn orange). Tap “Choose.” Then tap “Edit” and then “recrop.” The app will guess at a crop-it’s looking for an 8.5x11” paper. Drag the corners of the orange box one at a time to where you want them, then tap “Done.”
To export to your Photos app, you can export directly if it’s a one page document. If it’s more than one page, tap the icon in the upper right (six little rounded rectangles) to go to icon view of all the pages. Tap to select the ones you want and then hit the Export icon at the lower right (a square with an arrow pointing up). Select JPG and then select Photos from the list.
Also: you can keep adding artwork to the same document in Genius Scan, which becomes a de facto record of your work.

[@susanwilliamson6952]

Downloading Genius Scan thanks to your video. Thank you!

[@patriciaroberts9269]

Very helpful Aimee thank you!

[@paulappswildlifeart]

Hi Aimee, I have just watched your shellac video, never thought of it as a barrier base, used modern gesso or rabbit skin glue sizing. One question, I always thought that shellac when dry was quite brittle and wondered how the substrate may handle cracking over time, from handling before framing maybe. If it does not crack in the way I am thinking, it would be a great way to go. Cheers Paul , ps subbed btw

[@aimeeericksonstudio1463]

It soaks into the paper and stays flexible.

[@vincentmonet6172]

Does this app cost money? Thanks.

[@lauravalenzuela2233]

Genius Scan is $49.99.

[@aimeeericksonstudio1463]

There’s a $49.99 version called Genius Scan Enterprise. That’s not the one I use. Look for the free one “Scanner App Genius Scan.” Or, iPhone has added perspective crop tools to its editing capabilities.

[@lauravalenzuela2233]

@@aimeeericksonstudio1463 Ok, thanks. I'll check it out.