Photographing and recreating wallpaper

Craikeybaby

Craikeybaby

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Lewis
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Over the last few years my wife and I have been renovating her grandfather's house, our next project is the hall, stairs and landing. The wallpaper up the stairs is a swirly 70's pattern, which everybody who visits the house comments on. We're going to be stripping it down soon, as the wall is going to be plastered, but we would like to have a few canvas prints with the pattern to hang back on the wall.

I was thinking the best way to do this would be to take a photograph of the pattern and clean it up in Photoshop, but surely it isn't going to be that easy...

I was going to mount my camera on a tripod for this, but any other tips for capturing a pattern on a flat(ish!) wall? Also, any hints for tidying it up in Photoshop?

The pattern can be seen below:

Hallway Before by Lewis Craik, on Flickr
 
Can't you carefully steam a section of it off the wall? Stick that in a frame and you'll have the original and not a photo.

As for taking the shot - even, diffused lighting would help. Can't be the hardest shot anyone has ever taken. It's flat and static. Point, focus, click. Job should be done in a couple of minutes I'd have thought.
 
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As above. With such a large available area, I'd carefully remove paper and frame that
Authenticity.
 
Using the actual wallpaper would be the cheapest. But not if you want it scaled down.

You could also draw it on the computer. Getting a very sharp and clear result, with the exact colours of your choice. But you'd need to be able use a drawing program, such as Inkscape. But drawing might not be your thing.
 
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Morbid said:
Can't you carefully steam a section of it off the wall? Stick that in a frame and you'll have the original and not a photo.
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If you want it actual size / to scale, then this is what I'd suggest have a go at and as has been said, you'd have the original which you could then frame.

If you want to photograph it and maybe reduce the size, then yes as you said, tripod, be head on, shoot in RAW with the natural light and then adjust to suit, to get a match.

Personally, I would opt for the 1st option, I think it's the most authentic and it would be nice to say, this is the actual paper that he hung :)

Good luck, let us know what you decide / show us the results (y)
 
I'd go for trying to steam off a section for authenticity, but I'd also photograph it, just incase steaming doesn't work
 
Thanks all! Framing a bit of paper is an option, if we can get a big enough bit off that is in good enough condition - there has been a lot of work done on the house since that photo was taken, so a lot of it is marked. I'll be taking the photo of a good bit before we start stripping as insurance.
andrewc said:
how big is the design - if you could peel a section intact, could scan it.
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I hadn't thought about scanning - will try that if we get a big enough piece.

ianp5a said:
Using the actual wallpaper would be the cheapest. But not if you want it scaled down.

You could also draw it on the computer. Getting a very sharp and clear result, with the exact colours of your choice. But you'd need to be able use a drawing program, such as Inkscape. But drawing might not be your thing.
Click to expand...

I've not tried Inkscape or Illustrator, but could give it a go - would give the cleaner pattern I'd prefer.

Byker28i said:
OK - Off beat suggestion. Why not make, or put, a frame around the section you want to keep now, stick it to the wall, and then not strip that area. Make it a permanent feature.
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My Dad did suggest that, but the wall is going to be skimmed, the house has been rewired since that photo was taken, so the plaster isn't great.

andyred said:
If you want it actual size / to scale, then this is what I'd suggest have a go at and as has been said, you'd have the original which you could then frame.

If you want to photograph it and maybe reduce the size, then yes as you said, tripod, be head on, shoot in RAW with the natural light and then adjust to suit, to get a match.

Personally, I would opt for the 1st option, I think it's the most authentic and it would be nice to say, this is the actual paper that he hung :)

Good luck, let us know what you decide / show us the results (y)
Click to expand...

I'll make sure I share the results!
 
I've taken the photos, it was hard finding somewhere I could get the tripod in front of an area with intact wallpaper pattern.

Stair wallpaper pattern by Lewis Craik, on Flickr

Now to do some tidying up in Photoshop...
 
I ended up being able to salvage enough of the wallpaper to mount in 3 frames to go up the stairs, which is handy, as I was having a nightmare cleaning up the photos I took in Photoshop.
 
Craikeybaby said:
I ended up being able to salvage enough of the wallpaper to mount in 3 frames to go up the stairs, which is handy, as I was having a nightmare cleaning up the photos I took in Photoshop.
Click to expand...

Having only just seen the thread, as a next-best option I would have suggested taking the photograph into Illustrator and then (auto-) tracing from there.
 
Yes I already suggested re drawing it in a vector program to get clean smooth curves, that you can scale as much as you want without it degrading. But that requires some experience with vectors though. Not everyone's cup of tea.
 
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Another take on this - take a nice portrait of your girlfriends grandad sat in the stairlift chair with the wallpaper in the background. Plenty of nice, natural light coming in from the front door/window ... then, make a canvas from that and pop it on the wall. A nice shot at around f1.8 with the eyes pin sharp and the wallpaper as a backdrop would make a really nice image. Just an idea .. :)
 
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Musicman said:
Having only just seen the thread, as a next-best option I would have suggested taking the photograph into Illustrator and then (auto-) tracing from there.
Click to expand...

ianp5a said:
Yes I already suggested re drawing it in a vector program to get clean smooth curves, that you can scale as much as you want without it degrading. But that requires some experience with vectors though. Not everyone's cup of tea.
Click to expand...

I'm not a fan of vector programmes, I agree that would have been the best way if I had the software and/or the skill!

mossienet said:
Leave the wallpaper up and change the carpet to plain. Loads of people love that design classic!
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It needed a lot of plastering after a rewire, sadly the paper had to go.

Moey said:
Another take on this - take a nice portrait of your girlfriends grandad sat in the stairlift chair with the wallpaper in the background. Plenty of nice, natural light coming in from the front door/window ... then, make a canvas from that and pop it on the wall. A nice shot at around f1.8 with the eyes pin sharp and the wallpaper as a backdrop would make a really nice image. Just an idea .. :)
Click to expand...

That would have been a really nice touch, unfortunately we are a few years too late for that.
 
Craikeybaby said:
I'm not a fan of vector programmes, I agree that would have been the best way if I had the software and/or the skill!



It needed a lot of plastering after a rewire, sadly the paper had to go.



That would have been a really nice touch, unfortunately we are a few years too late for that.
Click to expand...

Oh, sorry, I didn't realise, I thought you meant that you were decorating the house for your gf's grandad. My apologies.
 
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