I've been given the task of photographing my mother's artwork for reproduction. She has several hundred pieces ranging from 4' x 8' to 8"x11", from oils to watercolor to drawings...you name it. I've nailed every part of the process down (camera, settings, room, color management, equipment, etc.) but the most important part...the lighting. I've read every post and article I could find on the Internet and am still not sure how best to invest in lighting. I'll be shooting in a studio with a controlled light environment. I must have a continuous light source only (no strobes).
I have looked at Westcott's TD6's with both tungsten-halogen and fluorescent. I've considered Tota-lites tungsten. HMI is out of my budget range. LED's are pricey (I'm not going to DIY) and suffer from poor spectral distribution. Fluorescents also have poor color rendering capabilities and have mercury vapor and put of a lot of UV. Tungsten-halogens are hot and eat up the power. And then there seems to be a debate about whether or not to use diffusion/softbox or not. I really like the SoLux bulbs but there isn't any kit/fixture to use with it.
So, I'm really looking at specific advice for lighting (names, links, bulb type, etc.) from pros who are doing the work now or have done it in the last 10 years. What are you using? Why? Will it cover a 4'x8' work?
Please advise.