What does "sketch" mean

[Qualia]

The way I see it is that there are two essential features to visual astronomy:

1. finding the object.
2. observing it.

The former involves star-hopping and reading star maps, the latter requires you to slow down and to actively engage yourself with the complexity and beauty of what is being observed. It is a style of concentrated looking coupled with the practice of picking out features and textures. In a sense, with this kind of observing you are like a poet, training the eye to see more and more.

A useful method for observing in this fashion is to either write about what you see or to sketch what you see and it really makes no difference what method you choose, so long as the objective of such a practice is not to produce a work of art or some grand ode to the cosmic wonder being observed, but to have actually helped strengthen your stargazing eye.  

Sketching or writing about what you are observing is an iterative, mechanical process: you look through the eyepiece, you sketch or write a little something, you compare, you look again, sketch or write a little more, compare, and on and on you go. If you find you are getting bored, you relax, you take a little break, and when you are ready, you return again. If you can couple this technique with the tools of good grammar and vocabulary or with drawing skills, so be it, but, again, it doesn't make a lot of difference, so long as you are recording what you are seeing to the best of your own abilities. This is the way you train your eye to see more.

It is for this reason that sketching has nothing to do with imaging or running marathons across the sky and ticking numbers from lists. There is no doubt that these are also great ways of enjoying one's sessions but astronomical sketching is an entirely different experience. It means spending time at the eyepiece to really look at what you can see, training your eye to ever greater detail and in turn taking the fullest advantage of your telescope and gear. If good optics and a seat can add a virtual 1" to aperture, then sketching will help augment that in multiple terms.

[Marky1973]

Yeah, not a stupid question at all - those links are great to see......even just white on black sketches of what I am likely to see is great stuff, and makes me even more excited to get out with the scope......although i won't be trying any sketching anytime soon, I'm not much of an artist.....one of my last art school reports simply read, "Mark is good at shapes."

[Wetsparks]

Can I just say, having looked at all those wonderful images, that if there is such a thing as re-incarnation, can I please have a small dose of that talent, magnificent.

[Moonshane]

being good at shapes is good enough and what's actually required in some ways. I use shapes to determine where stars go on the sketched view.

[Stevp]

Last week I tried my first ever sketch of Jupiter, the hilarity it caused in our house was well worth the effort!

(Cracking GRS! BTW, used a bog standard HB pencil straight into my notebook )

Cheers

Tempted to share?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Helen]

When I do public outreach, particularly with kids, I get them to describe to me what they can see - its amazing how much more they then start to see and it stops them just taking a quick look and moving on.  As Qualia says, anything that slows us down and makes us observe rather than look enhances the experience.  And even if the final outcome isn't that accurate or artistic it doesn't really matter as the benefit is in the journey not the destination.

Helen

[Kirscovitch]

Sketches are amazing. Nothing I don't think I will ever try as I can hardly write my name legibly. For those more artistically gifted they can produce some amazing results.

[todd8137]

For me it's a way of expressing what I see I find it great. Relaxing and it really makes you look At what your viewing also it's a great way to look back and no what ya looking for next time try the moon or planets

Pat

[bingevader]

Whilst I'd have to agree that anything that focuses the mind must be a bonus, for me, other than being highly amusing and entertaining for the rest of the family, it was just a distraction and a good bit of fun.

You do need some talent to make it a worthwhile exercise.  I think I'd better stick to my note taking, which as Qualia has already pointed out, does make a difference to the observing experience.

[Myopicus]

Really looking forward to getting out and sketching with my scope.  The paradox is that every single clear evening there seems to be something scheduled into the calendar courtesy of Mrs.  

I agree with the 'exercise in seeing' ethos as stipulated by various posters. After all, Smiles per hour, not miles per hour.

[Myopicus]

When I do public outreach, particularly with kids, I get them to describe to me what they can see - its amazing how much more they then start to see and it stops them just taking a quick look and moving on.  As Qualia says, anything that slows us down and makes us observe rather than look enhances the experience.  And even if the final outcome isn't that accurate or artistic it doesn't really matter as the benefit is in the journey not the destination.

Helen

YES!   +1000 likes

[Langy]

Well with finally some clear skies I setup outside and whilst the camera was piggy backed on the scope snapping away the bins were setup on a tripod.

Aimed at Pleiades the image below is my first ever sketch.

It may not be brilliant, but as a first sketch I was quite pleased and certainly will be having ago again in the future.

[Langy]

Oh and here was the image I took whilst doing the sketch. 15 Second exposures on Canon EOS 300D 300mm.