A new sketching subforum? - Page 2

mental4astro (Alexander) · #21 14-03-2011, 01:21 PM

Here is an example of the sort of things I'm looking to give a home to.

Here are links to two threads which discuss sketching techniques in the three pages of thread titles currently listed. None of them had been started by me, yet they contain the majority of my sketching contributions:

Sketch the moon night:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=67296

Sketching tips:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=66309

Given another two months, these threads and their incredible contributions will be shoved across to the archive. Not a place that really cries out "Hey, I'm alive and kicking".

Would the two above be best served with a sticky each rather than as a part of a new sub-forum? They do also serve as a type of gallery too.

As an added thought, would two stickies, one for DSO's and the other Planetary, be the way to go, somewhat like the imaging gallery? There is a lot of solar work too.

Also, for those fearing duplication and repetition, the first thread listed was made very much as a "gallery" to carry the Lunar contributions rather than a higgledy-piggledy collection of separte threads dotted throught the forums. All in one place!

Paddy (Patrick) · #22 14-03-2011, 02:39 PM

The idea of a couple of sticky threads sounds very good to me as a starting point. As Alex says its a good way for the threads to not get lost in the past. It is interesting how people relate observation reports to sketches. I tend to do one or the other in a session or it I do both, to post them separately, which is also how I store them. So it makes sense to me to put them in different threads. And others do it differently.

Anyway, I'd welcome some stickies for sketches - perhaps solar system and DSOs to start with as in the imaging section and one for sketch the moon night. I think the latter works really well. And a "how to"/tips/questions sticky.

astroron (Ron) · #23 14-03-2011, 02:43 PM

Quote
You want my honest opinion, I don't read all the observational reports that are posted, but I do all those that carry "sketch" in their title,

.

I could say the same thing in reverse

Quote
Pretty broad brush with one thread title! Actually, this highlights my point. In this thread of Orestis's, you are saying the report is the main point. Do you know if it was HIS intension or the sketch was. Or are you basing your reply on the way the title was phrased with the report mentioned first. Most thread titles begin with this phrasing. Would your opinion on the thread differ if it was titled:

Double star sketch + Obs report 7/3/11 ?

I certainly would not be going to read the post because it had a sketch of a Double Star,but would go to read the Observing report

In the original heading,One would think that the focus of the post was the observation report with the Sketch as maybe a bonus

To me Sketching is subjective and if I am to be frankly honest Most do not impress me that much

Even though I appreciate the effort in doing it

And yes I have done some sketching in the past

To me I still think it will detract from the main purpose of the observing reports if we fragment the section anymore

Some of the other ideas mentioned, incorperated into the forum may work

Last word

Cheers

michaellxv (Michael) · #24 14-03-2011, 03:12 PM

Some very interesting points on both sides and I now have one foot back on the fence.

I did some searches of the forums and there are indeed a number of sketches in the various imaging forums. Recently most people posting sketches have done so in the Obs Report forum.

While I agree that further fragmenting the site with another sub-forum may not be desirable the sketches on the site are currently very fragmented.

A search on 'sketch' for the whole site results in 444 threads which include many such as this one which actually contains no sketch. A search on 'draw' gives 500 results, some of which actually contain a drawing. So, to find the sketches you have to go into each forum and do more selective searches. If you limit the search to Titles only you get a higher hit rate but also miss some.

While I still think a sketching sub-forum would be nice maybe some stickies as others have suggested and an informal standard about the way sketches are posted would make them easier to find. This is as simple as putting 'sketch' somewhere in the title which most recent posts already do.

Lismore Bloke (Paul) · #25 14-03-2011, 03:57 PM

Alex the sketching sub-forum sounds like a great idea. As for classifying sketches, if a sketch is accompanied by a written description and complete details - size, class, magnitude, telescope, RA and Dec etc, than it's an Observation Report with the sketch serving as an illustration. If it's a sketch accompanied by no more than basic identifying information, than it's a sketch pure and simple.

Gee the last time I did a sketch, the advice then was to use rub-down dots of various sizes to represent stars neatly- Letraset - remember that stuff?

Good luck with getting it accepted by Mike and the moderators.

orestis · #26 14-03-2011, 04:40 PM

Hi everyone

,

A very interesting discusion.In my recent obs reprot I posted the sketch as an extra as I do for all my obs report I do not see a sketch as the main part of my threads rather as a visual representation of what I have seen.A sketch is what it implies a rough drawing of what you see it doesn't have to be a work of art its a visual record of what you have seen and allows others to see what you can see with the equipment you have.

As an astrosketcher myself I enjoy astronomical skethces very much but I have been posting my sketches in the obs reports because in a sticky at the top of the forum it says to post sketches there and I have done so,so if there is a place to post them already whats the use for a new place.

I understand Alex that you are trying to encourage sketching at iceinspace and I am very thankfull for that,its a field of amatuer astronomy which doesn't get much attention,Maybe some stickie threads might be good.

Thanks
cheers Orestis

Suzy · #27 14-03-2011, 06:16 PM

I have a feeling that the "Observation Reports" forum doesn't get the attention it should because it's easy to miss it. Up until I started posting there, I didn't know it existed despite spending plenty of time in the Obs Forum. It is a little, insignificant line up the top, hidden amongst everything else (not that it can be helped of course). It took me quite a while to "remember" that it was there. Nowadays of course I don't need to remember as I practically live there.

I feel that putting two stickies at the top of the page where the obs reports reside, will draw more attention to us. One sticky for sketches, one sticky for hints and tips. And one very big notice saying "sketches only- NO reports". One day it may warrant a sub forum of its own depending on how much through put it gets.

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #28 15-03-2011, 12:32 AM

I am FULLY in support of sketching as a recognised individual department of Astronomy.

Reading through the above posts we see some good points for both sides about having a sub-section.

May I lend my opinion.
As much as I personally like the idea of a sub-section, I also see the confusion and fractured feel it could give.

I do however, believe 'Astro sketches' would work as a sticky thread of its own in the Observation section.
If not its own sub-section it deserves that at least.

I would love to see a new seperate section for Video Astronomy too, but I am also a realist and know that the popularity just doesn't exist yet.
Maybe one day.

Alex, I support your venture and I will probably contribute from time to time.

mental4astro (Alexander) · #29 15-03-2011, 09:23 AM

Crash! Boom! Bash!

I think we are finally finding a consensus on the form of some type of home for sketching should first take.

Stickies!

Now, I agree that sketches and reports are different things. So what ever stickies we end up with, they should be in the main Obs. and Visual forum page. Agreed?

Then how many and their subject matter.

I don't want to complicate things, nor dilute content, or create places for cobwebs to collect. So, my first suggestions:

1: Sketching tips, a place for technique discussion, how-to, materials, new ideas, problems with gear such as lighting, dew, smudge control, etc.

2: Sketch the Moon Night, a place where everything Moon is the focus, regular lunar features become the specified target, Lunar eclipses, even a pretty landscape sketch where the Moon has created some dramatic effect.

The following one is my weakest one-

3: Solar System, sorta explains itself. Planetary sketching isn't all that strong here, though the Sun does get a bit of a bashing.

4: DSO's, the rest of the Universe.

Maybe the last two would be best served as one: Solar System and DSO's?

iceman (Mike) · #30 15-03-2011, 09:27 AM

Sounds good to me. I think combining 3 + 4 would be better for now, until there's enough to warrant separation.

iceman (Mike) · #31 15-03-2011, 09:27 AM

You can go ahead and create the threads as you wish, and then 'report post' and myself or a moderator will make them sticky.

Paddy (Patrick) · #32 15-03-2011, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mental4astro

Crash! Boom! Bash!

I think we are finally finding a consensus on the form of some type of home for sketching should first take.

Stickies!

Now, I agree that sketches and reports are different things. So what ever stickies we end up with, they should be in the main Obs. and Visual forum page. Agreed?

Then how many and their subject matter.

I don't want to complicate things, nor dilute content, or create places for cobwebs to collect. So, my first suggestions:

1: Sketching tips, a place for technique discussion, how-to, materials, new ideas, problems with gear such as lighting, dew, smudge control, etc.

2: Sketch the Moon Night, a place where everything Moon is the focus, regular lunar features become the specified target, Lunar eclipses, even a pretty landscape sketch where the Moon has created some dramatic effect.

The following one is my weakest one-

3: Solar System, sorta explains itself. Planetary sketching isn't all that strong here, though the Sun does get a bit of a bashing.

4: DSO's, the rest of the Universe.

Maybe the last two would be best served as one: Solar System and DSO's?

Three stickies - tips, sketch the moon night and a combined solar system and DSOs thread - gets the tick from me. And a very good discussion to start Alex. Thanks!

mental4astro (Alexander) · #33 15-03-2011, 10:59 AM

Wow!

This has happened faster than I expected!

Three new stickies to give sketching a new "safe" home.

Thanks everyone for their frank and robust discussion. My original idea for a sub-forum was just that- an idea. It needed to be moulded, worked, thought about & reset before it was cast into its best shape!

And thank you Mike for listening and making it so! IIS is your baby, and we so much enjoy your and the mods work in making this site what it is.

Cheers mate!

Cheers everyone!

Now, sharpen your pencils. There's paper to ruin!