Art Bianconi
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/06/06
Posts: 4659
Loc: Delaware River Valley, New Jer...
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I am not an artist, nor do I have any skill sketching.
In viewing the activities of astronomers who sketch, I can't help but wonder what it is that drives this activity in this day and age.
100 years ago and more, there were no digital SLR's, no USB cameras, no films to speak of and cameras were archaic by comparison. So, the need to memorialize what was seen could only be satisfied with sketch pad and a stick of charcoal.
With those limitations removed by advanced technology, I would think the need for sketches would have disappeared.
You folks are obviously having a lot of fun. I would like to know what it is that motivates such passionate self expression when there are so much accurate images to be had with modern day imaging systems.
Thanks
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“Everything is on its way to somewhere. . . . . everything!"
____________________ George Malley (John Travolta)
________________________ "Phenomenon"
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Jeremy Perez
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 1675
Loc: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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There are a variety of specific benefits that I experience from sketching. But I think the biggest encompassing reason I like to sketch is the close, personal connection it gives me to the object I'm observing. After sketching one of these visual delights, I feel like I know it and appreciate it to a degree that I wouldn't if I hadn't tried to describe it on paper. Some of the other benefits:
• Sketching helps me to see deeper levels of detail.
• It provides a vivid memory of what I saw that I can come back to time and again and relive a little bit of what I experienced when I observed it.
• It gives me a way to verify the accuracy of my visual observations by comparing later to astrophotography, and the sketches of others.
• It also is a great way to convey to others what can be discerned visually vs photographically.
• It really slows down the process of observing and really allows me to savor each and every object.
...there are other things I'm sure I'm not thinking of at the moment...
I also enjoy doing astro photography, but that scratches a different itch.
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Orion SVP 6LT (6" f/8 Newt) || Orion XT8 (8" f/6 Newt) || 15x70 Oberwerk Binoculars
The Belt Of Venus || Astro-Sketch Gallery || Astro-Sketching Resources || Astro-Photo Gallery
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Cygnus_x1
Sketcher Extraordinaire
Reged: 11/17/04
Posts: 2119
Loc: Isle of Wight, England
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Well for me, I can't afford all the gizmoes associated with imaging (apart from a DSLR, which I do have) but neither do I WANT these gizmoes. For me, most of the allure of observational astronomy is derived from looking through an eyepiece and not at a computer. I like looking directly (with the aid of a telescope of course) at the subtle beauties of nebulae and far-off galaxies, it's part of the magic of astronomy.
I have tried CCD imaging and, frankly, it bored me stupid. Not only that, I felt totally divorced from the object I was 'observing'; I could just as easily been watching it on 'The Sky At Night' for all the relevance it had to me.
Besides, I prefer observing not fiddling and CCD imaging is just too darn fiddly for my liking. There's absolutely nothing wrong with CCD work, it's just not my cup of tea.
The act of sketching sharpens observational skills and provides something just as beautiful and valuable to the artist as an image does to the photographer.
In a nutshell, you could ask yourself why do people still paint when photography catches the image in a second? For the enjoyment, that's why.
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Visual Deep Sky Observing
Visual Astronomy blog
Fotopic astronomy gallery My photos from astronomy events, etc
8x42 binoculars 'light thimble'
4" refractor and 4" Meade SCT 'light cups'
12" Dobsonian 'light bucket'
Various TeleVue eyepieces
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rodelaet
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 2655
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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I second that. The personal and instant involvement with the stars is the greatest when sketching from a 'live' window to the cosmos. I don't have that feeling while imaging with a camera.
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Rony
My Astronomy Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
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Art Bianconi
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/06/06
Posts: 4659
Loc: Delaware River Valley, New Jer...
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The responses were what I sort of expected and ring a chord over here that I am sure that you can identify with.
Many years ago I was a commercial photographer with a passion for photographing people and nature.
Life caught up with me and when it became apparent that I could not support myself with a camera, I changed my activity.
Recently it became apparent to me that taking the time to look for camera subjects created a deeper involvement in my outer world with a deeper, simultaneous effect on my inner one. It brought an intimacy with the outside world that normal, everyday life does not demand.
I too prefer the experience of a telescope with, as John Dobson says ". . . warm, wet eyes. ."
I understand and identify with what all of you said.
I expected as much. I am neither surprised nor am I disappointed.
Thank you.
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“Everything is on its way to somewhere. . . . . everything!"
____________________ George Malley (John Travolta)
________________________ "Phenomenon"
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Kris Smet
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/16/04
Posts: 1097
Loc: Belgium
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drawing is just simply fun,  I've always had a passion for drawing and a passion for astronomy. combined it's a win-win situation! 
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Kris
To be old & wise, you first gotta be young & stupid 
8" dob
AstroTech 66ED/APO
TAL 120 newt.
my CN sketch & picture gallery
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antilles72
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/06/07
Posts: 1236
Loc: Rhode Island
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I am a sketch voyeur. While I love seeing photographic images of the heavens, those are not a true representation of what the human eye sees. Sketches provide a true view through the eyes of an artist. It is a better representation of what you can see in a eyepiece.
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Royston
Royston's Cosmic Log
Royston Kane Photography
Orion 80ED
Orion Scenix 10x50
Bushnell Sky Chief III 60mm F/15
Orion Sirius Plossl 10mm, 20mm, 25mm
B/TMB Planetary 4mm
Sony Alpha A100
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kraterkid
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 3881
Loc: Poway, California
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One more thing I'd like to add to all the great answers already offered to Art's intriguing question: sketches not only represent what we see visually. They also express how we as observers emphasize aspects of our subjects. Most of the time this is subconscious, but this very real difference is obvious when you compare any two drawings of the same object, whether it be a crater on the Moon, a star cluster, a Planet or a galaxy. I believe that this difference in emphasis makes drawings so endearing to us. Sketching always seems to require your personal involvement as many have already said. And to the extent that you are involved with the process of observing and recording what you observe in the most intimate way ( and I can't think of a more intimate method than sketching) your personalilty will be part of the expression. I would lay odds that one could take the DSO sketches of Eric Graff, Jeremy Perez, David Moody, Rony De Laet, Faith Jordan, Erika Rix as well as many others here, set them side by side, without indicating the artist, and I think most folks who've been hanging around here could identify the sketcher. Try doing that with a photograph or a CCD image! With few exceptions most folks, even seasoned astrophotographers, would fail to make that match with an image or photo. This is not to say astrophotography does not involve personal manipulation or lack of intimate involvement. It's just that the decisions that are made are much more subtle than most of us could detect. And whereas the emulsion or the diode array collects it's data from the light it receives from the optics of the scope, our eyes must convert these same photon's to an image through the agency of our hearts, brain and hand.
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Rich 
[image]http://www.cloudynights.com/stars/CNS0606.jpg" border="0[/image]
My CN Gallery
[image]http://cleardarksky.com/c/JBObCAcs0.gif" border="0[/image]
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desertstars
Deja moo
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 30032
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Quote:
drawing is just simply fun,
This is, of course, the best reason of all.
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Tom W.
SVP8 'She turned me into a 3-legged Newt' EQ
Ralph, the All-Purpose 102mm Refractor
Under the Desert Stars
Alcohol and calculus do not mix. Please don't drink and derive.
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WadeVC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 2799
Loc: Lodi, California,
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I can not speak for others, but here is why I enjoy sketching my observations:
1. I am a Graphic Designer by trade, and way back when I got into this profession, hand-drawn illustrations were the norm. Nowadays, every client wants it...uh....two days ago (and thirty dollars cheaper than they were quoted). Although I do enjoy this profession, it too has advanced to the point where speed/project completion now supercedes quality time investment in many projects. Sketching allows me to "go back" to my simpler roots of drawing and sketching by hand.
2. Sketching is making me a better observer. What at one time would be a cursory or very short glimpse of an object has now, through sketching, "forces" me to observe objects in greater detail and for a prolonged period of time. For example: At one time I would have found and observed a double-star and thought "That's cool"...and moved on to the next object. But by studying the object I want to sketch, my eye(s) now "see" the faint and surrounding stars in or around the area of the object; something I never really noticed prior.
3. It is a fun visual record of observing sessions.
4. Astrophotography can be quite expensive and time consuming to do it poroperly. I can afford a new sketch book and pencils almost anytime I want. A high-end camera, tracking mounts/scopes, ect., ect...not unless I win the Lottery.
5. I find it very relaxing.
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Orion XTi10 f/4.7
Orion XTi8 f/5.9
Meade NGC 70mm f/10
Orion UltraView 10x50 Wide-Angle Binoculars
My Sketch Gallery
My Astronomy Blog
A wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountain top.
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CarlosEH
Post Laureate
Reged: 01/19/05
Posts: 3115
Loc: Pembroke Pines, Broward County...
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I agree with all of the excellent responses given above.
First and foremost observing and sketching the heavens is plain FUN! I really enjoy observing a crater, planet, or DSO in detail and recording it on paper (or digitally using the computer). What started as a blank piece of paper develops into a record for posterity (at least something we strive for in achieving) for others to share and review in the future.
One may argue that "I am not an artist" and therefore "what's the use in making a drawing." Rendering an object on paper (or computer) is not a contest. Observing an object judiciously and making an attempt to record what was visible, in my opinion, makes one a better observer. With time the observer's drawings (renderings) may become more aesthetically pleasing, but few will argue that they have not developed into better (e.g. able to detect fainter and finer detail over objects) observers.
I have had the pleasure of working alongside great pioneers in planetary imaging such as Donald Parker, Charles F. Capen, Jean Dragesco (among many others not mentioned) whom I hold in the highest esteem. The evolution of planetary imaging from film to the CCD chip has been nothing short of amazing! To review the fantastic images posted in the Solar System Imaging Forum leaves one breathless as to the plethora of detail recorded. Such imagers should be lauded for the high quality of data obtained. I have never been intimidated by such imagers. In fact they have pushed me to improve my observing and rendering skills over the years. Visual observations and imaging work in concert and not against each other. Many times I have been able to detect (and render) delicate features over the planets which were not clear in images obtained, and vice versa. The two practices are not at war.
I hope to continue making visual observations for as long as possible.
Carlos
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atoptics
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 08/10/06
Posts: 1389
Loc: UK
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To sketch is to attempt to truly see and appreciate.
Les
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rolandlinda3
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/24/06
Posts: 1622
Loc: Crozet VA 22932
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Art,
When are you going to try it? It may not be has hard as you think. With an eye for perspective and photographic skills, I will bet that you would enjoy the learning process as much as the results. Need a pad?
Roland
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cildarith
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/26/04
Posts: 2122
Loc: San Diego, CA
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In science we often see Newton's famous statement: "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants" as a way to show appreciation to those who have paved the way for our success. While sketching we are perhaps more accurately "walking in the footsteps" of these giants rather than standing on their shoulders. When we put eye to eyepiece and pencil to paper we participate in astronomy as it was done by generations of astronomers from the time of Galileo until the beginning of the 20th century, often with optical equipment that the legendary observers of that era would kill for. In addition to all of the excellent points made above, keep in mind your connection with astronomy's history when you make an observation the "old fashioned" way. 
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Eric
6" f/6 Parks Newtonian
10x50 Bushnell Binocs
CN Sketch Gallery
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rolandlinda3
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/24/06
Posts: 1622
Loc: Crozet VA 22932
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It is actually modern as well as "old fashioned". I come from the technical engineering community and have many friends in other technical, evaluation, and testing fields. Sketches and notes with them are used throughout as a continuing viable way to record quickly and accurately but also to evaluate an ongoing changing situation. The very best digital imaging or calculation methods that I know of are still best served by observers or evaluators that make notes and sketches from them or about them. Sketching is very much alive and well. Roland
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Jaycin
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/09/06
Posts: 2140
Loc: SW FLorida, USA
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Quote:
First and foremost observing and sketching the heavens is plain FUN! I really enjoy observing a crater, planet, or DSO in detail and recording it on paper (or digitally using the computer). What started as a blank piece of paper develops into a record for posterity (at least something we strive for in achieving) for others to share and review in the future.
Well said Carlos! I couldn't agree more.
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Jason
Zhumell 8" Dobsonian
60mm Meade Telestar
Sketching the Cosmos
Messier countdown: 102 down, 8 to go! 
Yalta Observatory- North Port, FL
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Asbytec
sage
Reged: 08/08/07
Posts: 216
Loc: La Union, PI
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I used to do astrophotography, both film and CCD. It was fun, too. It was nice to see your developed and process images come alive...trying the right processing techniques to strain every ounce of detail.
However, it was a lot of work. I spent a lot of time fiddling with my equipment, in front of a computer, and squinting through a guiding eyepiece. I got some great shots, of which I have none left. They've been lost in moves and old floppy discs. And all that fiddling resulted in less time looking through my scope.
I am thinking of taking up sketching. It's truer to the naked eye views, which are simply beautiful, per se. I'll start off by sketching a star, though. I have no talent.
Serious, though...I might just take up the hobby. But, how does one sketch at night? (I know, probably have much to learn...)
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11" Celestron SCT
La Union, Philippines
Edited by Asbytec (09/19/07 12:41 PM)
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Cygnus_x1
Sketcher Extraordinaire
Reged: 11/17/04
Posts: 2119
Loc: Isle of Wight, England
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Quote:
I am thinking of taking up sketching. It's truer to the naked eye views, which are simply beautiful, per se. I'll start off by sketching a star, though. I have no talent.
Serious, though...I might just take up the hobby. But, how does one sketch at night? (I know, probably have much to learn...)
Go for it! As for sketching at night, it is done in the same way as sketching during the day, except for one thing - you need to use a dim red light so not to spoil your dark adaptation.
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Visual Deep Sky Observing
Visual Astronomy blog
Fotopic astronomy gallery My photos from astronomy events, etc
8x42 binoculars 'light thimble'
4" refractor and 4" Meade SCT 'light cups'
12" Dobsonian 'light bucket'
Various TeleVue eyepieces
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oldsalt
Astro Philosopher
Reged: 02/12/05
Posts: 7958
Loc: Pa - between starparties
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While not as accomplished as some of our other sketchers, I'd have to say there is just something soothing about putting pencil, chalk, or pen to paper. There is also more a sense of accomplishment. Astrophotography produces some great images, but i find them a bit cold as compared to a sketch. I also find sketching leads to better observing, because you must take the time to really look at the object. It is not a find, frame and shoot process.
I often starparty with one of our forum luminaries(although not often enough), and watching a sketch develope, in and of itself is a great joy.
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Asbytec
sage
Reged: 08/08/07
Posts: 216
Loc: La Union, PI
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Yea, though about a dim red light on a table nearby. Observe a bit, then run over and sketch that part.
Do you do touch up the following day? I mean, if the swan nebula's head is too big, do you say to yourself, "Oh, it needs to be a little smaller, and I remember a dark lane there? It needs to stand out more...there, that's right!"
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11" Celestron SCT
La Union, Philippines
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