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Mark,

I agree in that I too wish more of our fellow sketchers would enter the monthly contests, and have often tried to encourage others here to do so. My post/thread of this very nature can be found here:

C'mon Fellow Sketchers, enter your sketches!!!

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I got to come up to speed with the transfer of my sketches and our workhorse scanner. Most of mine are in a spiral bound sketch pad that will produce those hanging chad thingies...perhaps I should switch to another type of sketch pad.

Thanks Wade - I just also responded to that message that you encouraged others. I was glad to see that- As I play catch-up here now. I ounly entered and registered at the CN site in March ~ April this year 2008. I added this below as I am not sure that some such as Stacy with an inoperable scaner are possibly not aware that a simple digital camera can record excellent images of art. >

Stacy and all

I see that Wade and I are trying to encourage others to enter the sketchng contest- As you stated here that your scanner was causing a delay to capture images.

I am wondering now if many people are not aware that artwork can be captured with a simple good digital camera- I mean a simple one! I use a Sony Cybershot 5.1 mgpxl and then upload to Photoshop to adjust slightly, the contrast and brightness and sizing for the site protocols.

Are others here constrained with limited use of a scanner? Consider your digital cameras and preferable tripod and under good daylight or proper use of an angled flash at night to reduce reflection to the artwork surface.

Good luck,

Mark

Edited by markseibold (08/31/08 02:38 PM)

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Mark,

I agree in that I too wish more of our fellow sketchers would enter the monthly contests, and have often tried to encourage others here to do so. My post/thread of this very nature can be found here:

C'mon Fellow Sketchers, enter your sketches!!!

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Mark,

I agree in that I too wish more of our fellow sketchers would enter the monthly contests, and have often tried to encourage others here to do so. My post/thread of this very nature can be found here:

C'mon Fellow Sketchers, enter your sketches!!!

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Unfortunately, this part of forum is lately more filled with astro-art than with sketches. Because of that, I find it meaningless to post my sketches here when Photoshoped, Gimped, and other overly-enhanced skethes have more are more praised.

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Dear Acheron

Thanks for your input and reflection on this issue. Yes, I have received a few other personal similar sentiments about the sketching forums posting lately. I will admit that I was not aware of mine as being categorized as mere art when I first arrived here a few months ago, or that I embellished or added aesthetics for the purpose of appeal until a long discussion ensued over this. Erika, Les Cowley and Charlie Hein were very gracious about my art vs technical scientific art. I think I know my limitations now. I also know that if I relegate my work to only the basic art forums, it seems to receive no vision or very little feedback.

I have agreed to do live observational images as only rendered live at real time from the eyepiece as the central image in my works. However I will at times still add an occasional ambience landscape or slight clouds to the edge area as actually observed per the seeing conditions. I have made grave efforts to leave my hand out now. Then, believe it or not, some write to me and ask why the hand is missing lately.

I am sorry to hear from some that that categorizes my art as well, only "art". What can we say that hasn’t already been said about these issues over the Millennia? What is the artistic process and what is true scientific method? I was also not aware that Photoshop art was allowed here until I saw some posted recently. I thought the posted rules for The Sketching Forum stated that Photoshop was not allowed. When I saw several posted, of course I entered one of Jupiter. Although I prefer to stay in the old world mediums as you can see.

I must also say this as I am glad you reiterated it; although I have at times entered crucial observational information such as UT time, atmospheric seeing, etc, I will begin to add more pertinent data to my images, i.e. Seeing conditions, equipment specs, etc. and make further efforts to separate my mere art from the scientifically correct works and post them in the appropriate forums.

With that said, I can claim that even though at times I appear as producing only art that may not suffice as strictly scientific, many from around the world who write me, recently the web master from Spaceweather.com, have expressed that they never thought that they would ever try to sketch until they were inspired by seeing my “paintings” in the NASA web spaces. Call my art whatever they will; painting is actually sketching or drawing with paint . . . much art lately seems to imitate life in general. What can I do to help others discover that we are all born artists? I believe that anything that we do to contribute to this artistic process (within reason and the fair protocols of this web site of course) will encourage others and especially new young students to become so much more for our future. I believe that there is not enough encouragement of the arts and sciences in our education systems today. This web site has definitely made its claim to champion those needs. I have it linked from many other art sources and web sites to encourage others to come here and discover CN.

I am looking at embarking on a trip again across the nation and perhaps overseas to encourage this process for others to adventure in their art and science, to discover and share it with others.

I look forward to seeing your art again, Acheron, and would encourage you not to be intimidated by any apparent laxing of the posting rules. You know that what you do is great regardless of the other company.

I hope to encourage more site members from around the world to experience this great artistic process and scientific method,

Best regards,

Mark

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Unfortunately, this part of forum is lately more filled with astro-art than with sketches. Because of that, I find it meaningless to post my sketches here when Photoshoped, Gimped, and other overly-enhanced sketches have more are more praised.

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Unfortunately, I don't have a working scanner and really have no need for one with the exception of scanning sketches I make at the EP. If you believe that this is unfair you are entitled to it but some of us don't have a choice and just like to enter for the fun of it. I don't think my "sketches" have an advantage anyway, I can't use Gimp or PS well to begin with but I will refrain from entering again until/if I get a working scanner

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Orion XT8I
Celestron 114EQ Firstscope
Meade 70mm
Astroscan

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Unfortunately, this part of forum is lately more filled with astro-art than with sketches. Because of that, I find it meaningless to post my sketches here when Photoshoped, Gimped, and other overly-enhanced skethes have more are more praised.

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Would you like some cheese with that "whine"?

We've heard it all before Acheron...it is just unfortunate that you can not separate your personal beliefs or elitist standards from the simple joy people get from sketching and wishing to share with others; regardless of what mediums or tools they choose to use.

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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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