GW Clark
journeyman
Reged: 10/14/09
Posts: 5
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I was wondering if any of you use an easel to sketch? I have always sketched with the paper flat on a table or on a slightly elevated drawing board. I thought I might have a lighter hand if I sketched using an easel. I am going to try it to see. But wondered if any of you use this technique already?
GW
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JayinUT
I'm not Sleepy
Reged: 09/19/08
Posts: 936
Loc: Utah
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I use a clipboard with a piece of paper on it, with the sketch paper on top of that. I haven't tried an easel or a slightly elevated drawing board.
BTW, welcome to Cloudy Nights!
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Jay in Utah
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Location: Lat: 40.514N Long: -112.032W
Mortal as I am, I know that I am born for a day. But when I follow at my pleasure the serried multitude of the stars in their circular course, my feet no longer touch the earth.
— Ptolemy, c.150 AD
My Blog
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frank5817
Post Laureate
Reged: 06/13/06
Posts: 4082
Loc: Illinois
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GW,
Welcome to Cloudy Nights Sketching Forum. This is a matter of experience and preference. I have sketched at the eyepieces of telescopes with easels, clipboards and a mechanical drawing adjustable table. If I had to sketch with an easel I would stop sketching. I much prefer a clipboard and I have several from small to large in size.
Frank 
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my gallery
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JanisR
newbie
Reged: 06/26/08
Posts: 75
Loc: Pennsylvania
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Clipboard girl here.
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JanR
My CN Gallery
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TomN
sage
Reged: 01/14/09
Posts: 260
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Flat. Just seems to work best for me.
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Amateur Astronomer since 1962.
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Uwe Pilz
super member
Reged: 05/16/08
Posts: 169
Loc: Leipzig, Germany
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After many years of using a clipboard I switched to a surveying field frame, that is such a thing (page in german):
http://www.goecke.de/de/default.asp?Page=detail2&HauptArtID=157&WarengruppenID=49&SprungID=&Webcode=
It holds the paper much better even in a cutty wind. You can use both sides for sheets, which may be important for printed star maps. One side holds an overview map print and the other side a detailed one.
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Uwe Pilz from Leipzig, Germany. Astronomical pages (in german, but easy to navigate)
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markseibold
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/19/08
Posts: 1081
Loc: Portland Oregon
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GW
Welcome to the CN sketching forum!
It depends on the situation. I have really only ever used an easel when oil painitng. I usually or almost always work in pastels on a flat table as seen in the photo on left here. I may rarely sometimes raise the work to a slight angle on a foam core board depending on the telescope eyepiece position (especially while observing through a Newtonian 'Dobsonian'), or depending how high up the scope tube is pointed into the sky, but usually keeping the sketching surface as near to flat as possible. I could see building or purchasing a special table that has quick and easily adjusted height to accomodate the astronomy artist. Maybe I'll invent, build, and patent one!
(The image at right producing the crescent moon was a rare condition, not at home but beside my car on a remote hilltop and standing holding a large foam core board with the pastel paper clipped to it.)
Images while working on pastel sketches: seated at table, and standing at hilltop park
In this one at home in the driveway, seated again at table and working flat. This is the only way for me to render great detail. (The middle and right images following were only posed to show size and image as midway into work, where the left image is the usual seated position)
Seated position while rendering pastel sketches, middle and right images are only for the show
Mark
www.markseibold.com
My CN Gallery
Edited by markseibold (11/06/09 06:32 AM)
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Uwe Pilz
super member
Reged: 05/16/08
Posts: 169
Loc: Leipzig, Germany
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Post deleted by Uwe Pilz
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Uwe Pilz from Leipzig, Germany. Astronomical pages (in german, but easy to navigate)
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Jef De Wit
super member
Reged: 03/06/09
Posts: 121
Loc: Hove, Belgium
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I use a clipboard. First I putted it on my knees. But now I put it on a simple barstool (mine is less beautiful than the picture...), which is more comfortable. It has the same height as a table, but takes less place to transport.
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Clear skies, Jef De Wit
7x50 bino, Meade ETX-70 & Orion Optics UK 12" Dobson
"Bright skies aren't empty skies" (James Mallaney)
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Jeff Young
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/04/05
Posts: 4112
Loc: Ireland
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Clipboard on my lap.
-- Jeff.
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Nikon 18x70s / UA Millennium Colorado:
Solarscope SF70 / TV Pronto / AP400QMD Coronado SolarMax40 DS / Bogen 055+3130
APM MC1610 / Tak FC-100 / AP1200GTO Tak Mewlon 250 / AP600EGTO
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cildarith
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/26/04
Posts: 2357
Loc: San Diego, CA
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Clipboard on lap...
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Eric
6" f/6 Parks Newtonian
10x50 Bushnell Binocs
CN Sketch Gallery||MinDat Mineral Gallery
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kraterkid
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 4547
Loc: Jacumba, California
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Sketch board on an metal watercolor easel, basically because of the large 19" x 25" paper I use, I like to have it close to the eyepiece. I can pull it off quickly when I want to lay it on a table to do the really fine detail, as shown in Mark's picture above. Truth be told I find myself constantly moving between holding the sketch board in hand and sketching on the table and the easel. I'm sure a long exposure photo would confirm that I am a blur moving about the scope as I sketch! 
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Rich
My CN Gallery
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markseibold
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/19/08
Posts: 1081
Loc: Portland Oregon
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Uwe
Thanks for noticing that error on my part.  
Sorry I was gone all day. I just returned, saw your post and made the correction. You are on top of things! 
best regards,
Tschüs!
Mark
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GW Clark
journeyman
Reged: 10/14/09
Posts: 5
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Thanks to all for your responses. I tried the easel approach last night. Total disaster. My arm was hurting in a few minutes, I had little or no control over the pencil. Back to my folding TV tray.
BTW - JayInUtah - I live in Layton. Recently joined SLAS and will be joining OAS next week.
GW
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Shannon s
super member
Reged: 06/21/09
Posts: 138
Loc: Bartow FL.
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A 12x16 piece of 3/4 finish plywood. With a LED flash light duct taped to a piece of steel at the top. On the lap. "Duct tape" you know how the HVAC guys do it. 
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4.5" & 12" Reflectors
5" Maksutov
Astroview mount
Orion SSDSI
7x50 Binos
A box of Eps
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JayinUT
I'm not Sleepy
Reged: 09/19/08
Posts: 936
Loc: Utah
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I use to live in Clinton and now live in Herriman. Sent you a PM. Glad to see another local who sketches and I look forward to seeing your wonderful work. Going to do some viewing from 5:30p.m. til 9:00p.m. from the backyard tonight.
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Jay in Utah
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Location: Lat: 40.514N Long: -112.032W
Mortal as I am, I know that I am born for a day. But when I follow at my pleasure the serried multitude of the stars in their circular course, my feet no longer touch the earth.
— Ptolemy, c.150 AD
My Blog
Edited by JayinUT (11/06/09 06:10 PM)
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JayKSC
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/01/05
Posts: 975
Loc: Florida
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I use a loose-leaf piece of paper atop of a hard cover three ring notebook. Some sort of a table or easel would be nice, but I need to keep my setup as portable as possible for my urban conditions.
- Jay
South Florida
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Refractor manic. 
My Sketches
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Fraxture
member
Reged: 07/09/09
Posts: 55
Loc: Central Ohio
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I like to sketch in the pad itself, I never press hard enough to effect the pages beneath.
I am new to sketching the night sky, but not to sketching with graphite and colored pencils.
So I will ahve to modify a book light with a red LED here soon to attach to my sketch pad.
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John B.
You make a living by what you get, you make a life by what you give.
Orion XX12i
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phxbird
super member
Reged: 12/24/07
Posts: 116
Loc: New Mexico, USA
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Sketchbook or clipboard!
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Celestron 6" Refractor
Celestron AS-GT Mount
"The Bargain Bucket" 8" Dob
Meade ETX 90 EC
Orion ST 80mm
SAC-7b Imager
SBIG ST-7E Imager
Temple Research Observatory
AAVSO Member
Society of Astronomical Sciences Member
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