· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt · Submit a Review / Article Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu… uh, User You are not logged in. [Login] Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online FAQ · Calendar Astrophotography and Sketching >> Sketching Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Pages: 1 GW Clark journeyman Reged: 10/14/09 Easel or Flat?       #3429347 - 11/04/09 02:45 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   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 Post Extras:       JayinUT I'm not Sleepy Reged: 09/19/08 Re: Easel or Flat? [Re: GW Clark]       #3429446 - 11/04/09 03:43 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   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! Post Extras:       frank5817 Postmaster Reged: 06/13/06 Loc: Illinois Re: Easel or Flat? [Re: JayinUT]       #3429670 - 11/04/09 06:45 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   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 Post Extras:       JanisR newbie Reged: 06/26/08 Loc: Pennsylvania Re: Easel or Flat? [Re: JayinUT]       #3429807 - 11/04/09 07:59 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Clipboard girl here. Post Extras:       TomN professor emeritus Reged: 01/14/09 Loc: Washington State Re: Easel or Flat? [Re: JanisR]       #3430150 - 11/04/09 11:15 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Flat. Just seems to work best for me. Post Extras:       Uwe Pilz scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 05/16/08 Loc: Leipzig, Germany Re: Easel or Flat? [Re: TomN]       #3430363 - 11/05/09 02:22 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   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. Post Extras:       markseibold Carpal Tunnel Reged: 01/19/08 Loc: Portland Oregon Re: Easel or Flat? [Re: GW Clark]       #3430386 - 11/05/09 03:29 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   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) Post Extras:       Uwe Pilz scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 05/16/08 Loc: Leipzig, Germany Re: Easel or Flat? *DELETED* [Re: markseibold]       #3430490 - 11/05/09 07:16 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Post deleted by Uwe Pilz Post Extras:       Jef De Wit Carpal Tunnel Reged: 03/06/09 Loc: Hove, Belgium Re: Easel or Flat? [Re: Uwe Pilz]       #3430569 - 11/05/09 08:29 AM Attachment (48 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   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. Post Extras:       Jeff Young Post Laureate Reged: 08/04/05 Loc: Ireland Re: Easel or Flat? [Re: Jef De Wit]       #3430609 - 11/05/09 09:06 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Clipboard on my lap. -- Jeff. Post Extras:       cildarith Carpal Tunnel Reged: 08/26/04 Loc: San Diego, CA Re: Easel or Flat? [Re: Jeff Young]       #3430677 - 11/05/09 09:43 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Clipboard on lap... Post Extras:       kraterkid Post Laureate Reged: 03/07/05 Loc: Jacumba, California Re: Easel or Flat? [Re: cildarith]       #3430717 - 11/05/09 10:03 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   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! Post Extras:       markseibold Carpal Tunnel Reged: 01/19/08 Loc: Portland Oregon Re: Easel or Flat? [Re: Uwe Pilz]       #3432314 - 11/06/09 04:24 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   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 Post Extras:       GW Clark journeyman Reged: 10/14/09 Re: Easel or Flat? [Re: markseibold]       #3432679 - 11/06/09 11:09 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   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 Post Extras:       Shannon s sage Reged: 06/21/09 Loc: Bartow FL. Re: Easel or Flat? [Re: GW Clark]       #3433275 - 11/06/09 04:35 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   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. Post Extras:       JayinUT I'm not Sleepy Reged: 09/19/08 Re: Easel or Flat? [Re: Shannon s]       #3433431 - 11/06/09 06:09 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   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. Edited by JayinUT (11/06/09 06:10 PM) Post Extras:       JayKSC Carpal Tunnel Reged: 01/01/05 Loc: Florida Re: Easel or Flat? [Re: GW Clark]       #3433869 - 11/06/09 10:21 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   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 Post Extras:       Fraxture super member Reged: 07/09/09 Loc: Central Ohio Re: Easel or Flat? [Re: JayKSC]       #3440838 - 11/10/09 07:27 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   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. Post Extras:       phxbird sage Reged: 12/24/07 Loc: New Mexico, USA Re: Easel or Flat? [Re: Fraxture]       #3456113 - 11/18/09 11:34 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Sketchbook or clipboard! Post Extras:       Pages: 1 Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Extra information 3 registered and 9 anonymous users are browsing this forum. 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