kraterkid
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 4709
Loc: Jacumba, California
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Hi folks,
I'm going to try to introduce a easy method to learn to draw craters without using photographs or even a telescope by creating modelling clay craters.
First start off with a ball of modelling clay about 2" in diameter. You can purchase modelling clay at most arts and crafts stores, and if you can find a gray clay buy that.
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Rich
My CN Gallery
Edited by kraterkid (09/17/05 08:48 PM)
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kraterkid
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 4709
Loc: Jacumba, California
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Next flatten the clay out till it's about 1/2" thick. Notice that the clay is sitting on a piece of card board. It is really helpful to press your clay patty firmly against the board so that it will adhere to it even when placed on a wall, that way it allows you to sketch the craters from a more comfortable sitting position.
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Rich
My CN Gallery
Edited by kraterkid (09/17/05 08:24 PM)
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kraterkid
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 4709
Loc: Jacumba, California
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Using a plastic bottle cap make a circular indentation in the clay.
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Rich
My CN Gallery
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kraterkid
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 4709
Loc: Jacumba, California
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Following the edges of the circular impression, use your thumb and forefinger to pinch up a rim for your crater.
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Rich
My CN Gallery
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kraterkid
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 4709
Loc: Jacumba, California
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This what it will look like when the rim is complete:
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Rich
My CN Gallery
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kraterkid
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 4709
Loc: Jacumba, California
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Now use your thumb and forefinger to pinch up a central peak.
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Rich
My CN Gallery
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kraterkid
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 4709
Loc: Jacumba, California
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Here's what it looks like now:
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Rich
My CN Gallery
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kraterkid
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 4709
Loc: Jacumba, California
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Next we'll add a small crater off to one side of the big one near the center of the clay patty. I used the rounded end of an artbrush but pencil erasers work just fine as well.
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Rich
My CN Gallery
Edited by kraterkid (09/17/05 08:07 PM)
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kraterkid
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 4709
Loc: Jacumba, California
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Next we'll add another small crater like so:
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Rich
My CN Gallery
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kraterkid
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 4709
Loc: Jacumba, California
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Using the sharp end of a pencil drag it through the clay to create a sinuous rille.
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Rich
My CN Gallery
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kraterkid
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 4709
Loc: Jacumba, California
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We'll add one more small crater, this time by pressing a pencil eraser in to the clay.
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Rich
My CN Gallery
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kraterkid
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 4709
Loc: Jacumba, California
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These are the final results of our arduous 5 minutes of preparation:
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Rich
My CN Gallery
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kraterkid
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 4709
Loc: Jacumba, California
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Here is an example of how you may want to light your model. Note that the desklamp is pointed where its light will strike the surface of the model at an almost tangental angle. This will give you dramatic light and shadows, similar to what you might expect to find near the Moons' terminator.
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Rich
My CN Gallery
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kraterkid
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 4709
Loc: Jacumba, California
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When you are sketching of course, draw the shades and darken the room (the lamp will be your only light source). This is what you'll see:
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Rich
My CN Gallery
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kraterkid
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 4709
Loc: Jacumba, California
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By changing the angle of the light, you can see subtle changes in the way the light and shadows fall upon these forms. Here I've lifted the board a bit by sliding my artbrush under one side of the card, simulating the setting rays of sunlight on a waning Moon:
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Rich
My CN Gallery
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kraterkid
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 4709
Loc: Jacumba, California
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Ok, this is the setup I used to sketch this model:
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Rich
My CN Gallery
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kraterkid
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 4709
Loc: Jacumba, California
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I spent 15 minutes drawing and this is my final compressed charcoal and carbon pencil sketch. It's that easy!
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Rich
My CN Gallery
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Tim2723
The Moon Guy
Reged: 02/19/04
Posts: 5762
Loc: Northern New Jersey
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Rich, that's the coolest thing I've seen on CN in a long time! That's probably even better than practicing from photos.
Have you ever seen the lunar sculptures by Nasmyth and Carpenter? They did theirs from plaster and photographed them.
If this catches on, we'll have to start a sculpture forum!
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Intes MK-66 Deluxe (6" f/12 Maksutov)
Celestron C-102HD (4" f/10 achromat)
Celestron C-102AZ (4" f/5 achromat)
Orion 6LT (6" f/8 classic Newtonian)
Orion Apex 90 (90mm Mak spotter/grab-n-go/little fun scope)
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Sol Robbins
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/01/03
Posts: 1985
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Hi Rich,
!DITTO!
Best,
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S.R.
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kraterkid
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 4709
Loc: Jacumba, California
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Thank you guys!
I was wondering when I posted this whether it had already been discussed at CN. It was something I had started doing as a kid (wait...was I ever a kid?  ) during the Apollo missions. Back then Mom used to make me homemade clay and tell me to "go make the Moon". I now see her motives, besides spurring my artistic tendencies, were to give her a break from my constant yammering about Apollo, Luna and her human guests! It was about three years later when I had ground and figured my first (and last) telescope mirror, that I really became interested in sketching at the eyepiece. My first attempt at lunar sketching was a bearly recognizable pencil sketch of the crater Copernicus. Mom, Dad and my brothers and sisters thought it was great though, and that was enough to keep me at it. During the long and sometimes boring days of summer vacation, I would make and sketch modelling clay lunar sculptures and contentedly sketch my faux versions. At night you would find me in my tin roofed, fold down observatory, happily sketching the prominent craters. Eventually, I learned to render them fairly well.
Sol, you might be interested to know that my sketches of Mars during the opposition of 1971 presented at the Greater San Diego Science Fair allowed me to meet a Nasa Engineer, Gene Ball, who worked at JPL. They really liked my sketches, showing me comparison images of the features I drew and explaining how dust storms or clouds were obscuring areas where I showed little detail. I received the Nasa Award which included an autographed copy of "The Mariner 6 and 7 Pictures of Mars" which I will always cherish.
Thanks again,
Rich 
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Rich
My CN Gallery
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