rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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There are a lot of ‘observers who sketch’ around here. But not everyone feels comfortable with posting their sketches. As if there is (but there is NONE) an entry level of ‘quality’ to comply with. I believe that every sketch is worth looking at.
I would like to invite everyone (yes, from newbie to veteran) to post their very first sketch in this thread.
Just remember:
The sketch is a visual record of your observation. It does not need to look like a piece of art in the first place. The sketch will assist your observing notes. An image says more than thousand words.
The sketch will force you to slow down and to observe more intensely and it will improve your observing skills. With your improved vision, you will be able to use your scope and your backyard sky to its maximum performance.
With every new sketch, you’ll gain experience as an observer and as a sketcher.
The sketch remains a nice souvenir of a past observing session. Looking at the sketch will bring back many memories of that particular night.
The sketch is of great value to all who wish to observe the drawn object. The sketch is a nice representation of what an observer might expect to see with his own scope.
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As proof of the fact that we all started as novice observers with little or no drawing skills, here is my first attempt. We go back in time: august of 2001. And yes, these sketches still bring back memories of those times. (Boy, do I sound old)
So please, don't be shy, and share your first sketch. 
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
Edited by rodelaet (09/26/08 08:47 AM)
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frank5817
Post Laureate
Reged: 06/13/06
Posts: 4082
Loc: Illinois
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Rony,
Wow, You really are old. I need to find mine and post it here.
Frank 
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my gallery
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frank5817
Post Laureate
Reged: 06/13/06
Posts: 4082
Loc: Illinois
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Hey Rony,
This was a early sketch I did from the 1960's that I at least labelled. I used an Edmund's 4.25 inch f/10 reflector
and a barlowed 12 mm. Ramsden eyepiece. I never intended anyone else to see sketches I did at this time, so from 1959 to 1967 all my sketches were about this quality but I was happy with them.
Frank
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my gallery
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Hey Frank,
1964? 1964? I was'nt even born then! 
Thank you for the sketch! 
Edited by rodelaet (09/23/08 02:09 PM)
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perfessor
sage
Reged: 12/30/07
Posts: 499
Loc: Northern Illinois
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This is not my first; my mirrors spent about ten years in storage, and I finally rebuilt the scope three years ago.
This sketch is undated, but it is from an early session with the scope. I believe the upper view is a starfield; Jupiter with a tentatively-identified transit below.
Gaaah! I'm embarrassed. Please don't ask me to root out any high-school poetry.
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Tom
"Don't always know what I'm talkin about"
8" f/7
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frank5817
Post Laureate
Reged: 06/13/06
Posts: 4082
Loc: Illinois
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Tom,
The Jupiter sketch is good. I have some like that and the other sketch looks like a close double star.
Frank
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my gallery
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frank5817
Post Laureate
Reged: 06/13/06
Posts: 4082
Loc: Illinois
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Rony,
I'll bet I still wear shoes as old as you. I can almost remember tablet scratching in the days before bark paper. 
Frank
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my gallery
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WadeVC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 2831
Loc: Lodi, California,
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Quote:
so from 1959 to 1967 all my sketches
Didn't they refer to paper as Papyrus back then?  
As others have noted, it is fun to track your progress through the years to see how skills and techniques improve. As Rony noted, even though these are early examples, the memories they bring back are always fun and rewarding.
I have included one of my very first sketches I ever attempted at the EP. As noted, this sketch is of the Pleiades. This was made with one of my very first scopes, a 70mm refractor (the same one I learned to star hop with).
When I look at this sketch, I remember the extremely cold winter night after a day of rain, and me at my telescope in the mud and muck of the dinky backyard we had at the time. I was cold, my feet were wet, my telescope had a wobbly tripod and the EP's were quite atrocious.
I knew nothing about representing an EP view of sketching, not of even using a red or extremely low wattage light to draw by. I remember using a standard flashlight, having to allow my eyes to get accustomed to the dark whenever I turned the light on to draw for a few moments, and then turning it off to peer back through the EP.
This was well before I had ever heard of the CN Sketching forums. Up until this time I had only dabbled with a few (a dozen or so) sketches. But when I found this forum and saw some of the sketches by Jeremey and others, I was inspired to pick it up again and, with the early encouragement of others here, learned to improve my techniques over time.
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A wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountain top.
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Tom,
Thank you for joining in.
That is a very fine 'early' sketch. 
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Quote:
Rony,
I'll bet I still wear shoes as old as you. I can almost remember tablet scratching in the days before bark paper.
Frank
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Wade,
Great report, and indeed, it brings back memories.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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Kris.
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/16/04
Posts: 1275
Loc: Belgium
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i'll join in with my first ever 2 sketches. they bring back memories of a wobbly plastic 60mm Tasco toy refractor on an icy and snowy evening on 3 january 2002.
pushing the scope to insane magnifications with the included 'eyepieces' clearly showed jupiter's oblate-spheroid shape, and the great red spot was unusually big that year 
it was one of those crystal clear winternights...
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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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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Kris,
I love it : the first sketches with a simple scope!
I bet it was an impressive sight, and you wanted to make a record of it.
And today, it still does bring back that particular moment.
Thank you for sharing.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
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darkstar528
Postmaster
Reged: 03/06/07
Posts: 6764
Loc: Hodgenville, Kentucky, USA
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This is embarrassing, but here goes...
And from today...
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Blue skies,
Stephen "Darkstar" Ames
PST(#96038), VIXEN 8-24mm,CEMAX 2x Barlow, Thousand Oaks White Light Filter and a Meade Elec EP
CFI, CFII, MEI, working on EIEIO!
BAA Member
My solar site:
http://seemysunspot.com
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WadeVC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 2831
Loc: Lodi, California,
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Hey, this is a great thread!
Hopefully it will serve two purposes:
1. Just a plain old "blast from the past" for many of us.
2. To show those just beginning in this fun and relaxing hobby that everyone starts somewhere.
I vote that this thread be posted as a sticky at the top of the forums.
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Orion XTi10 f/4.7
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A wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountain top.
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Hi Stephen,
Thank you for joining in.
The embarrasment (of which many posters write) is only generated in your own mind. We, as the 'audience', don't share that feeling at all. We see a very nice and detailed solar sketch.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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Aaron
sage
Reged: 08/28/06
Posts: 299
Loc: Eugene OR
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My first sketches from the Oregon Star Party, which are my fist 'quick and dirty' sketches, where I drew each object for confirmation on an observing list and didn't want to waste too much super-dark-sky time.
Though, being an artist already, I decided to jump right into it and draw the moon as my very first object: (as evident from my lack of a FOV-circle done 6 months prior)
Full Size Piccolomini Crater Sketch
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12" Lightbridge
Telrad, StellarVue F50
7mm Nagler I, 10.5mm XL, 17mm Stratus, 35mm Stratus
TV 2x Big Barlow
Lumicon UHC
My Sketches and Photos
Eugene OR
Eagle's Rest OR
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Carol L
Reged: 07/05/04
Posts: 6034
Loc: Tomahawk, WI 45N//89W
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Interesting thread idea, Rony.
Ok here's my first one, and a later version.
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Authoring the monthly AstroSketch page in "Sky at Night" magazine
Lunar Sketch Tutorial
CN Gallery
Photo Gallery
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WadeVC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 2831
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Carol,
Man-o-man have I missed seeing your Lunar sketches here on the forums. Absolutely superb!
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Carol L
Reged: 07/05/04
Posts: 6034
Loc: Tomahawk, WI 45N//89W
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Thank you, Wade. 
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Authoring the monthly AstroSketch page in "Sky at Night" magazine
Lunar Sketch Tutorial
CN Gallery
Photo Gallery
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Jeff Young
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/04/05
Posts: 4111
Loc: Ireland
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While I was alive in 1964 (well, for part of it, anyway), my first sketch isn't nearly that old. But, here it is:
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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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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Aaron,
Thank you for sharing those sketches!
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Hello Carol!
That's so nice to see you again.
Thank you for your support and sketches.
I'm impressed with the comparison of the two craters.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Jeff,
How nice! You managed to put some very fine details to paper in that first sketch.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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desertstars
Please stand by...
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 34540
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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I only wish I could post my first sketches. Unfortunately, the notebooks containing these (and a great deal else, sad to say) are long gone, misplaced when I relocated with my family to Arizona more than 30 years ago.
What I can offer as "firsts" however are the first two sketched made using the Three-legged Newt. These are the first attempts at such records since returning to visual observing after a a hiatus that began soon after the above mentioned relocation.
This one is M29 in Cygnus. I was using a 25mm Sirius Plossl. (40x with a true field of view of 1.3 degrees.) Can you tell I was using a #2 pencil?
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Erix
Toad Lily
Reged: 12/25/04
Posts: 22337
Loc: Ohio, USA
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That's a great sketch, Tom. I instantly knew what it was!
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Erika
Automatic doors make me feel like a Jedi. 
Zhumell 16", 10" LX200 Classic,Orion ED80, ETX70-AT, DS Maxscope 60mm
My CN Gallery * 2007 July - tracking NOAA10963
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desertstars
Please stand by...
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 34540
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Quote:
That's a great sketch, Tom. I instantly knew what it was!
There's more info in the post, now. I was editing as you responded.
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Tom W.
Collinder's Catalog
Jewels in Dark Settings
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desertstars
Please stand by...
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 34540
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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The other one is M92 in Hercules.
Same eyepiece, same pencil, etc.
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Tom W.
Collinder's Catalog
Jewels in Dark Settings
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cildarith
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/26/04
Posts: 2357
Loc: San Diego, CA
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Tom posted a sketch???!!! 
...in other news, a cold front is moving through Hades...
Seriously, it is a very good sketch, and as Erika mentioned, instantly recognizable.
Encore! 
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Eric
6" f/6 Parks Newtonian
10x50 Bushnell Binocs
CN Sketch Gallery||MinDat Mineral Gallery
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desertstars
Please stand by...
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 34540
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Quote:
Tom posted a sketch???!!!
...in other news, a cold front is moving through Hades...
Seriously, it is a very good sketch, and as Erika mentioned, instantly recognizable.
Encore!
It's especially ironic when you consider that I was one of the original moderators of the Sketching forum.
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Tom W.
Collinder's Catalog
Jewels in Dark Settings
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Tom,
Two sketches!! That's just great. 
Makes me wonder, why on earth, haven't I seen more sketches from your hand, Tom????
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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desertstars
Please stand by...
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 34540
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Well, it obviously has nothing to do with shyness, or I'd have posted somnething more recent. (I drew those on 20 August, 2004 - and I've had just a bit of practice since then.) All that held me back was the lack of a functional scanner. That's been fixed, and all my sketches to date have been scanned. Over time, you will see more. 
These two will do for the moment, being on topic for the thread.
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Tom W.
Collinder's Catalog
Jewels in Dark Settings
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frank5817
Post Laureate
Reged: 06/13/06
Posts: 4082
Loc: Illinois
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I was not embarrased until I saw some of the very nice sketches posted here. 
Frank
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my gallery
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Jeremy Perez
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 1930
Loc: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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Tom (W), what a pleasure it is to see your sketches for the first time--and your first sketches at that! Rony, thanks for posting the topic. It's great to see those first sketches Rony, Frank, Tom (perfessor), Wade, Kris, Stephan, Aaron, Carol, and Jeff. One of these days, I may find the old journal I used to make some binocular drawings of Jupiter's moons from 1985-ish.
A few nights after getting my first scope, I started journaling my observations. The first sheet has all sorts of chicken scratch on it, and I can't tell which were diagrams to help me find something, and which were actual sketches of what I saw. Except for these drawings of Neptune and Uranus. They were within an hour or two of being the first.
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Orion SVP 6LT (6" f/8 Newt) || Orion XT8 (8" f/5.9 Dob) || 15x70 Oberwerk Binoculars || Coronado PST
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Erix
Toad Lily
Reged: 12/25/04
Posts: 22337
Loc: Ohio, USA
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Found mind! Talk about a trip down memory lane.
(edit, that should read found "mine". Although you'll all be happy that I seem to remember where I put my mind, so I'll grab it here shortly.) 
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Erika
Automatic doors make me feel like a Jedi.
Zhumell 16", 10" LX200 Classic,Orion ED80, ETX70-AT, DS Maxscope 60mm
My CN Gallery * 2007 July - tracking NOAA10963
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Aldebaran
super member
Reged: 09/30/06
Posts: 105
Loc: Turku, Finland
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Hello again! Some months have passed by since my latest post here. But now new observing season has began also in Finland, and I would be happy to contribute one of my first sketches here (Not actually the very first one, but one of the earliest anyway).
Sketch information:
Object: Messier 42
Date: 5/6.9.1999
Instrument: Newton 4''
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Juha
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Instruments:
10'' Newton
3'' Lens (RFT)
7x18 Binos
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http://juhansivut.pp.fi/Deepsky (my deep sky pages)
Taivaanpallo (my amateur astronomy blog in finnish)
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Jeremy,
Thank you for sharing these sketches.
It reminds me of my own notes that I used to make.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Erika,
Thank you for looking up that early sketch.
That Saturn sketch does look very good. I couldn't have drawn those rings any better.
It shows that you were a carefull observer from the beginning.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Juha,
Thank you for sharing one of your first sketches!
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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WadeVC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 2831
Loc: Lodi, California,
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I think we ALL need to thank Rony for coming up with this great idea for a thread!
This is a great thread that us sketchers can really appreciate. Not only do we get to share and see first hand how our own sketches/sketching techniques have changed or improved, it is also a great way for those just beginning to sketch to possibly feel less intimidated about posting their first attempts.
Well done Rony!
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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
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A wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountain top.
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Kris.
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/16/04
Posts: 1275
Loc: Belgium
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Quote:
I think we ALL need to thank Rony for coming up with this great idea for a thread!
This is a great thread that us sketchers can really appreciate. Not only do we get to share and see first hand how our own sketches/sketching techniques have changed or improved, it is also a great way for those just beginning to sketch to possibly feel less intimidated about posting their first attempts.
Well done Rony!
i'll second that, very good idea indeed!
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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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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Wade,
No need to thank me. Anyone could have come up with this.
It's the message that counts, not the messenger.
I'm convinced that we all once were kids who enjoyed drawing, even before we could write. It's a pitty that most of us forgot how much fun that was. 
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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Ragaisis
super member
Reged: 05/16/08
Posts: 182
Loc: Milwaukee, WI
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Here's my first real attempt at sketching. I've done one double star sketch before, but that's it. I've never been able to draw anything, and all my training has come from reading the tutorials here an online. I didn't reverse the image, so the sketch is how I saw it in the eyepiece.
In any case, I'd be glad for pointers. I _want_ to get better...
Chris
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Televue TV85 APO on a Half-Hitch alt-az mount
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perfessor
sage
Reged: 12/30/07
Posts: 499
Loc: Northern Illinois
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Chris, that's a very nice sketch and you have identified both the allure and difficulty in sketching the moon: there's so darn much of it! It's my favorite target.
My advice, such as it is, is to focus in on one small area - one crater plus a small surrounding area. Otherwise, you get dragged all over the map. Not that there's anything wrong with that - just hard to sketch it all.
Keep at it, and show us your work!
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Tom
"Don't always know what I'm talkin about"
8" f/7
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Chris,
Thank you for posting your first sketch.
If there is a pointer that I would like to mention, it's this: I believe that you have drawn from what your mind told you : craters. And you've drawn circles. You should ingore your brain and focus on what your eyes show : lights and shadows. Try to make abstraction from the features that you see. Behave like a camera, don't think, don't 'draw' conclusions. Loose the craters and focus on the lights and the shadows.If you draw on white paper, focus on the dark features : the shadows. Once you have drawn these shadows, your brain will translate it into : craters.
With the tutorials, you should have a good start.
I'm affraid that there is no quick magical formula available.
I do know that with every sketch, you build up more experience. Maybe you'll feel more comfortable with practicing indoors. Training is good. Even dry training at the kitchen table. So what you can do, is draw from some pictures of the moon, or from DSO objects. These drawings will help you to control the pencil and the eye-brain-hand process. It may sound stupid, but chances are that you'll make lots of errors. And you will learn a lot from these errors. It's like bicycling. The first times, you have to concentrate very hard. But later, it becomes a subconscious process, and you can concentrate better on observing.
And you'll be better prepared for the field sketch.
There are a lot of helpfull people over here. So if you have any particular question, we'll try to answer it.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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Edited by rodelaet (10/12/08 06:15 AM)
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Ragaisis
super member
Reged: 05/16/08
Posts: 182
Loc: Milwaukee, WI
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Rony and Tom - thanks for the advice. My next moon sketch (maybe tonight if the weather permits) I'm just going to focus on a single crater and a bit of the surrounding area. Let's see if that helps. And I'll focus on drawing the shadows first and seeing what comes from that.
Thanks!
Chris
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Televue TV85 APO on a Half-Hitch alt-az mount
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Chris,
I really do look forward to your next sketch.
And tell us how it went.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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KI4YUN
sage
Reged: 04/21/08
Posts: 490
Loc: Satsuma, Florida, USA
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My first sketch was of Saturn in June or July when I got my first telescope. The only difference in my sketching is that I use oil and chalk pastels. *I am still the little kid with the crayons except with "grown up" crayons now * I will scan it and post it here in a few minutes.
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-Tristan
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KI4YUN
sage
Reged: 04/21/08
Posts: 490
Loc: Satsuma, Florida, USA
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This was my first sketch ever. I plan on doing more when I get my refractor finished as it will be more comfortable viewing than with my EQ mounted reflector. Well without further adeu wallaah 
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-Tristan
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Hi Tristan,
Welcome to the forum!
Thank you for sharing your first sketch, and in full color!!
I believe you did a very nice job with that sketch.
Your planet seems to shine brightly in that sketch.
The colors are very nice as well.
Like you say : keep that kid in you drawing.
Looking forward to more sketches from your hand.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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KI4YUN
sage
Reged: 04/21/08
Posts: 490
Loc: Satsuma, Florida, USA
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Thanks for the compliment. I like pastels with the blending and all that I can do with them. I might try some pencil sketches sometime as well.
Maybe in a week or two I will post some more sketches up after I get my objective from surplus shed.
Edited by KI4YUN (10/12/08 06:15 PM)
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WadeVC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 2831
Loc: Lodi, California,
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Chris,
I think that a good sketch...easily recognizable and nice use of shading. Well done!
Tristan,
Hey...I like that Saturn sketch. The ringed planet is always a favorite!
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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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Demelza
super member
Reged: 05/07/06
Posts: 184
Loc: The Netherlands
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My first sketch is made on February 2, last year. It's one frome the Orion Nebula through my 7cm refractor.
Nice topic by the way!
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Take a look at my website: Observing the night sky.
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Demelza,
I'm glad that you added your first sketch.
When I compare it with the sketches (M42 in particular) from your webpage, I'm amazed with the progress that you made in one year.
Keep up the good work!
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
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BooBoo
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/21/06
Posts: 1309
Loc: Lancaster, California, USA
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If ever there would have been a time to start sketching it was last night as Io's shadow passed just above Jupiter's GRS. Alas, sketching really is not among my talents.
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BooBoo
aka Barry
"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
Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian
 Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles, CA
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almaach
journeyman
Reged: 11/05/08
Posts: 6
Loc: Barcelona (Spain)
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Hello,
It’s a great post to encourage everybody to start their owns sketches
I’m embarrased, but I hope this help to the beginners. Here is my first scketch. It was M67 on March 2007. I attach my last version as well:
The second one was Saturn...
I’m sorry
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Celestron Nexstar 5i
Celestron Skymaster 15x70
My Gallery
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Erix
Toad Lily
Reged: 12/25/04
Posts: 22337
Loc: Ohio, USA
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Almaach, that's a superb comparison.
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Erika
Automatic doors make me feel like a Jedi.
Zhumell 16", 10" LX200 Classic,Orion ED80, ETX70-AT, DS Maxscope 60mm
My CN Gallery * 2007 July - tracking NOAA10963
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WadeVC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 2831
Loc: Lodi, California,
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Almaach,
Nothing to be embarrassed about in the least. I think one of the greatest aspects of this thread is to share with and show others our first sketches; and to show, visually, that all of us started somewhere.
For myself (and many others here as well); it isn't the finished product that we enjoy per se, but more so just seeing and sharing in the excitement of others as they attempt their own EP sketches of the wonders of the night-sky.
Thanks for sharing your first sketch with others here.
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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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Dee
professor emeritus
Reged: 03/12/06
Posts: 738
Loc: Ireland
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I have always had an interest in the beauty of the night sky. I have sketched and painted for as long as I can remember.
For whatever reason these two passions remained separate until 2005. That was the year these two huge loves in my life came together and exploded. I was encouraged by a friend who sketched astronomical objects , so I began with the moon.
Moon phase sketches December 6th ,10th 12th 2005
Pencil EXT 70 12mm eyepiece,29X
At least this telescope had tracking, it was the only thing I liked about it. I started my lunar adventure with this small scope until I bought an 8 inch dob with no tracking , the larger views more than made up for the lack of tracking.
Dee
Edited by Dee (11/09/08 11:00 AM)
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Dee
professor emeritus
Reged: 03/12/06
Posts: 738
Loc: Ireland
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My interest in lunar sketching developed further when I decided to use pastels and conte to do my drawings. Here is a full phase sketch from earlier this year.
January 28th 2008 Waning Gibbous Moon
Lunation 19.60 days 01:35 - 03:42
Pastels and conte on black paper
8 inch dob/ FL 1,200mm/25mm eyepiece /48X
I enjoy full phase sketching
Dee
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frank5817
Post Laureate
Reged: 06/13/06
Posts: 4082
Loc: Illinois
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Dee,
Even your first sketches are wonderful. The moon from early in this year looks like it is made of moon crust. Great Stuff!
Frank
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my gallery
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Special Ed
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/18/03
Posts: 4276
Loc: Greenbrier Co., WV 38N, 80W
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Great topic and very useful and interesting for all of us--thanks, Rony! This thread demonstrates what a great place the Web is for learning (more on that later).
I didn't sketch my observations until the year 2000 when it dawned on me that it would improve my observing skills (still the best reason to sketch, imo). Very rudimentary at first, my interest in sketching really took off during the 2003 Mars apparition when I met veteran observers Carlos Hernandez and Jeff Beish via the Internet over on Astromart. They were posting sketches and discussing their Mars observations and were quite welcoming to novices like me. Sol Robbins was also posting on AM and it was clear that he was going to be Rookie of the Year. I thought what they were doing was very cool and I wanted to do it too.
Because of web discussions there and then later here on CN, I learned about using templates, blending stumps, paper, web presentation, and a host of other media and techniques. My learning continues everytime I log on. I've also made some lasting friendships and had some great times sharing sketches, observations, ideas, and anecdotes.
So here are my first sketches. Check out the Mars sketch--I'll post my most recent Mars observation as a comparison.
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Michael Rosolina
8" f/10 Orange Tube SCT
4.25" f/4.2 Astroscan Reflector
SVP 3.6" f/13.6 CA Reflector
40mm PST f/10
APM Germany HD 15x70 binoculars
Canon 12x36 IS II binoculars
Mark I Eyeball
My CN Gallery
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Special Ed
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/18/03
Posts: 4276
Loc: Greenbrier Co., WV 38N, 80W
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From early 2008
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Michael Rosolina
8" f/10 Orange Tube SCT
4.25" f/4.2 Astroscan Reflector
SVP 3.6" f/13.6 CA Reflector
40mm PST f/10
APM Germany HD 15x70 binoculars
Canon 12x36 IS II binoculars
Mark I Eyeball
My CN Gallery
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markseibold
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/19/08
Posts: 1080
Loc: Portland Oregon
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Dee
Beautiful! You have used a sense of brevity in capturing the important features, leaving out the scattering of thousands of minor craters in the central area. The sign of a great artist! I like the three dimensional effect as you seemed to utilize illumination and 'angle of incidence of light' very well. Unlike me, I try to include every detail in my whole moon sketches and thus tend to overwork my sketch at times.
I am not sure what Rony meant by our very first sketch but it is a great idea as a post to be learned from as we share our early attempts; possibly a good tutorial here for amateurs to glean from. Your lunar art here reminds me of some of the attempts that I have made in the past few months as my first for the whole moon category. I guess I could post one here as a first lunar sketch but I made a rough one a couple years ago before I knew of the CN site (it can be seen in my latter gallery pages joined to a Saturn sketch and the artists hand in the sketch- link below.) Yours also reminds me of the quality in the full image renderings that Rich Handy is known for. I started exclusively with the solar surface through an h-alpha filtered telescope in October 2006 after seeing Erika Rix and Les Cowley’s sketch work in Spaceweather.com and just recently discovered the moon as an art form. There are just so many more surface details to render from the moon that I am stuck on it now.
I guess I have missed your posts and your gallery. I'll have to take a look. I am still one who has never used Conte yet as I have favored only dry pastel chalks. The blending on your lunar sketch here is great. I would look forward to hearing something about your technique and methods with Conte. (Is this Conte Crayon? I accidentally used it on my last entry, then did not know how to blend it as I do with dry pastel chalk.) Also, can you indicate the paper format type and size and the lunar disc diameter?
Thanks for sharing this,
Mark
my gallery >
http://www.cloudynights.com/photopost/showgallery.php?ppuser=37924&cat=500
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Hi Almach,
Thank you for your participation with your first sketch!
And an excellent last sketch as well.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Hi Dee!
Thank you so much for your story and these wonderful sketches!
I guess that a small tutorial on your last sketch will interest all of us.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Michael,
Nice story!
Thank you for going back in time and sharing your first sketches.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
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Douner
newbie
Reged: 02/10/07
Posts: 3
Loc: Korea
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This is my first sketch and record.
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Hi Kim, and Welcome to the forum.
In case your sketch does not show up properly, I have included it in this reply.
Am I right that it is the central region of the Orion nebula?
It is a great first sketch.
Can you tell us when was it made, and what your equipment is?
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
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Steven Dennis
member
Reged: 11/14/08
Posts: 27
Loc: Abita Springs, LA
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My first sketches made just last night:
And here is NGC 205 after I digitized it:
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10" f/5 Hardin Dobsonian
32mm Q70
17mm Hyperion
13mm Stratus (For Sale)
8mm Hyperion
6mm TMB Planetary
Shorty 2x Barlow
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Hello Steven,
Welcome to the forum!
Thank you for sharing these first sketches of yours. Looks like you had a wonderful observing session.
I would say that you made a very good start and I hope to see more sketches from your hand.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
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markseibold
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/19/08
Posts: 1080
Loc: Portland Oregon
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Rony
I wish I could find my [very first] as that would probably be from about 1970 as a 16 year old as I observed Mars on a close approach year through my first telescope; a Tasco 60mm refractor, and was able to see some surface markings and the south polar cap. I did it in color on school notebook paper. That sketch is possibly in storage somewhere as I moved recently.
If you mean my very first that is from adult life and it was published no less to Spaceweather.com's front page for several days which then started a sketching contest in the site on my suggestion to NASA's Dr. Tony Phillips. Yes there is a full circle story to this. I was inspired to do it when I saw Erika's and Les Cowley's black and white solar sketches in Spaceweather that afternoon. I remade mine in color pastels later that night from memory from an earlier pencil sketch and live observation through my solar telescope which I have never posted- It is a two image sketch as the solar prominence changed over 20 minutes, so this is an exclusive to your posted thread here today. Something I have never posted or shared as yet.
Following the pencil sketch is the famed wild pastel abstract that stunned the world in Spaceweather, which I did on a scrap of old wrinkled 11" X 14" black pastel paper. It stunned the world, weaned on mostly digital photos in Spaceweather before this work. A few days later another of my surreal pastels apeared in APOD- I have received many unusual responses to that one; The Hand Drawn Transit of Mercury on Nov 8 2006- APOD ran it on Nov 17 2006- This version also has attached, the several photo images I took of the sun over some months; the second from left is the event that I sketched- The prominence at 9 o'clock position -Mark
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Mark,
Thank you for your kind support on this threat! Your 'field sketch' is a great example of how to record fast changing features with pencils, and how a field sketch can be turned into a beautiful pastel sketch.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
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Roel
sage
Reged: 04/22/07
Posts: 209
Loc: Deventer, The Netherlands
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My first one, almost exactly 2 years ago:
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Roel
sage
Reged: 04/22/07
Posts: 209
Loc: Deventer, The Netherlands
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And my most recent one (a few days ago):
Edited by Roel (12/15/08 06:00 AM)
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Hi Roel,
Thank you for the sketches!
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
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RobK
member
Reged: 07/06/08
Posts: 77
Loc: Bright, Vic, Australia
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This was my first sketch (other than a few almost-blank solar discs), and shows Barnard's Galaxy through a 4.5" f8 reflector & 21mm EP.
The sketch was obviously done so long ago that it was before dates were invented, and the reference to "Starry Night" probably dates it to before light pollution existed. Nah, actually some time last year...
Cheers -
Rob
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Rob, -36.7,+147.0
Caveman Astrophotography
http://scp3.org/blogs/blog4.php
http://robsastropics.googlepages.com/robsastropics
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Nice first sketch and a very fine object as well, Rob!
Makes me wonder how dark your skies are?
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
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RobK
member
Reged: 07/06/08
Posts: 77
Loc: Bright, Vic, Australia
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Quote:
Nice first sketch and a very fine object as well, Rob!
Makes me wonder how dark your skies are?
Thanks Rony! I live on the edge of a small town in rural Victoria, and apart from a modest 'light bubble' in the SW I have good dark skies, often mag 6+. Barnard's Galaxy is a large, very LSB object and not something you'd normally chase with a 4.5" reflector. It took a lot of teasing out, hence I thought that I should record my observation with a sketch (rough as it is, LOL!).
Cheers -
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Rob, -36.7,+147.0
Caveman Astrophotography
http://scp3.org/blogs/blog4.php
http://robsastropics.googlepages.com/robsastropics
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Gandalf223
sage
Reged: 11/04/07
Posts: 364
Loc: Willamette Valley, Oregon
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There's no way I can show my "very first" sketch; that was made over 40 years ago when I was a teenager. I'm sure it no longer exists.
Here's the first one I've made since the late 1960's, though.
Be gentle...
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"Comets are formed by the ascending from earth of human sins and wickedness, formed into a kind of gas and ignited by the anger of God. This poisonous stuff falls down again on people's heads, and causes all kinds of mischief, such as pestilence, Frenchmen, sudden death and bad weather." Tycho Brahe
Keizer, Oregon
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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It certainly is a sketch to be proud of, Alan!
I would say that it was made with a keen eye and a steady hand.
Thank you for sharing it over here.
Have you been sketching a lot since the '60's, Alan?
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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Gandalf223
sage
Reged: 11/04/07
Posts: 364
Loc: Willamette Valley, Oregon
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Quote:
Have you been sketching a lot since the '60's, Alan?
Thanks for the kind remark! No, I've not been sketching at all since the '60's. I sort of lost track of astronomy for about 40 years, between work, kids and other hobbies. The past couple of years somehow saw my interest renewed, so now you all get to put up with me.
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"Comets are formed by the ascending from earth of human sins and wickedness, formed into a kind of gas and ignited by the anger of God. This poisonous stuff falls down again on people's heads, and causes all kinds of mischief, such as pestilence, Frenchmen, sudden death and bad weather." Tycho Brahe
Keizer, Oregon
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Quote:
The past couple of years somehow saw my interest renewed, so now you all get to put up with me.
Welcome back, Alan.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
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markseibold
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/19/08
Posts: 1080
Loc: Portland Oregon
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Quote:
There's no way I can show my "very first" sketch; that was made over 40 years ago when I was a teenager. I'm sure it no longer exists.
Here's the first one I've made since the late 1960's, though.
Be gentle...
Quote:
Alan
Nice sketch of M1, the Crab Nebula. You have a similar story to mine about your early sketches as a teen forty years ago.
I think you are the first from my locale in Portland Oregon to respond here in the CN forums. Are you a Rose City Astronomy club member? Out of nearly a thousand club members, I remember only a few there who sketched. I'll look forward to seeing that you might pick up sketching again.
Mark
My CN Gallery
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Gandalf223
sage
Reged: 11/04/07
Posts: 364
Loc: Willamette Valley, Oregon
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Quote:
Be gentle...
Quote:
Alan
Nice sketch of M1, the Crab Nebula. You have a similar story to mine about your early sketches as a teen forty years ago.
I think you are the first from my locale in Portland Oregon to respond here in the CN forums. Are you a Rose City Astronomy club member? Out of nearly a thousand club members, I remember only a few there who sketched. I'll look forward to seeing that you might pick up sketching again.
Mark
Hi Mark,
Thanks (re: the sketch.)
No, I'm not part of the Rose City Astronomers. I was born in Portland and lived there through 6th grade, when my dad's job took us down the valley. I'm in the Salem area, and loosely affiliate myself with the NightSky45 club, although I have a long standing musical commitment that generally precludes attending NS45 meetings.
Alan
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Tom and Beth
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/08/07
Posts: 929
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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OK, you asked for it
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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A very fine first sketch, Tom!
I hope that you had a good time while sketching?
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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Tom and Beth
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/08/07
Posts: 929
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Yes, very much so. As a matter of fact, my wife commented on a renewed "excitement" in my voice.
There's some Logistical changes I'll have to make, such as dealing with reading glasses and aspects of lighting to deal with, but I found I was concentrating and observing the object more.
There is much to learn here.
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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That's right, the proper tools will make the task much easier. And with every new sketch, you'll gain more experience and enjoy sketching even more.
Keep up the good work, Tom.
We look forward to more sketches from your hand.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
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markseibold
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/19/08
Posts: 1080
Loc: Portland Oregon
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Quote:
Hey Frank,
1964? 1964? I was'nt even born then!
Thank you for the sketch!
I think it is interesting to finally see the ages coming out. When Frank was sketching in 1964, I had just graduated from the forth grade in June, entering 5th grade in September 1964.
I could risk putting up here a recently retrieved sketch that I did in the early 6th grade in 1965. I think I had astronomy on my brain then at age 11 but this was totally imaginary and done from my desk in 6th grade class - I hope I am not too far off topic as this may give the other curious readers in CN the total expanse of my wild surreal mind at the time- Possibly an asteroid? - Mark >
My 11 Year Old Art From 6th Grade
*Note that we had just advanced from papyrus to modern school notebook paper! (;
Edited by markseibold (01/27/09 06:43 AM)
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colinsk
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/17/08
Posts: 2150
Loc: CA
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Here is my first sketch. Sketched today in H-Alpha. It shows details of the chromospheric network over a tilting sun graphic for orientation. If you look closely around the limb there are some small prominences as well.
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Mahalo,
Colin Kaminski
Coulter 10.1" Dobsonian
TV-76/Baader Film White Light
LS60T/DS50/FT/BF1200
LDX-75
AT Voyager
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Hi Colin,
Congratulations with your first sketch.
Your approach is very interesting. I (and I'm sure other people as well) would like to know how you actually make this type of sketches, combined with the tilting sun graphic.
Thank you!
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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colinsk
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/17/08
Posts: 2150
Loc: CA
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The chromospheric detail is quite interesting to me. Each line you see is really a pattern of slightly dark spots. When each of these dots rotates to the limb it is seen as a spicule (a very small spike). It is my opinion that the pattern of the dots is persistent over the course of hours or days even though each spicule averages a lifetime of 8 minutes. I am under the further assumption that the lines represent neutral places between magnetic fields.
I initially just wanted to record the locations of the proms so I printed a Tilting Sun Graphic from Wes Crowley's excellent program for my location, mount and scope. When I got to the EP I decided I would record the chromospheric network so that today I could see how much of it persisted for 24 hours. I used a very sharp #2 pencil as it was all I had out there. Having a softer pencil would have been easier in some ways.
Trying to find the locations of these very low contrast objects was a challenge so I divided the sun in to pieces in my mind by bisecting. So, starting with the northern hemisphere I started with a feature toward the center. Then 1/2 way between there and the limb I added the network. Over the course of an hour there were only a couple of places that I had not added. I focused on them and recorded those places. It was not an exact science and I will surely need more practice to get the details in the right place.
I set the telescope EP in the shade and left the objective in the sun. I was using a Vixen zoom EP and was at 12mm for most of the time (with a 500mm f/l .5A Lunt H-alpha scope). In moments of good seeing I could go to 9mm on the prominences. I found that even though I could see the entire sun in the field that I have a preference for where my eye is comfortable to view. I scanned my alt/az mount so that the area I was focusing on was just east of this field. As the sun would drift by I would start to get dark adapted and the detail would show it's self. This allowed me to find one or perhaps two lines worth of data. I would record it and go through the whole process all over.
Erix work has long facinated me and the only reason I thought to even try a sketch was because of her influence. The Mt Wilson daily sun spot drawings represent a style I think a non-artist like me can emulate. Here is an example here:
ftp://howard.astro.ucla.edu/pub/obs/drawings/2005/dr050914.jpg
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Mahalo,
Colin Kaminski
Coulter 10.1" Dobsonian
TV-76/Baader Film White Light
LS60T/DS50/FT/BF1200
LDX-75
AT Voyager
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Colin,
I'm impressed by your technique for recording these subtle details.
I look forward to more sketches from your hand.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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Erix
Toad Lily
Reged: 12/25/04
Posts: 22337
Loc: Ohio, USA
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Colin, impressive sketch! Well done!
I do a similar sketch with each observation too and like to call them schematic sketches. They aren't close detail work of active regions or proms, but an overall sketch of the Sun to show what's going on.
Quote:
...I would start to get dark adapted and the detail would show it's self.
If you have a chance to try out some black paper with a white pencil or white pen, you might find that you can retain your dark adaption a little better because there won't be a glare on the paper from the Sun to blind you when you add to the sketch. I've pretty much stopped doing any h-alpha on white because of this. It's not so much of a problem with white light sketching.
As you know, prom details change by each moment and even though the changes are slight, I don't have the time to waste for my eyes to adapt again while capturing them. Using white paper can ruin my dark adaption for what feels likes a few minutes and by that time, the prom has changed and I find my myself having to erase or begin again...in other words, playing catch up with the prom.
I'm sure you know that Les has created the graphics in such a way to make the background black if you wanted to give it a try for your sketching. The Tilting Sun has been such a great tool for us and I can't thank Les enough for creating and sharing it with us all.
As for placements, I try to break the Sun down visually into sectors to help me with placement. It's usually easier for me to add the more prominent prominences first and then triangulate the rest of the features I need to add. To do this, I use the magnification that is best for seeing conditions but that also allows me to have the full globe in my FOV.
Do the Lunts have a nice flat field or are there sweet spots? I move my FOV around very slowly, tweaking the etalons in the process, as well as tweaking the magnifications to try to squeeze out as much detail as I can both for surface details and main features on the limb.
Anyway, those are a few of my tricks if they could be of any help. You've done a fantastic job and I'm looking forward to seeing more sketches of my favorite target!
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Erika
Automatic doors make me feel like a Jedi.
Zhumell 16", 10" LX200 Classic,Orion ED80, ETX70-AT, DS Maxscope 60mm
My CN Gallery * 2007 July - tracking NOAA10963
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colinsk
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/17/08
Posts: 2150
Loc: CA
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Thank you Erika. I am very lucky in that my lunt is almost perfectly on band across the entire field of view. I was sketching in a alt/az mount and I could let the sun drift all the way across before adjusting without loss of detail. I left the etalons in one place for the entire session. I will explore tunning them more when I have a more active sun and can really undestand what effect I am changing. I find I can change the surface detail a lot and perhaps not see more just different. I set the etalons for the brightest proms and went from there.
I did find it easier to layout the proms first and then go for the disk so I had a map. I don't think I can print onto black paper but perhaps I could print the graphic onto a piece of onion skin and flip it over the drawing in order to keep my bearings. I played with the colors and have come up with one that does not overwhelp my pencil so much. Perhaps if I use a blanket and a small red flashlight the dark adaption will be easier.
Thank you for your help and inspiration. I will have to keep practicing and see what I get.
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Mahalo,
Colin Kaminski
Coulter 10.1" Dobsonian
TV-76/Baader Film White Light
LS60T/DS50/FT/BF1200
LDX-75
AT Voyager
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Agnotio
sage
Reged: 08/29/08
Posts: 228
Loc: Ottawa, Canada
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Here is a cropped view of my first astro sketch, from last night no less. For details see my thread
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Sky-Watcher Equinox 80ED
EQ6 Pro with EQMOD
Canon 450D
Sky-Watcher 10" f/4.7 Dob
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frank5817
Post Laureate
Reged: 06/13/06
Posts: 4082
Loc: Illinois
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Agnotio,
This is an amazing first sketch.
Frank
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my gallery
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Jef De Wit
super member
Reged: 03/06/09
Posts: 118
Loc: Hove, Belgium
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Dear Rony
Here is my first attempt to make a real sketch. I started 3 years ago observing with a ETX-70. Your beautiful EP-impressions with this fine little scope (Some find it not a real telescope! Shame on them!) inspired me certainly to begin drawing. I really like your sketch of Kemble's Cascade.
The real trigger for starting (four months ago) to sketch was a new telescope (12" dobson) and the purchase of a scanner (inverted it looks so more beautiful). I almost did all the Messiers (still missing M70 and M83) with the ETX-70, so I set a new project. Why not sketching all the Caldwells (visible in Belgium)?
Caldwell 6 was the first. At that moment I didn't knew of a blending stump or a earstick. And scanning was almost a mystery to me. The sketch was made with a 12" dobson at x300 in my backyard. Hope you like it.
ps I'm not sure that the link to my gallerly will work (it's my first post!). - Can anybody explain how you make the link? I try to put the sketch in the mail.
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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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darkstar528
Postmaster
Reged: 03/06/07
Posts: 6764
Loc: Hodgenville, Kentucky, USA
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I haven't checked this thread in a while, this is awesome stuff in here!!!
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Blue skies,
Stephen "Darkstar" Ames
PST(#96038), VIXEN 8-24mm,CEMAX 2x Barlow, Thousand Oaks White Light Filter and a Meade Elec EP
CFI, CFII, MEI, working on EIEIO!
BAA Member
My solar site:
http://seemysunspot.com
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Hello Jef!
Welcome to the forum. I'm glad that you posted your first sketch over here. It's a nice first sketch, and a nice little story about your project.
I look forward to the link to your gallery.
Posting links can look weird at first. When creating a post, you should see the frame with Instant UBB Code, next to the Instant Graemlins. Click on URL and fill in the appearing fields. It works really easy.
I hope to see more of your sketches in the future, Jef.
Clear skies,
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
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Morelli
newbie
Reged: 03/02/09
Posts: 1
Loc: NJ,USA
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Hay, Rony,
I don't know if the images and texts will be right here, this is a test.
http://theuniversalmatrix.com/images/hardwareComp.jpg
http://theuniversalmatrix.com]
The drawings refers to my personal beliefs about the world, inserted at my theory (The Universal Matrix of Natural Systems and Life's Cycle Theory).
The blue image is a comparative drawing between a cell system and my model about the building block of astronomic systems, which I got applying comparative anatomy between non-living systems and the diagrams of living system I have studied at Amazon Jungle.
My viewpoint is that the living cell is a genetic copy or reproduction from that building block.So, I think, the first biological system (first living being)was produced genetically by the astronomical proto-system (the image bekow my name here, at left), which is composed by the different shapes of a unique body, any living being gets in its life cycle.
Then, there is no separation between Cosmological Evolution and Biological Evolution: the three variables (VSI= Variation,Selection, Inheritance)of Darwin's Theory (Micro-Evolution) applies to Cosmological Evolution also, but,Cosmological Evolution is macro-evolution and has seven variables, which applies to micro-evolution and finally explains the gaps and problems we had with neo-darwinian theory.
The image at left is my drawing about what I believe is the origens/genesis of astronomical bodies. It performs a circuit of a perfect closed system, but it is not a visible system because it is a proto-system performed by any life cycle. Begining the description at Function 1 we have a nuclear quasar containing a black hole. The BH is reached by comets and stars' dust, mixing everything and making spherical hot bodies (stellars germs). The hot bodies are expelled and meet the event horizon, where they recipes the aggregation of dust making several layers (the initial hot sphere is kept as nucleous.). At Function 3, the body is like a planet, when falls into the orbit of a star. The energy from the star wake up the nucleous and begins nuclear reactions, which produces more and more strong volcanoes, till the planet becomes a pulsar (Function 4). The pulsar ejects the volcanoes' magma in shape of Comets, towards the black hole. After that the volcanoes explodes as a Supernova (Function 6) wich will die as stellar cadaver (Funtion 7). The mass from F.7 goes to the nucleous, recycling the hole system.
This image is the exactly configuration of a living sexual reproduction process transformed as mechanical process in a Newtonian way.All of the seven life's properties already were performed in the sky about 10 billions ago, before life's origins here.
Then,I don't believe on the accepted Nebular Theory and its beliefs about spontaneous generation of astronomical bodies. I think there is a unique body with a life cycle, which presents the different shapes we call star, planet, pulsar, etc.
The cell systems works the same way, the ribossome performs the planetary functions, the mitochondria performs the pulsar funtions, etc. The building block as hardware has its face as a kind of software's diagram, composed by the flow of information internal to the system. The same diagram is equal a pair of nucleotide, the building block of RNA/DNA, then, they must had created biological systems (aka,living beings).
Ok, there is a lot of things here for explaining but my weak English and missing time turns it impossible just now. By the way, thanks by the opportunity for getting any critical comments for testing and improving those models. Cheers...
Edited by Morelli (03/12/09 02:15 PM)
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Odin
super member
Reged: 03/21/07
Posts: 191
Loc: Ont, Cdn 46N 84W
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My first sketch attempt... many thanks to all of you who have posted insperations and penciling techniques
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*=== Life Is Great Under The STARS ===*
LX90 8" EMC
Rigel Quickfinder
ETX125PE UHTC
60mm Refractor Meade Digital Series
Meade Electronic Eyepiece
32mm,26mm,15mm,9.7mm series 4000 Super Plossl
2x Barlow
10x50 Tasca Binoculars
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Hello Rudy,
Thank you for sharing your first sketch over here.
I guess it's the Trapezium in the Orion Nebula?
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
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Odin
super member
Reged: 03/21/07
Posts: 191
Loc: Ont, Cdn 46N 84W
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Rodelaet, Thanks for the Kind Comment and tagging the sketch... I forgot to tag.  Been fun sketching so far.. Truly enjoy viewing everyones sketch postings.
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*=== Life Is Great Under The STARS ===*
LX90 8" EMC
Rigel Quickfinder
ETX125PE UHTC
60mm Refractor Meade Digital Series
Meade Electronic Eyepiece
32mm,26mm,15mm,9.7mm series 4000 Super Plossl
2x Barlow
10x50 Tasca Binoculars
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nitrohepcat
member
Reged: 12/04/07
Posts: 55
Loc: Milwaukee, WI
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My first sketch. This was made with my first "real" scope, a 10" Dob.
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Hi Justin,
Nice work with that first sketch of yours!
Thank you for sharing.
Have you been sketching alot since '90?
Clear skies,
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
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Jumile
member
Reged: 02/28/09
Posts: 18
Loc: 51°29'N 1°W
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After encouragement by TheChemist, I thought I'd finally dip my toe in, being new to sketching itself and to the whole idea of astrosketching.
This first one is awful. It was my first attempt of using blackboard chalk on 8x8" black cartridge:
Figuring I was doing something really wrong (the chalk tip is ~1cm diameter, etc), so I gave it another go -- this time with pencil:
It's slightly better and gave me some much-needed practice at shading, too.
Both are the Sea of Serenity, drawn from one of my first astrophotos done in April. (I've not put the image here, as it's supposed to be about sketching! )
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Matt
Skymax 127 SupaTrak
Canon EOS 400D (XTi), unmodified
16x50 binoculars
Astroforecast for my location
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rolandlinda3
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/24/06
Posts: 2233
Loc: Crozet VA 22932
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Jumile, I think you are on the right track. The sketches look good and the second does show change over the first one, which is still good. Enjoy sketching...keep it up...and start posting. Roland
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Roland
Sketches in members galleries: rolandlinda3
Inspirational stories/sketches at:
www.christworksministries.org
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Matt,
Those sketches show great potential!
Like Roland said, you are on the right track.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
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Jumile
member
Reged: 02/28/09
Posts: 18
Loc: 51°29'N 1°W
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Thanks for the encouragement, Roland and Rony.
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Matt
Skymax 127 SupaTrak
Canon EOS 400D (XTi), unmodified
16x50 binoculars
Astroforecast for my location
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BarabinoSr
sage
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 305
Loc: Slidell La
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Hello Everyone!This is my fist time posting a sketch on this forum.this is from the archives of the Vega Sky Center,1970 ASTRONOMICAL JOURNAL dating back to February 1970,when I had just gotten a Selsi 60mm Vari-power refractor.I've included a sketch of that instrument also,and I was fortunate to retrieve my journals after the Lower Ninth Ward area of New Orleans was flooded by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 with 12 feet of gulf water.Though water damaged,I was able to restore them quite succcessfully
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12"GSO f/5.3" Newtonian Reflector 10" Meade LX-50 Fork Mounted Schmidt-Cassegrain
8" Hardin f/6 Newtonian reflector
6" Konus f/8 Refractor,Yulin 5"f/9 refractor,
4.5"TASCO Luminova f/9 Newtonian Reflector 4.5"TASCO 11TR(Lunagrosso) Red reflector
90mm Meade f/11 refractor,Tasco 10TE 76mm 1200mm f/l Refractor
60mm TASCO 7TE-5 1000mm f/16.7 Refractor 60mm TASCO 9TE 700mm f/l refractor
60mm TASCO 9TE-0 710mm f/l Refractor 50mm-TASCO 6TE-5 600mm f/l Refractor
Edited by BarabinoSr (05/23/09 11:29 AM)
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BarabinoSr
sage
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 305
Loc: Slidell La
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August 16 1970 Partial Lunar Eclipse.Vega Observatory founding night.Scope is the 60mm Selsi Vari power scope.
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12"GSO f/5.3" Newtonian Reflector 10" Meade LX-50 Fork Mounted Schmidt-Cassegrain
8" Hardin f/6 Newtonian reflector
6" Konus f/8 Refractor,Yulin 5"f/9 refractor,
4.5"TASCO Luminova f/9 Newtonian Reflector 4.5"TASCO 11TR(Lunagrosso) Red reflector
90mm Meade f/11 refractor,Tasco 10TE 76mm 1200mm f/l Refractor
60mm TASCO 7TE-5 1000mm f/16.7 Refractor 60mm TASCO 9TE 700mm f/l refractor
60mm TASCO 9TE-0 710mm f/l Refractor 50mm-TASCO 6TE-5 600mm f/l Refractor
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dawsonian2000
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/26/06
Posts: 546
Loc: Riverview, FL, USA
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Gary failed to mention that he also had his protege observing with him the night of August 16, 1970, who also sketched his first observation, which was of a partial Lunar Eclipse. That protege was me! Here is my first sketch/ observation. Gary posted his above. This joint observation launch the formation of the Vega Sky Center, former called the Vega Astronomical Observatory.
Mel
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Clear Skies, Forever!
The Vega Sky Center
10" (254mm) F/5.65 Home Built Fork Mounted Newtonian Reflector
5" (127mm) F/9.4 Home Built Refractor (under construction)
3.5" (90mm) F/11.1 "Vixen-Spec Modified" Konus Refractor
3.1" (80mm) F/6 Scopos ED APO Refractor
4.5" (114mm) F/8 Tasco 11te-5 Newtonian (under restoration)
2.4" (60mm) F/16.7 Tasco 7te-5 Refractor
2.4" (60mm) F/15 Jason Discoverer 313 Refractor
http://www.vega-sky-center.com
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Magellan
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/26/06
Posts: 696
Loc: Dartmouth, NS Canada
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amazing, all amazing. It must be something to go back and read about previous observations. I have only just started to log, but I use a computer.
I am just starting out with sketching, I am planning M13 as my first if the skies clear tonight.
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Jeff D
Skywatcher 12" Collapsible Dobsonian
Coulter Odyssey 2 8" Dobsonian
Celestron Nexstar 102SLT
Antares EQ-5 Mount
Celestron Skymaster 15x70
Messier Certificate Count: 110/110
RASC's Finest NGC: 1/110
St. Croix Observatory RASC-Halifax
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Gary and Mel,
Thank you for sharing those first sketches over here.
Very nice work.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
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dawsonian2000
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/26/06
Posts: 546
Loc: Riverview, FL, USA
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Thanks Rony! It is amazing that we still have these first observations from so long ago. Gary introduced me into astronomy in July of 1970, and was also a powerful influence in my life as a mentor. We continue to this day (now approaching 40 years!) to stay in touch and to use our website as a research for budding and experience amateurs. It is our way of giving back for what we attained within this awesome endeavor.
Thanks again,
Mel
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Clear Skies, Forever!
The Vega Sky Center
10" (254mm) F/5.65 Home Built Fork Mounted Newtonian Reflector
5" (127mm) F/9.4 Home Built Refractor (under construction)
3.5" (90mm) F/11.1 "Vixen-Spec Modified" Konus Refractor
3.1" (80mm) F/6 Scopos ED APO Refractor
4.5" (114mm) F/8 Tasco 11te-5 Newtonian (under restoration)
2.4" (60mm) F/16.7 Tasco 7te-5 Refractor
2.4" (60mm) F/15 Jason Discoverer 313 Refractor
http://www.vega-sky-center.com
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Slartibartfast
member
Reged: 05/28/08
Posts: 27
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Here's my first sketch (well, it's actually 2 sketches and I forget which one I made first). This was last summer when I was able to pick out all the stars of Scorpius. Once I had identified the scorpion's tail and had it lined up in the scope, I made a run for M6 and M7. I couldn't tell them apart, so I sketched them and then verified which was which after I went back in. This is in a 5" f/8 reflector with a 26mm EP under bad summer haze.
Here's M6 (there's a small sketch of Jupiter on there too):
And, here's M7:
Pretty bad, huh?
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mitaccio
super member
Reged: 03/17/09
Posts: 124
Loc: Tooele, Utah
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Last night I did my first ever. I love looking at M13. Waited for the baseball diamond across the street to turn off the lights (blech! talk about light pollution!). Mag 6 or so skies. Lots of stray light from streetlights and porches. Seeing was pretty good. I'd say a 5 or 6. Used a Lightbridge 10" with an Orion Expanse 9mm ep. at 141x.
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LightBridge 10"
Messier Checklist 47/110
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JayinUT
I'm not Sleepy
Reged: 09/19/08
Posts: 932
Loc: Utah
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Mitaccio,
What a wonderful sketch of M13. You've captured the detail of the globular quite well. Very nicely done!
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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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mitaccio
super member
Reged: 03/17/09
Posts: 124
Loc: Tooele, Utah
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Thanks Jay. I like seeing the ones you have on your blog. They help me find new things to see. I got really lucky last night and had decent seeing and transparency. Gotta take them when you can get them these days.
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LightBridge 10"
Messier Checklist 47/110
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