Star*Hopper
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 02/02/05
Posts: 919
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Well, I promised I'd participate - so to kick things off here's an offering. :jump:
Not a sketch in the traditional 'paper & pencil' sense , but this is a digital scan of an airbrush over pastel sketch I created from an extended observation & pencil sketches during the Mars opposition of August 16 '03. My goal was to render as accurate a realistic eyepiece view as possible, or, what you would actually see in the eyepiece. Captioning was added to the finished work.
Hoping the web rendition treats the shading kindly, and hope you enjoy. :flower:
~Star*Hopper
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Disobey Giant
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Ron B[ee]
Tyro
Reged: 04/27/03
Posts: 4719
Loc: CA
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Wow, that was a very beautiful "image" indeed! I truly love Mars, my number planet (Jupiter even comes 2nd to me ;)).
Sketching also help with my Mars Study by bringing out some unique feature which may have been missed by CCD/*cam imaging ;).
I look forward to another encounter with the "Martians" this year.
Ron B[ee]
There's the Martian proof :silly:!
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5-inch Tele Vue NP127 APO 
4-inch Tele Vue TV-102 APO 
8-inch f/6 Discovery PDHQ Dob 
Edited by Ron B[ee] (03/04/05 10:53 AM)
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JDB
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/27/04
Posts: 635
Loc: Lake Placid, FL
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Nice color rendition. It is hard for me to get the colors right on paper, so I just hens-cratch with a pencil and a smudge with a stump. Anyway, your colors look right.
Old DustyMars
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DustyMars
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LivingNDixie
Lord of Ferrets
Reged: 04/23/03
Posts: 15798
Loc: Hoover, AL
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outstanding both of you!
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Preston
Celestron 11" Nexstar GPS XLT
Lunt LS60T/Ha 60mm f/8.33 (on order)
It’s not finishing something when your tank is empty that makes you a stronger person. It’s brushing yourself off and refacing the foe that defeated you with the same determination and willingness to fight that you had when you began your journey.
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chascar
sage
Reged: 02/14/05
Posts: 315
Loc: Franklin Massachusetts
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Great Color and shading I still only draw in black and white and am quickly realizing in this forum I walk with sen sei. My humble contributions aside.
Edited by chascar (03/04/05 12:24 PM)
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chascar
sage
Reged: 02/14/05
Posts: 315
Loc: Franklin Massachusetts
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oopppps messed up the star rating
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Charles
42.1N 71.4W Member Skyscrapers Inc.
Meade 628/f8 w 80mm guide
Meade ETX 90 EC
Tasco 9TE-5
Swift 7x50 Seahawks
Nikon 10x35 6.6 WF
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Erix
Toad Lily
Reged: 12/25/04
Posts: 20480
Loc: Ohio, USA
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Really nice sketches. I have yet to try to sketch a planet, but have my colored pencils and chalks on hand for when the time is right.
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Erika
10" LX200 Classic, ETX70-AT, DS Maxscope 60mm, 12" Truss Dob, Orion ED80, WO Binoviewers, 10x50's and 7x50's Binoculars, Rebel XT 350
Having Fun in the Sun!
More solar fun: 2007 July - tracking NOAA10963
Support bacteria. It's the only culture some people have.
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BillFerris
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/17/04
Posts: 2582
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Mars is an awesome sketch subject. As much as I enjoyed the 2003 opposition, I'm hopeful that this year's apparition will find Mars in steadier air and more willing to give up her secrets 
Here are my Mars sketches going back to the '95 opposition: Mars
Regards,
Bill in Flagstaff
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Grand Canyon Adventure
Lowering the Threshold
18" Obsession
4.5" Meade 4500
10x50 Swift Audubon
Cosmic Voyage
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BillFerris
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/17/04
Posts: 2582
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Very nice portrait. You've captured the peachy fleshtone--or is that a fleshy peachtone--hue of Mars quite well.
Bill in Flagstaff
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Grand Canyon Adventure
Lowering the Threshold
18" Obsession
4.5" Meade 4500
10x50 Swift Audubon
Cosmic Voyage
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Tommy5
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/28/04
Posts: 1394
Loc: Chicagoland
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Excellant sketches Ron I remember waiting each week of the last great Mars opposition to look at your great observations and sketches and compare them to my humble efforts, here is a sketch I made on Sept.2-03 of Mars showing the claw,pipe and stinger, and Mountains of Mitchell I think we both saw the Mountains of M on around the same night,looking forward to seeing the next great opposition of Mars this fall  200x, you are right the sketchbook is an excellant way to look at past observations .#21 orange filter, 6" achro
Edited by Tommy5 (03/04/05 10:47 PM)
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Wonderful work, all of you. Thanks for posting it.
Years ago I tried my hand at sketching, I think it may be time to try again.
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Sol Robbins
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/01/03
Posts: 1540
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Hi,
I found Mars to be utterly intense regarding observing and sketching. Mars rotates rapidly. Seeing conditions, magnification, and filter choices can make or break lower contrast Martian features in comparison to features on the other planets.
I found that it takes a light touch and the ability to deal with gray scaling to deal with Mars. For me it was being able to get a 5 tone gray scale in order indicate Mars' albedo features.
Attached is a sketch I believe is was just before opposition.
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Sol Robbins
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Sol Robbins
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/01/03
Posts: 1540
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Here's another near opposition.
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Sol Robbins
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JDB
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/27/04
Posts: 635
Loc: Lake Placid, FL
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Sample drawings made from Aug. 4 - Aug 31, 2003 showing south polar details along with full disk drawing. All with 16" f.6.9 Newtonian at 500x-1,000x. This demonstrates rough drawings that can be done to show higher detailed parts of the disk of Mars. I made nearly 200 observations and at least three drawings per observing period. Not the greatest drawings because of age problems!
Images are not high res for sake of space.
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DustyMars
Edited by JDB (03/05/05 05:54 PM)
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Tommy5
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/28/04
Posts: 1394
Loc: Chicagoland
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Wow!great details Sol and DGB,Mars was very challenging,but you guys met the challenge,on DBG sketch, I remember seeing the X shaped feature in the Hellas basin, i don't recall seeing it on webcam photos at the time,thanks for comforming my observation of two yearts ago DBG and IO'm looking forward to everyone's sketches of Mars this fall.
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Ron B[ee]
Tyro
Reged: 04/27/03
Posts: 4719
Loc: CA
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Quote:
I remember waiting each week of the last great Mars opposition to look at your great observations and sketches and compare them to my humble efforts, here is a sketch I made on Sept.2-03 of Mars showing the claw,pipe and stinger, and Mountains of Mitchell I think we both saw the Mountains of M on around the same night,looking forward to seeing the next great opposition of Mars this fall 200x, you are right the sketchbook is an excellant way to look at past observations .#21 orange filter, 6" achro
Thanks Tommy for your kind words. Say, it looks like you've found another Martian! Note the "dragon looking" Martian with its jaw open seemingly trying to swallow a red orb .
Ron B[ee]
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5-inch Tele Vue NP127 APO
4-inch Tele Vue TV-102 APO
8-inch f/6 Discovery PDHQ Dob
Edited by Ron B[ee] (03/05/05 08:38 PM)
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Ron B[ee]
Tyro
Reged: 04/27/03
Posts: 4719
Loc: CA
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Quote:
Here's another near opposition.
So much fascinating details, Sol  !
Ron B[ee]
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5-inch Tele Vue NP127 APO
4-inch Tele Vue TV-102 APO
8-inch f/6 Discovery PDHQ Dob
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Ron B[ee]
Tyro
Reged: 04/27/03
Posts: 4719
Loc: CA
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Quote:
Sample drawings made from Aug. 4 - Aug 31, 2003 showing south polar details along with full disk drawing. All with 16" f.6.9 Newtonian at 500x-1,000x. This demonstrates rough drawings that can be done to show higher detailed parts of the disk of Mars. I made nearly 200 observations and at least three drawings per observing period. Not the greatest drawings because of age problems!
Thanks for sharing your fine drawings with us, "Dusty"! We're also so fortunate to have such a long-time Mars expert  amongst us and please let me extend our warmest welcome. I can't imagine how you could have enough time to put down so much details - the skills of which you can hopefully pass on to us this apparition. I hope you'll participate here on CN often.
Ron B[ee]
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5-inch Tele Vue NP127 APO
4-inch Tele Vue TV-102 APO
8-inch f/6 Discovery PDHQ Dob
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Ron B[ee]
Tyro
Reged: 04/27/03
Posts: 4719
Loc: CA
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While on my favorite topic of "Mars Study", I'd like to point out this link (if someone did miss it in 2003) ...
http://mtham.ucolick.org/public/TwoWeeksOnMars/writings/
...the very same great refractor used by Barnard to dispute Lowell's Martian canals were used again the old-fashion way in 2003!
Ron B[ee]
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5-inch Tele Vue NP127 APO
4-inch Tele Vue TV-102 APO
8-inch f/6 Discovery PDHQ Dob
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JDB
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/27/04
Posts: 635
Loc: Lake Placid, FL
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Sketching Mars, or even objects with more detail, is a way for us to reinforce our memories of past observations, especially if we engage in a daily observing program. We begin to notice fine details later in the apparition that we either could not see or missed early on when the planet is smaller or we are out of practice -- a most important aspect of this sport. Yes, we need to refresh our memory each and every apparition with the object, even after all the years I observed Mars it seems a little new to me each time out.
One way to mix technology with old fashion drawings at the telescope is to do videos and later on, whilst lying in bed, watch the images and sketch from the TV screen. That way you can stop and replay if you sense a feature of event is missed.
In the old days, when using a b-filar micrometer to measure the retreating polar caps of Mars, we would stand or sit at the eyepiece for hours on end making multiple measurements. In some locations, like I Flagstaff, AZ or Mauna Kea, HI, where temperatures can plunge and make this task seem like taking a dip with the “Chicago Polar Bear Club,” one really gets tired of that fast. So, I began to use CCD images, and later on some Web-cam processed images, on my PC screen to measure the polar caps and by doing this, along with micrometers measurements, I found no appreciable systematic errors. So, by taking the torture out of the game more production was realized. 
So, mixing new technology with old ideas works good for some of us and enables us to observe our favorite celestial object while contributing to our own scientific needs. Who knows, one may even “share” their work with others and learn in the process. Mars is already appearing in the early moring sky, maybe I can get away from the hot tub to look!
Edited by JDB (03/06/05 12:03 PM)
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