· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt · Submit a Review / Article Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu… uh, User You are not logged in. [Login] Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online FAQ · Calendar Astrophotography and Sketching >> Sketching Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Pages: 1 maroubra_boy sage Reged: 09/08/09 Loc: Sydney, Australia Mercator's owl, a quirky lunar apparition       #5341246 - 07/29/12 07:35 AM Attachment (49 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hi all, It’s been a long while since I made a sketch of the Moon. Last night was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up – cloudless, no dew and the kids were in bed! I spent half an hour scanning the terminator for a subject. I struggled to find an easily recognisable feature at first, and decided to look for those quirky “alphanumeric” features that to our mind resemble recognisable symbols like letters or numbers. Then a new world opened up with the change in mind set. As half chased letters started to show up, I chanced upon a fantastic freakish apparition – the face of an owl centred around the crater Mercator! This striking resemblance is created foremost by the wing like mountains that reaches North East away from Mercator, and a vaguely similar feature reaching North West out of the neighbouring crater Campanus. Together these create the impression of the feather tufts that crest the face of the nocturnal aviator. As the sketch developed and expanded, I came across so many unexpected features. My very first dome, Capuanus 2, in the crater Capuanus (top right of sketch), and the 309km long rile Rima Heiodus that punches through mountains from Palus Epidemiarum through into Mare Nubium. And then the last feature I included in the sketch was the crater Konig, named after the Austrian amateur astronomer whose Konig eyepiece design is one of my favourites (very bottom crater). I showed my wife the sketch the next morning, and she too exclaimed the uncanny stylised resemblance to the owl! Confirmation to me that I’m not completely off my tree, Alex. Object: Mercator’s owl Scope: C8, 8” SCT Gear: 5mm Hyperion, 400X Date: 28th July 2012 Location: Sydney, Australia. Media: Soft pastel, charcoal and white ink on A5 size black paper. Post Extras:       maroubra_boy sage Reged: 09/08/09 Loc: Sydney, Australia Re: Mercator's owl, a quirky lunar apparition [Re: maroubra_boy]       #5341248 - 07/29/12 07:36 AM Attachment (32 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   A labled image for reference. Post Extras:       Ed D Carpal Tunnel Reged: 04/30/10 Loc: Sunny South Florida Re: Mercator's owl, a quirky lunar apparition [Re: maroubra_boy]       #5341303 - 07/29/12 08:48 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Beautiful lunar sketch. I admire your talent. Ed D Post Extras:       frank5817 Postmaster Reged: 06/13/06 Loc: Illinois Re: Mercator's owl, a quirky lunar apparition [Re: Ed D]       #5341546 - 07/29/12 12:20 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Alex, This is a terrific lunar sketch. Your work is always top shelf. These large regions can be difficult to capture and take much energy and concentration. Beautiful work- excellent write-up! Frank Post Extras:       Rutilus Pooh-Bah Reged: 12/17/10 Re: Mercator's owl, a quirky lunar apparition [Re: frank5817]       #5341815 - 07/29/12 03:11 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Great Lunar sketch. Post Extras:       niteskystargazer Carpal Tunnel Reged: 10/05/09 Loc: 41-43'-28" N 87-42'-39" W Re: Mercator's owl, a quirky lunar apparition [Re: maroubra_boy]       #5342046 - 07/29/12 05:24 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Alex, Good sketch of Mercator's Owl . CS,KLU, , Tom Post Extras:       JeanB Pooh-Bah Reged: 07/11/11 Loc: Montreal, Canada Re: Mercator's owl, a quirky lunar apparition [Re: niteskystargazer]       #5342525 - 07/29/12 10:43 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Wonderful, Alex. With these masterpieces, who needs photograph!!! Jean Post Extras:       astronz59 sage Reged: 09/15/10 Loc: Auckland, New Zealand Re: Mercator's owl, a quirky lunar apparition [Re: maroubra_boy]       #5342872 - 07/30/12 06:30 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Masterfully rendered and accurate as usual!..... Post Extras:       Jef De Wit Carpal Tunnel Reged: 03/06/09 Loc: Hove, Belgium Re: Mercator's owl, a quirky lunar apparition [Re: astronz59]       #5343292 - 07/30/12 12:10 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Post Extras:       mike73 member Reged: 05/01/12 Loc: UK Plymouth Re: Mercator's owl, a quirky lunar apparition [Re: Jef De Wit]       #5344615 - 07/31/12 02:52 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Beautiful sketches Alex. Just one question....Do you use a fixative on your completed pastel sketches? I have but as soon as I give it a light spray it makes the pastel appear blotchy? Any tips? Post Extras:       maroubra_boy sage Reged: 09/08/09 Loc: Sydney, Australia Re: Mercator's owl, a quirky lunar apparition [Re: mike73]       #5344674 - 07/31/12 05:10 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Thank you all for your comments. Mike, if your sprayed sketches are appearing blotchy either the spray droplets are too big or you are applying the spray too close to the sketch or applying too much at a time. I do spray mine, with hairspray. I always test the spray first onto whatever is lying about & then do a single light spray over the sketch. Give it a couple of minutes & recoat just as lightly. I may do upto three, four coats. Sometimes I need to retouch the sketch with the pastel, but by doing several light coats the retouching is minimal. Do a single heavy coat & you will ruin the sketch. Post Extras:       mike73 member Reged: 05/01/12 Loc: UK Plymouth Re: Mercator's owl, a quirky lunar apparition [Re: maroubra_boy]       #5345088 - 07/31/12 11:33 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Thanks Alex and keep up the good work Post Extras:       Pages: 1 Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Extra information 0 registered and 7 anonymous users are browsing this forum. 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