3 replies to this topic

[Maksim4848]

I recently started deepsky sketching, here is my first works. It was made with white pencil on black paper(except M12 it was made with pastel and slightly processed on PC, so I got too big stars)  How will you rate it? Can you give me some tips?

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Edited by Maksim4848, 17 June 2025 - 11:25 AM.

[JMSchwartz]

Nice body of work. I especially like your M57. If there was any advice, I could give is the only real hurdle from transferring A. Sketch to digital Is that it doesn't always record the way the picture actually looks so there's a lot of great info about adjusting your images To get them to look the way you want them to when you present them digitally. Butch is very good at this, and has a lot of great information, as well as many others in the forum. Who will gladly help you as well. It's just a matter of trial-and-error till you get it just right. But I want to say, you've posted some really fine sketches here.Thank you for sharing.

Clear Skies Always Jon 

[bphaneuf]

Welcome on board    And many thanks for posting your work!   As Jon said, this is a fine collection and shows your level of dedication to observing.  The star placements are carefully done.  As for tips, the best one I can give is keep doing it.  Don't let up.  If you have a long stretch of days in which you can't observe, practice with some low-res, black-and-white photos of different kinds of objects.  The best way to improve is to just keep doing it.  The challenge for those of us who do the Mellish technique of pastel pencils and powder on black paper is photographing the work without glare.  As Jon says, you can use digital editing tools to clean much of it up, but I will say it's still a challenge.  The key is getting the lighting set up right.  I think I'm getting close with an arrangement based on Alex Massey's (Maroubra Boy) suggestions and example.  

 

Here's what I'm using currently, and find it's best at night so that there's no stray light:

 

          

^{click on the images to straighten them out}

 

The light is a ring fluorescent, and the carboard between it and the clipboard prevents light from falling directly on the paper.  It can be moved in and out as needed, and/or the light itself can be shifted.  The white paper under the clipboard sometimes helps with balance, but other times adds to the glare.  No other lights are on and the black baffles prevent any reflection issues.  They can also be adjusted in or out as needed.  Take several pictures at varying exposures, then use the one that needs the least editing.  

 

Keep posting and asking questions!  You're among friends here.

-b

Edited by bphaneuf, 17 June 2025 - 03:13 PM.

[Maksim4848]

Thank you guys

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Here's what I'm using currently, and find it's best at night so that there's no stray light:

 

lighting 1.jpg           lighting 2.jpg

^{click on the images to straighten them out}

 

 

Nice idea, probably I can do something similar to this