First sketch - Io's shadow on Jupiter

[Jim-a]

While watching Io transit Jupiter earlier I thought I'd try my hand at a sketch for the first time. Quite surprised at how sketching it really helped me concentrate at the eyepiece and try and tease the details out.

[David Smith]

Great stuff Jim, a really nice sketch. I started sketching because it was suggested it would help me see more detail.

[Mike73]

This is what sketching is all about Jim, taking your time at the EP and becoming a better observer.

This is a great sketch and shows the detail you managed to see after really studying Jupiter.

[Bizibilder]

Well done - it really is good to see someone sketching as it is fast becoming a lost art.

[Jim-a]

thanks guys. I'll definitely be sketching more - I'm realising that what you 'see' at the eyepiece isn't just a combination of scope+eyepiece+atmosphere+LP, but also how practiced you are at picking out the detail - the act of sketching the other night 'forced' me to spend longer on the subject and now I'm a little bit more practiced than I would have been without the sketch!

Any good resources you know of for hints / tips / techniques etc?

[Pug]

I learnt a fair bit and download my record sheets from here http://www.perezmedia.net/beltofvenus/archives/000567.html

Great first sketch Jim!

[Jim-a]

Thanks Pug - looks v. useful

[DarkerSky]

thanks guys. I'll definitely be sketching more - I'm realising that what you 'see' at the eyepiece isn't just a combination of scope+eyepiece+atmosphere+LP, but also how practiced you are at picking out the detail - the act of sketching the other night 'forced' me to spend longer on the subject and now I'm a little bit more practiced than I would have been without the sketch!

Any good resources you know of for hints / tips / techniques etc?

Super sketch Jim. You're picking up some cracking detail there. I gave a talk to my astro soc last wednesday on astro sketching. I said that the best sketches you see are more down to the observer's ability to 'observe' rather than anything else. I think what you've said here captures that perfectly. Well done!