Messier 78 through 100mm

[mikeDnight]

M78 isn't the most spectacular target in a 4" scope, but after 20 to 30 minutes under my blackout blanket, it became interesting enough to draw. 

The transparency let the night down but still an enjoyable evening.

Mike

 

[Radec]

Very nicely done Mike. I am starting out on a project to learn to sketch....

I'm finding it far from easy and you have got the essence of m78 to a tee there. Well done

[mikeDnight]

On 28/01/2017 at 22:24, Radec said:

Very nicely done Mike. I am starting out on a project to learn to sketch....

I'm finding it far from easy and you have got the essence of m78 to a tee there. Well done

Hi Radec,

Have you got the Springer book Astronomical Sketching? It contains a lot of advice and shows different sketching techniques techniques that may help you on your way.

Personally I use a rough sketchbook at the eyepiece and a high quality sketchbook for the finished drawing. At the eyepiece my drawings tend not to be so pretty, and contain plenty of scribblings, numerical intensity estimates and brief notes. My aim when producing a sketch is to try and replicate the eyepiece view as closely as possible. Some astro sketchers can go a bit heavy on the shading on some objects, which kind of kills the reality, and too much use of the pencil directly onto the page of the finished drawing can create too hard an effect on subjects such as nebulae, or Jupiter's cloud belts.

To give a soft, yet not blurd finish, I like to scribble graphite onto a separate sheet of paper and use a cotton bud or paper stump to lift it and transfer it onto the drawing. The effect can be quite pleasing! Drawing black on white then imaging the sketch, changing it to negative, gives a pleasing effect for nebulae. Try using cotton buds to give a soft effect, continuing to build up the intensity as need be. A putty rubber is great for lifting graphite off the page and for creating hard edges or bright areas.

I've attached some examples!

Mike