No Excuses now!

[Lurcher]

Look what my lovely Daughter bought me for Christmas!

No excuses not to get started now. Just need some clear skies!!

[Charic]

They could end up as old as mine, due to the weather?

[Lurcher]

On 26/12/2018 at 11:47, Charic said:

They could end up as old as mine, due to the weather

Definitely looking far to new and neat at the moment! Yes I'm looking forward to them having that used and lived in look over time!

[Lurcher]

I'm embarrassed to put this on here after having seen other people's sketches, but here's my very first attempt at doing a sketch. 

I real life it looks better, honest! The scan has emphasized all the scratchy lines so it looks less blended. PLEASE SQUINT AT IT!

I also need to get a white pen. The stars all came out too large by the time I'd gotten a mark on the paper! And while I'm making excuses . . . . it was flipping cold!!

Ok so it's not exactly Hubble Space telescope, but I said there would be no excuses once there was a clear night and I couldn't wait to have a go. Hopefully they will get a lot better with practice.

[des anderson]

Look mate, THAT`S  a great start mine look like that all the time. After spending nearly all night at the eyepiece with my clipboard and pencils, I proudly show my wife and she nearly always says "What`s that, looks like a fuzzy blob, with points on it!!!" Sometimes you just can`t win. Des

[Astro Imp]

Don't talk yourself down. You've made a start, enjoyed producing a recognisable sketch that is far better than I could achieve. 

[Lurcher]

9 hours ago, des anderson said:

THAT`S  a great start mine look like that all the time.

Thanks Des. That's very kind of you. (When my Wife saw what I was doing she laughed and said I was "cute". I don't think that was a good thing).

9 hours ago, Astro Imp said:

You've made a start, enjoyed producing a recognisable sketch that is far better than I could achieve. 

Thank you! I'm amazed you could recognize it! Very kind of you to say. Thank you for your kind comments.

Thanks guys. Much more positive than I was expecting! I'm going to get a white pen for sharp stars, and maybe try a white pastel next time. All the best!

[niallk]

Great sketch of Trap/M42 

Some day I'll pluck up the confidence to have a go - Fair play to you!

[mariosi]

 It's not an easy target . I can recognize the trapezium cluster and  m43. Very good sketch and you captured the details very well !!!

Thank you for sharing it with us all 

 

[Lurcher]

21 hours ago, niallk said:

Great sketch of Trap/M42

Thank you! (Nice scope! I love the wooden truss dobs like your Obsession. They're works of art in themselves).

19 hours ago, mariosi said:

I can recognize the trapezium cluster and  m43. Very good sketch and you captured the details very well

Thanks very much. ( and I couldn't help noticing you own 16 inch Meade Light Bridge! Nice stuff!!).

Thanks guys. 

[Wiu-Wiu]

You are off to a great start! Don't compare too much with other sketches here, M42 is a hard target to sketch, and you did it in ONE SHOT at the eyepiece, not many people do that and end up with it looking like yours! 

[Lurcher]

10 hours ago, Wiu-Wiu said:

you did it in ONE SHOT at the eyepiece, not many people do that and end up with it looking like yours! 

Wow thanks mate! I've seen your photo quality sketches and have been very impressed, so I'm really grateful for your encouragement and kind thoughts.

Many thanks.

[Wiu-Wiu]

Thank you, I started out just like you, sketching at the eyepiece in my little sketchbook, but the first frost-loaded night will show you why I stopped doing that  

you just need to find a system that works for you, that's all that matters, really

clear skies!

[Pete Presland]

looks a very nice set, certainly a fine sketch to start with as well.

[Lurcher]

Well I've added a white pen and some white pastels to my little set-up now, and having done so, had a quick go at M81 and M82 on Monday night.

It's still really clumsy. (A little like trying to eat a bar of chocolate with a knife and fork whilst wearing gloves, hat and a large coat. Did anyone else play that game as a child at Christmas?).

In the dark I was quite pleased with my efforts but in daylight I can see it's pretty poor. Maybe next time I'll try a normal pencil drawing and then invert the colours on the computer. Although I do love my daughter's present so I will persevere with the black paper. In the meantime, please squint at it again!!

46 minutes ago, Pete Presland said:

certainly a fine sketch to start with as well.

Thanks Pete!