Sketching questions

[MimasDeathStar]

Hello there. I've got my telescope and the next step is to start looking for stuff.

Sky & Telescope website sayd its a good idea to keep an observing log so I guess I'll start doing that. They all seem to have circles to draw in so I've been researching that but I have a couple of questions, if anyone could spare a couple of mins to help me out I'd really appreciate it!

1. Nearly all the resources I've seen refer to pencil and paper - with one or two people using chalk on black paper. But I never see any of them on here in anything other than black with white stars - so does everybody do chalk on black paper or do you have to scan it and invert it if you do it on paper?
2. I saw a couple of sketches where people have done "x,y,z" on photoshop to things after they've drawn them - does that still count as sketching or is that something else?
3. Does anyone ever use drawing programmes on computers or tablets to do their sketching or does that not work, or is that not sketching? I've just been thinking that if you draw it on paper and then scan it into a computer would it not be easier to just do it straight onto a tablet or something?

Maybe I'm jumping the gun a bit with the last one! I'm sure cleverer people than me have thought of that and tried it at some point!

Many thanks again all.

 

[Rob Sellent]

To my understanding there are two essential features to visual astronomy:

1. finding the object.
2. observing it.

The former involves star-hopping and reading star maps, the latter requires you to actively engage with what is being observed. It is a style of concentrated looking, picking out features and textures. With this kind of observing you are training the eye to see more.

Useful methods for observing in this fashion is to ask yourself questions about the object, write about what you see, talk into a recorder about what you see, or to sketch what you see and it makes no difference what method you choose, so long as the objective of such a practice is not to produce a work of art or some ode to the cosmic wonder being observed, but to have strengthened your stargazing eye, your observational skills.  

Sketching or writing about what you are observing is an iterative, mechanical process: you look through the eyepiece, you sketch or write a little something, you compare, you look again, sketch or write a little more, compare, and on and on you go. If you find you are getting bored, you relax, you take a little break, and when you are ready, you return again. Night after night after night if needs be.

If you can couple this technique with the tools of good grammar and vocabulary or with drawing skills, so be it, but, again, it doesn't make a lot of difference, so long as you are recording what you are seeing to the best of your abilities. This is the way you train your eye to see more.

It is for this reason that this type of observing has nothing to do with imaging or ticking objects from some list. There is no doubt that these are also great ways of enjoying one's sessions but astronomical sketching or detail writing is an entirely different experience. It means spending time at the eyepiece to really look at what you can see, training your eye to ever greater detail and in turn taking the fullest advantage of your telescope and gear. If good eyepieces and a seat can add a virtual 1" or more to aperture, then sketching or detailed writing will help augment that even more.

2 hours ago, MimasDeathStar said:

Nearly all the resources I've seen refer to pencil and paper - with one or two people using chalk on black paper. But I never see any of them on here in anything other than black with white stars - so does everybody do chalk on black paper or do you have to scan it and invert it if you do it on paper?

There's no correct way or rule for recording your observations.

White paper, blending stub for nebulae and galaxies etc and pencil for stars is one method. It is common - but not necessary - to invert these images on principles of aesthetics and to help future observers with an idea of what they are likely to see through similar aperture scopes. 

The chalk and black paper method is refered to as the Mellish Technique. Scott Mellish was an extremely talented Australian observer who passed away about ten years ago. I feel that due to the inherent complexity, subtlety and general difficulty of the medium renders this approach less popular than a simple pencil and blending stub - especially in less than ideal weather.

2 hours ago, MimasDeathStar said:

I saw a couple of sketches where people have done "x,y,z" on photoshop to things after they've drawn them - does that still count as sketching or is that something else?

I consider this an even more dedicated approach than a 'simple' sketch scanned into the computer and one that renders a gorgeous aesthetic if done well. Not only has the observer taken the time to make a sketch, but has also taken the time to note the subtle colour of stars, their differing magnitudes and the possible affects of optics, seeing and so on, on the given observation. They've then taken this sketch, scanned it into Gimp type software and tweaked those further observations into the scanned image. One of the best proponents I've seen of this technique is of Peter Vercauteren, an extremely dedicated Italian observer who sketches using an 18" Bino-Dob. Yes, that's right. Two 18" Dobs glued together to create one gigantic binoscope.

 

2 hours ago, MimasDeathStar said:

Does anyone ever use drawing programmes on computers or tablets to do their sketching or does that not work, or is that not sketching? I've just been thinking that if you draw it on paper and then scan it into a computer would it not be easier to just do it straight onto a tablet or something?

I'd feel one would need one mighty argument to say there's only one way to do this and that that way is the only correct way to do it. So long as you're enjoying yourself, training your eye to see more and trying to record what you see as you see fit, helping yourself and others along the way, who cares about rules?

The web is full of great links but here are a few I think worth going through:

SGL Sketches

Youtube Intro to Sketching

Sketches & Sketching Resources

The Mellish Technique

Youtube Mellish Technique

Nice Guide to Sketching M27

Youtube Peter Vercauteren Guide

More Tutorials

 

Edited September 12, 2019 by Rob Sellent

[mark81]

Many ways to go about it.  I use black paper and white gel ink pens and now and then a white pencil.  I draw a circle with the inside of a roll of cello tape and away I go... It's very basic but it works for me.. here's and example..