Green Bank Star Quest 8

Astro Sketching Workshop

Presented byMichael Rosolina

To improve your observing skills

To create a visual record

To exercise your creativity

Why Sketch?

GalileoHuygensMaraldiW.C. Bond & G.P. BondAntoniadiDawesBarnard

Historical BackgroundThese are just a few of the many past astronomers who were keen observersand who sketched their observations:

Source: Galileo Project/Al Van Helden

Galileo was one of the first telescopic observers to draw (and publish) what he saw.

Galileo

Galileo published his observations of Jupiter and its moons in Siderius Nuncius, The Starry Messenger (1610). This is an excerpt from his journal.

Galileo

Source: Galileo Project/Al Van Helden

Galileo

Galileo and his protégéCastelli developed solar projection to accuratelyobserve and record sunspots . Through asequence of solarobservations, Galileodemonstrated therotation of the Sun.

Source: Galileo Project/Al Van Helden

Huygens

Another pioneer in the mid-17th centurywas Christiaan Huygens , who made theseobservations of Mars

Source: The Exploration of MarsBy Werner von Braun & Chesley Bonestell

Maraldi

From 1672 to 1719, Maraldi mademany observations of Mars andmade careful measurements of thepolar ice cap.

Source: The Exploration of MarsBy Werner von Braun & Chesley Bonestell

Antoniadi

By the 19th and early 20th century, improved telescopes were allowing skilled observers to make even more detailed sketches of celestial objects.

Source: The Planet Mars by William Sheehan

From Galileo’s early drawings…

Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

Through the legendary observers of the past,to present day amateur astronomers…

Courtesy NASA/JPL-CaltechPhases of Venus

Astro sketching continues to thrive…

Courtesy Sol Robbins

Sinus Iridum

Courtesy Rich Handy

25July 200712” SCT @ 271x

The Sun inHydrogen Alpha

Courtesy Erika Rix

Courtesy Eric Graff

Double Stars

Star Clusters

Courtesy Rony De Laet

M44The Beehive

102mm RefractorMag: 12.5x & 30x

Courtesy Frank McCabe

Globular Clusters

Courtesy Jeff Young

Galaxies

MeteorShowers

Courtesy of Roel Weijenberg

What makes a good astro sketch?

Record what you see—not what you would like to see

Include information such as instrument used, magnification, and field of view (FOV)

Include time and date (UT), cardinal directions, seeing, transparency, altitude of object, and any other relevant information

Add any other notes you feel are pertinent to your observation

Where do I begin? What should I draw?

Draw what you like to observe—what interests you.

There are as many different astro sketches as there are visible objects in the sky.

Planets

Mars

Courtesy Sol Robbins

Mars

Courtesy Frank McCabe

19 Dec. 20070430-0500 UT10” Reflector Mag: 360xS: Antoniadi II

Jupiter

Courtesy Sol Robbins

Jupiter withPhenomenon

Courtesy Jeff Young

Venus

Courtesy Sol Robbins

Courtesy of Jef De Wit

2010 Apparition of Jupiter

The Sun

Courtesy Erika Rix

Courtesy Jeff Young

Courtesy of Roel Weijenberg

Courtesy Ralph Marantino

8cm refractor @60x4cm PST @ 40x

The Sun inHa and WLJune 17, 2011

Courtesy of Uwe Pilz

The Moon

Gassendi

Courtesy Rich Handy

3 Sept. 200612” SCT @ 244x

Waning Gibbous Moon 28 DEC. 2008 200mm Reflector @ 48x Courtesy Deirdre Kelleghan

Petavius 29 May 200910” Reflector @ 241x & 362x Courtesy Frank McCabe

Lunar Eclipse

21 Feb.2008108mm

Reflector Mag: 21x

Courtesy Frank McCabe

Deep Sky Objects

Courtesy Eric Graff

Courtesy Jeff Young

Courtesy Rony De Laet

M3128 Sept. 200815x70 BinocularsFOV: 4.4 deg.

Courtesy Eric Graff

IC4665Summer Beehive15 Sept. 2007102mm RefractorMag: 16x FOV: 150’

Courtesy Rony De Laet

Asteroids and

Comets

C/17P Holmes03 Nov. 2007102mm RefractorMag: 16x & 20xFOV: 150’

Courtesy Rony De Laet

Courtesy Jeff Young

OccultationsConjunctions

AndTransits

Occultation of Venus01 Dec. 2008 LX 90 @ 57x Courtesy Deirdre Kelleghan

Saturn and PorrimaMay 28, 20118cm refractor @ 120x

Courtesy of Uwe Pilz

Sketch by M Rosolina

What do I use to make my sketch?

Basic Tools for Sketching

drawing pencils, pens, color pencils, Conte’ crayon, charcoal, pastels, chalk

sketching paper, copy paper, black paper, color paper, textured paper, waterproof paper

templates, blending stumps, erasers, eraser shield, sharpener

clipboard, red light, white light, table, chair

What effects can be achieved by the use of different media?

Graphite pencilon smooth white copy paper

Courtesy Sol Robbins

Graphite pencil on white sketchpaper

Last Quarter Moon18 March 200915x70 Binoculars

Courtesy Deirdre Kelleghan

Graphite pencilon white paperinverted digitally

Courtesy Jeff Young

Graphite pencil andcolor pencil on whitesketch paper

Courtesy Erika Rix

The Sun in Ha 10 DEC. 200540mm PST @ 33x

Color Chalk ontextured white paper

Color pen onwhite paper

Courtesy Ralph Marantino

Remember…record whatyou see!

Courtesy Ralph Marantino

White Conte’ crayon,Conte’ pencil, andwatercolor pencil onblack paper

Courtesy Erika Rix

White Conte’ crayonon textured color paper

Total Lunar EclipseThe NetherlandsJune 15, 2011

Courtesy Roel Weijenberg

Pastels onBlack paper

Computer processing is a relatively new tool that can be

used very effectively to enhance and even create astro sketches.

Digitizing your work allows you to present and share it with the global community of amateur

astronomers.

You can add text…

Courtesy Eric Graff

You can add color…

Comet C/17P Holmes04 Nov. 2007

Courtesy Sol Robbins

You can invert…

You can add text to field sketches and make a collage of sequences…

Courtesy Erika Rix

You can even make an animation…

Solar Prominence

Courtesy Erika Rix

… or draw the sketch with the computer…

Alpha Persei Assoc.

(Mel 20)ETX 70 @ 9x FOV: 4.8 deg.

Digital drawing based on a raw

pencil field sketch

Courtesy Rony De Laet

M51 & SN2011dh16” reflector @75x-225x

Digital drawingCourtesy of IVM

What does making a sketch look like?

Here is a step-by-step tutorial.

Let’s start with a lunar target.

First, anchor the sketch by outliningdistinguishing features…

Courtesy Erika Rix

Courtesy Erika Rix

Then add shadows…

Blend to smooth…

Courtesy Erika Rix

Add more shadows.Try to make lightand dark areasinstead of drawingobjects…

Courtesy Erika Rix

Courtesy Erika Rix

Add and blend more shadows.Use your finger and a stump toblend…

Apply backgroundin layers—use a loaded finger or a loaded stump…

Courtesy Erika Rix

Add material in layers…

Courtesy Erika Rix

Keep adding those layers…

Courtesy Erika Rix

Soften by blending…

Courtesy Erika Rix

Add finishing touches and you’re done…

Copernicus Courtesy Erika Rix

We’ve looked at some of the long, rich history of astro sketching.

We’ve seen some prime examples of sketching at its best.

We’ve discussed sketching tools and techniques.

And we’ve learned that sketching not only leaves you with a visual record of your observation…

But most importantly, it trains your eye and improves your observing skills.

Now it’s time for a little hands-on practice.

Observing log M Rosolina

Remember, everyone starts somewhere…

Keep Looking Up!

Sketch Courtesy Frank McCabeOrion

Choose one of the following objects to practice your sketching technique…

M6 Courtesy Rony De Laet

Courtesy Jeff Young

Courtesy Sol Robbins

Jupiter

SaturnSaturn

Courtesy Jeff Young

Graphite drawing pencils, pens, color pencils, Conte’ crayons, charcoal, pastels, chalk

Sketch paper, copy paper, black paper, color paper,textured paper, waterproof paper

Template, blending stump, eraser, eraser shield, sharpener

Clipboard, red light, white light, table, chair

Sketch Materials and Tools

These are some of the many online resources available for tutorials, templares, materials, advice, and companionship:

Cloudy Nights Sketching Forum

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php/Cat/0/Board/Sketching/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all

Astronomy Sketch of the Day

http://www.asod.info/

Jeremy Perez’s Belt of Venus

http://www.perezmedia.net/beltofvenus/

The Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO) templates

http://alpo-astronomy.org/

Dick Blick Art Materials

http://www.dickblick.com

Astrosketching Resources

Copyright 2011 Michael Rosolina

All contributor images are theproperty of their respective ownersand are used here with permission