Home > Tips for Sketching

NOT AN ARTIST?

Regarding point (1) above, be happy with what you sketch and know that you will get better. As a first step learn to draw a circle. Much of what you sketch will be circular (whole solar or lunar disk, planets), and all of the non-circular objects (or partial objects) will be located within the circular field of view of the telescope. You can use a compass to draw circles. The advantage of using a graphic computer program is that you can draw as many circles as required.

The size of the circles can be varied. Do not make the circle too large. 7 or 8 cm. circles are probably better for some of you, but for those of you who are just starting and are not confident with small circles can start with 10 cm. circles. Two of these will easily fit on a single page with space left over for details. There are pre-drawn observing forms for the planets available from both the British Astronomical Society (BAA) and the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO).

TRAINING YOUR EYE

Now as for point (2), when you first start sketching celestial objects you will, by necessity, spend more time simply looking at the object. This in itself is good. But to sketch you must memorize small areas of detail before transferring what you are seeing to paper. The more objects you sketch, the more this will become part of your normal observing routine. You will start to notice things that initially you were unaware of. In essence, your eyes (or eye, as most observers use one eye exclusively) are being trained.

This training of your eye is real and can be demonstrated. Here's how. Pick a celestial object. A planet, a star cluster, a nebula, it doesn't matter which one. As long as you can see it well through your telescope and make a few observations over a month's time, it will do. Observe and sketch the object once a week for four weeks. That's it. Use the same instruments at the same location with the same eyepiece. Take 15 or 20 minutes each week to sketch the object. When you're done you'll have four sketches. Compare them.

We have all observed an object and wished that we had a larger telescope with which to view it. Sketching helps us to get the maximum detail possible out of the equipment we own right now.

PREPARATION AND MATERIALS

In addition to your sketching forms, you will need a red flashlight, preferably one which can be dimmed. Ideally, a short table would be set up near the eyepiece, but since this is almost always impossible, you will need a clipboard or some sort of a sturdy board or notebook to backup your paper. If somehow you can fasten your red light, or suspend it above it, sketching will be a lot easier.

If possible, sit while sketching. Comfort is everything while observing. This is especially true when you are looking for minute details and transferring them to paper.

Before you start, decide whether you want to make black-and-white or color sketches. It is better to start with black-and-white. As you improve with details, then add color. Start with a common 2 pencil and a good-quality soft eraser. Practice light and dark strokes and fills. When you are ready, get some pencils of different shades, both light and dark. At least a dozen different shades exist for common art pencils, never mind the special ones. Any art supply store will have all that you need. Either buy several of each and keep them with your "sketching kit", or purchase a good pencil sharpener.

TIP: Don't hesitate to use your eraser!

WHITE ON BLACK OR BLACK ON WHITE ?

Most of the observers who sketch at the telescope use lead pencils on white paper. This is certainly a more intuitive approach, but some effort must be used to convert it to how it looked. through the telescope, with the blacks and whites reversed. Of course, with today's graphics programs like Adobe PhotoShop, you can scan your original sketch and almost instantly produce a negative image of it.

On the other hand, some observers sketch with white pencil on black paper. This method allows for more immediate comparison. Also, when examining the sketch later, it will remind you of what you saw in the telescope.

The choice is yours.

SMUDGING

Some observers like to use dark pencils for nebulae and galaxies, drawing the outline of the object first. They then use a finger to smudge the outline into a blob representing the nebula. For this technique, coarse grade sketching paper seems to work much better, as does lots and lots of practice. Use a pencil with a dark, soft lead. Since this technique is for deep-sky objects or comets, you have a choice whether to draw the outline of the nebula first or any stars in the field of view.

COLOR SKETCHES

To show different increments of color, press harder or more lightly with your pencil. If you want to make a darker shade, first color lightly with black. Then color over the black with the color of your choice. To make a lighter tint, first color firmly with white. Then color lightly over the white with the color of your choice. Experiment with black or white and color you need to get the value you want. This changes depending on the color you're using. For black, you can add more on top to make it darker. If black doesn't give you the look you want, try blending with other colors.

NOTE: Red light doesn't work well for color sketching. However, since most "colored" celestial objects are fairly bright (to trigger the color receptors in your eye), you may want to use low intensity white light when sketching in color.

AT THE TELESCOPE

Begin by drawing what you see. At first, notice details but don't dwell on them. Try to capture the essence of the object. If you've picked a non-comet solar system object, look at it as you would at a clock face. For reference, note where features begin and end. Try to identify the object's circle.

If, on the other hand, you've chosen a deep-sky object as your subject, begin by comparing it's size to the field of view. Try to capture this ratio in your drawing. If individual stars are visible, sketch them in first and use them as reference points. Then (unless you've chosen a star cluster) begin to lightly shade in the outline of the object.

For either solar system or deep-sky object, compare and contrast features that you see. You can do this by choosing a pair of features and noting:

1. whether they are the same height and width.
2. whether they appear tilted at the same angle.
3. whether they are the same in terms of lightness and darkness.
4. how their borders compare.
5. whether they have the same degree of smoothness.
6. any difference in color.
7. where they are with respect to one another.

The big difference between solar system and deep-sky objects is that once you are satisfied with a sketch of a deep-sky object, you never have to draw it again. It will not change in your lifetime. (Supernovae in galaxies being an exception.) This is also true of the Moon, but there are enough details on the Moon for a lifetime's worth of sketching. With the Sun, comets and planets, however you have objects which are in a continual state of change.

You never know what use you will have for your sketches.

SKETCHING LOG

If you keep an observing log, it's better that you keep a sketching log as well. This may consist of nothing more than filling in the blanks on your sketching form. Just make certain that you fill them in. When you've filled in a page, file it in some place securely.