Sketching tips and tricks

[Thiink]

I am after tips and tricks that people are using to help them sketch the MOC objects. Like what sort of paper/pencil's they are using, drawing techniques etc, other tips?

Thanks (you better reply Darren.. :P).

[asimov]

Darren sketches the same as me. in pencil, then inverts the image in a pic editing program.

[elusiver]

ohh thats how u do it.. i thought u guys used black paper and chalk. :D

was thinking to go into the arts supplies shop and asking for a chalk pencil.. if they exist..

el :)

[asimov]

I suppose it would be a more 'authentic' sketch to do it in white pencil on black paper though...perhaps? I'm not sure weather to look upon my way as 'cheating' or not. It's just as hard to sketch inverted because you have to remember that all pencil strokes will be white once inverted. :confuse3:

[ballaratdragons]

John, How do you get your pencil drawing into the pooter?

If you say 'Scanner' I'll scream as my scanner just broke!! :mad2:

[asimov]

Ok....I won't say that 'S' word!:D

[toetoe]

Take a shot of your sketch with your digi cam Ken, that will do the job.

[ballaratdragons]

John, the 'S' word is banned in here for a while.

Peter, My super duper Kodak doesn't take close-ups :mad2:
I've tried and they turn out as blurry blobs. Closest it will focus is about 6 feet.

[ballaratdragons]

I Suppose I could do my sketching on the pooter!!

[toetoe]

No macro on your cam??
if you use paint shop or something like it, you should be right. :thumbsup:

[ballaratdragons]

How's this? :D

[asimov]

That qualifies for the photo section, not the sketching !! That piccy taken with a refractor??.......no diffraction spikes...hmmmm! Nice shot man! :D

[ballaratdragons]

Sorry John, :doh: here you go! Diffraction spikes. :D

[toetoe]

Ngc????

[ballaratdragons]

NGC-BD001/58736253275976/73453/7598466389/54 and a half!

[dhumpie]

Nice one. Yup John has answered the question for you. I use the same method that he does. I get those sketch pads with the spiral bound from the newsagent and then sketch using HB or 2B (depends). I usually have a blunt one for shading and a sharp one for the stars. I start by placing the field stars and then sketch the nebulosity, etc in. I try to put in as much detail as possible under red light at the ep as I want to capture the essence of the object and not have to do too much touchup which I have to do from memory (dust lanes and stuff will have to be added later as you need an eraser to put them in). Then I invert the sketch after scanning. I must remember to sketch more boldly so the sketch transferes well when scanned and inverted. Oh and by the way I have started to experiment with a black sketch pad and color pencils. Let you know how that goes when I get some done :)

Darren

[ballaratdragons]

Pencil sketches won't be a problem for me as I draw portraits. It's the scanner problem. Mine died! No matter how hard I try, I cannot sketch as good with a mouse.

I'll try a pic of a sketch I did of my son jake to see if it will reproduce any good by downloading it into PhotoShop.

[Thiink]

Thanks for the replies guys! I might go grab me some half decent pencils tomorrow, I already have a sketch pad.

I had a quick doodle of M55 this afternoon (no more than 2mins) using the image of it in starry night 2004 (which looks nothing like actual telescope images that I have seen online). Its going to take some practice but it should be fun! Here is my first non-genuine effort using a crappy unknown unsharp pencil. :P Image was inverted in Gimp.

[ballaratdragons]

Done, in positive and negative.

It seems to work! :thumbsup: I will have to do larger drawings though.

[cahullian]

Great sketch Ken. You are a man of many talents.
Gazz

[ballaratdragons]

Thanks Gazz. I love doing artwork. Tattooed for 21 years, signwrite for friends, draw at home. I get a kick out of it.

Had a drawing of Joop published in an astonomy journal about 19 years ago. Apparently I was only the 2nd person on Earth to notice and report the massive growth of the GRS on Joop and the developement of a smaller red spot above the GRS. The first was a professional astronomer in Hawaii. I drew what I saw and our society sent it off.

I just love art.

[Wombat_In_Space]

Hey Ken have you ever thought of using digitiser pen for you drawings so you can do them directley into the computer???

[ballaratdragons]

No Darren. I like to rub my shadings with my fingers, use different pencil pressures for different effects, etc. It just ain't the same. Pencil and paper have a great tactile feel.

[elusiver]

true.. don't get the same tactile feel with a digitizer.. plus.. a decent digitiser is at least a couple of hundred smackers.. u can get a box a pencils and sketch pad for $5 with change.

top sketch BD!

el :)

[ballaratdragons]

Thanks ellex.
I have drawn all my kids. I even did a self portrait. It's fun creating images from a peice of graphite and some paper!

[asimov]

Nice portrait Ken. One of the best i've seen for a long while. I used to be able to sketch like that once, went to art school & everything. But I hated it. I just wasn't interested in doing it. I had the talent, but no desire to do it. Some say 'what a waste' & I tend to agree....I didn't agree at the time, but I do now...20 years later.

[ballaratdragons]

Thanks for the compliment John.

I never learnt to draw, I just do it. :confused:

It will come back to you John.

If their is no desire, don't attempt it. Wait until you want to do it. Do a couple of drawings and it will all come back :thumbsup:

[asimov]

Well, you have a real natural talent there, that is rare! I sketched mars the other night....inverted of course. I'll get around to posting it soon.

[ballaratdragons]

Cool John!

I will have to do a drawing of an astro object so I can see what it looks like inverted to negative. This could be fun.

I won't be doing it tonight though. All my art gear is packed away.

That will give me something to do as I can't doing any viewing in this weather!!

[asimov]

Yep. There's plenty of astronomy projects to be done if you can't view (me included, crap weather here too) I'm gonna do some sketching & in between cloud breaks if I'm lucky, some EP reviews.

[ballaratdragons]

Mike will have to make another new Sub-catagory. 'Astro art' :thumbsup:

[asimov]

And a collimation section! :D

[dhumpie]

Wow very very nice sketch Ken!!!!!!! I used to do some portrait sketching but not as good as yours :)

Darren

[ballaratdragons]

Thanks Darren,

I am very particular about realism! If it doesn't look right it gets chucked out and I start again!!

[ballaratdragons]

I dug out the self-portrait I did and thought I would stick it in here just for the heck of it, and coz it sounds like you like my drawings.

I did this one back in 1999.

[cahullian]

hey Ken anyboby ever tell you you look like Billy Connolly

[ballaratdragons]

Gazz, I look nothing like billy Connolly. He has an accent! :lol:

[cahullian]

LOL so do you mate, so do you...But i don't he he he

[h0ughy]

Wow, that sould be entered into the Archibald competition! Mind you, if it wins we won't here the end of it :rofl: :rofl:

[h0ughy]

:poke: BTW Ken, do you have to collimate your pencil before you sketch a viewing session :rofl:

[ballaratdragons]

Yep! But it's really easy to do since I bought my 'Cheshire' Pencil Sharpener!

[asimov]

Yep! It's a mars template. :D :thumbsup: