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Hi Patrick,
I cheat.
I too am trying to increase my observational skills and have found that the well publicised glossy photos of OC/nebula tend to give a false impression of what I actually view through my 8" dob. Colour (except B&W), for instance, is virtually non-existent in my light polluted sky.
"Photos.... often over expose the nebula's core in order to reveal faint edges".(AS&T Jan 09 p 70). The quoted article has 3 sketches including one by the Eighteeneth century comet hunter Charles Messier. You might find re-visiting the article interesting.
Colour certainly has its place as do glossy photos. However, for learning/observational purposes I, like you, find sketches a valuable aid.
The way I "cheat" is by using an astronomy programme. I particularly like Stellarium version 0.10.1 which, whilst still under development, is an excellent (and free) product. By using spare time during the day, I can use the software to help me sketch items of interest (and their Alt/Az location) -- straight off the computer screen. Identification and finding is easy because the software does it for me. No confusion. My viewing during the night is purely to confirm what I sketched and learnt during the long daylight hours.
Peter
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