The Three Types of Astronomical Deep-Sky Sketches Identified and Explained
Recently it occurred to me there was not a definitive identification of the various deep-sky sketching techniques. It’s my opinion, there are basically three types of sketches, but as of current, have never been identified or named.
I would like to recommend or propose to the amateur astronomy community, that this identification of deep-sky sketches be considered as a standard for all future discussions and for proper identification, concerning deep-sky drawings. Roger Ivester
Detailed visual telescope sketching: Observing an object through a telescope via an eyepiece. Drawing the object on paper or a sketch card “as verbatim” as possible using a pencil, or pencils of various hardness.
I’m not a graphic artist….just a humble amateur astronomer with more than forty years of experience as a backyard observer. I do not use paints, colored pencils or in anyway attempt to embellish my sketches.
Impression sketching: A sketch made at the eyepiece, using a pencil, charcoal, or chalk and representing what the observer mentally perceives, without a great degree of scale or detail.
Want to know more about this type of sketching?
Pull out your copy of the “Messier Album” by John Mallas and Evered Kreimer. Mallas does an excellent job with this type of sketching:
“The sketches were made on vellum-type drafting paper with a soft pencil, using finger smudging and erasing until the desired effects were achieved.” John Mallas
Computer-enhanced sketching: A sketch generated using a computer, from “sometimes” a rough pencil sketch. Now it’s my opinion….why bother. From all computerized sketches I’ve seen, the sketch appears very similar to that of a digital camera image, “and” normally as would be seen through a much larger telescope.
However, if you choose this type of sketching, please let it be known to your readers that it is a computer generated or assisted drawing, and not a pencil sketch as seen through the eyepiece.
Examples of detailed visual telescope sketches:
The following is a representation or an illustration of my sketches, using only a pencil, an eraser and a blank 5 x 8 notecard with the colors inverted via a computer or scanner.
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