Sinus Iridium in daylight pastel on black paper
200mm/25mm eyepiece July 9th 2007
Click into this sketch to see more lunar sketches

“It is only by drawing often, drawing everything, drawing incessantly, that one fine day you discover to your surprise that you have rendered something in its true character. “
Camille Pissarro

When I sketch the moon, it feels like my hands move through my eyes.
My sight becomes my fingers and explores the lunar landscape.
My fingers mirror my sight and do their best to transport the images I love through pencil, pastel or conte to the page.


I often wish to touch the edges of craters, or plunge my hands deep into the lunar regolith.
Sometimes I imagine how it would be to sit in Mare Imbrium and look up at Montes Appenines.
I wonder how it would be to set up my scope there and sketch the Earth in all her colour against the blackness of space.


The learning experience of sketching celestial objects, is without doubt the best I have ever encountered.
I am learning the sky by observing, absorbing, and sketching it.

Why don't you have a go !
How I do it and how you can coming soon.

Dee

Aristarchus region sketched by Deirdre Kelleghan. November 3rd 2006 18:00UT - 18:40 UT. Conte Crayons/ Conte Pastel Pencils/ Prismelo Water Colour Pencil B&W 300gm D R Paper. 200mm Reflector, 8mm TVP, f/6, 150X, Lunation 12.51 days. Bray, Co Wicklow Ireland Temp 2C - Seeing 2 - Average.

 This sketch was an experiment in pastel and conte greys on black paper. I felt it was a good approach as the media came in colours/grey tones very similar to the lunar surface as I saw it. I enjoy bringing light to a sketch, Aristarchus was glowing and its ray system shot out through the lunarscape announcing its presence. Drawing a 160 km U shaped valley with a pencil seems difficult but if you look closely enough you will delight at how little it appears from this Earth. This was such a satisfactory experiment; I decided it was worth developing further.

I enjoy  sharing the night sky with my friend Jane
even though we live thousands of miles apart.

Sketches from Jane and Dee are here side by side

or click into the sketch to see them

I have discovered that to achieve a good sketch, you have to want it. You have to look at what you wish for  in a way to observe it and absorb it. You must take a mental note of your target; this is the kind of thing I ask myself when I look at the moon for a sketch.


1. Where is the light coming from?
2. What kind of grey tones are on view?
3. Where are the dark areas and what shapes are they?
4. What is interesting and how will I achieve it?
5. Is there a bright area and how will I do it?
6. Where is the lunar drama tonight?

When you look at the moon, you must let it into your heart as well as your eye.
You must observe and absorb your target for good while before you begin to sketch.

This is one of my telescopes
it has an 8 inch mirror at its
base. This mirror gathers the
light from the moon or whatever
I am looking at. This light is then
sent to a second mirror closer to
my eyepiece. When I focus and
look in then I see the object I wish
to sketch.


With this telescope I have made
most of the sketches on these pages.
If you do not have a telescope you
can still learn the sky through observing
and sketching if you really want to.

Here are some of the materials I use
Good quality black paper
Soft Pastels
Conte crayons
Water colour pencils
Fixative Spray
Cocktail sticks
White gel pen
Blending Stick

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