Copernicus in Lunar Grey's

Crater Copernicus is undoubtedly one of the best known and most typical lunar formations. It is a centre of bright rays, which can best be traced on the surface of Mare Imbrium. To the north of Copernicus is a group of scattered solitary hills, which rise to a height of several hundred metres.
Named after Nicholaus Copernicus a Polish astronomer,one of the founders of modern astronomy. - Moon Mars and Venus by Rukl

Copernicus
01/11/06
17:45 UT - 18:30 UT
Conte Crayons
300gm Daler Rowney Paper
Sky Watcher 200mm
8mm TVP eyepiece
Bray Co Wicklow Ireland
Humidity 70%Temp 9C
Lat: 53:11:44N (53.1955) Lon: 6:06:31W (-6.1086)
Seeing 2
Transparency Average

About six weeks ago I went out a bought all the shades of grey I see on the moon's surface in Conte crayons.

Last night I decided to jump in a have a go at using them on black paper. Copernicus looked challenging in 80% illumination.I was tempted to go back to pencil on white, as it is more familiar to me.

I found the crayons interesting but difficult to work with, no points just edges. Some of them broke in my hand and gave better more usable edges after a while.

I intend to have another try at this as I am fascinated by the variety of grey's on the lunar surface. I would like to achieve the splat grey on top of splat grey effect that I observe, which is difficult to reproduce in ordinary pencil sketches.

Deirdre Kelleghan
Irish Astronomical Society
www.irishastrosoc.org

Thats a great sketch D.

I think you captured the lighting on the ridged walls and the central peaks v well.

Dee - another beautiful sketch! I don't know if it's the paper, the crayons or the artist, but the background texture to the drawing is excellent. It gives the impression of countless impact craters just beyond the resolution of the eye. Keep 'em coming!

Phil.

Not only is that a great sketch Dee it is art. I'd LOVE to have a large version of that sketch framed and hanging on my wall! You have a great talent for drawing astronomical objects and particularly the Moon.

Bart.

Real Art with a big "A" Deirdre.

Your "Maybe Letronne" is already on my wall.

This will join it.

(Hope I'm not breaching copyright!)

Peter.

Dee.

Mesmerising.

Paul