drawing by Erika Rix
Drawing the full Moon - both all of it and when the Earth-facing hemisphere is fully illuminated - is rarely done. Most lunar artists sketch a single feature because there is simply an overwhelming amount of detail otherwise. And most sketches are of objects near the terminator because that is where the lighting is most dramatic. So Erika’s drawing is rare, because it has seldom been done, and unique because, like any artist, she has captured her own perspective of the subject. Here are her comments: Well I did it, accomplished a goal I had desired to do for ages now. I’ve observed and sketched a full disk Moon at night with a telescope. That little 80 has a focal length of 600 so … I decided a 20mm was the way to go for a full disk view without too much magnification. A Kellner was the first EP I grabbed out of my kit … it left me with a magnification of approximately 30x … it has a nice wide field with really good eye relief. I barely had to move my head from the EP to add to my sketch. Normally I have no need for a lunar filter, but long periods of time with that low of magnification left me blinded for a few moments… It was a little difficult to differentiate some of the maria boarders because of the brightness. Brightness and lack of shadows also played a part in washing out the rugged terrain in the southern hemisphere. The rays really stood out tonight from Tycho, Menelaus, Proclus, Copernicus, and Kepler. Aristarchus looked like a little tadpole to the NW. Plato and Grimaldi were two of the darker craters, all of which provided good landmarks to set the scene for the sketch. Tonight when I was packing the scope away, I was treated to a halo, as if giving me one last show before I left the cool night air.
Erika Rix
Technical Details:
2007 01 03, 0215-0420UT. Orion ED80, LXD75 + 20mm Kelner w/diagonal + Lunar Filter + Black Strathmore Artagain paper + White Conte’ pencil + crayon
Related Links:
Rükl chart: All of them!
An earier full Moon drawing
Yesterday's LPOD: Sunrise on an Unflat Plain
Tomorrow's LPOD: Which Came First?
COMMENTS?
Register, Log in, and join in the comments.
