Category: Oil Pastels

Mixed Media Daytime Moon

Daytime Moon

Gibbous Moon
Sketch and Details by Frank McCabe

On Saturday October 18, 2008 at 8:00 am local time, I was out walking in east Mesa, Arizona on a gorgeous morning with the air temperature about 22°C (72°F) and the humidity in the high teens. Over in the western sky the 19 day old waning gibbous moon was riding high and bright in a remarkable deep blue sky. Never in my life have I seen such a bright daytime moon. I stopped in front of a nearby building roof with a tall palm tree on the other side. I took out of the folder I was carrying an index card and using a pencil I drew the moon on one side and the building roof and palm tree on the other side. I jotted down some notes on colors and positions. When I got back home to Illinois, I combined the pencil drawings and notes into a mixed media sketch. For the moon I used pastel pencils (white and black) and for the building and palm tree I used Cray-Pas oil pastels on deep blue construction paper. Of course the view was much better than I am capable of capturing but I will never forget the treat of this perfect morning.

Sketching:

Naked eye drawing
Date and Time: 10-18-2008 8: 00 am PST
Location: Power Road and Broadway Ave. Mesa, Az.
Weather: Perfect
Moon at 19 days, high in the western sky.

For this sketch I used: dark blue construction paper, 10”x 8”, white and black Conte’pastel pencils and a blending stump. Also cray-pas oil pastels for the building and tree. This sketch was put together from pencil sketches and notes made at the time of the observation.

Frank McCabe

Luna Dons a Red Dress

Winter 2008 Total Lunar Eclipse

Lunar Eclipse 2008: a Sketch

By Frank McCabe

Lunar Eclipse 2008: a Sketch

  I was favored tonight in two ways, clear skies and good location for the 2008 total
lunar eclipse. Beginning about 1:00 universal time prior to the beginning of the
umbral portion of the eclipse, I went outside to where I had set up to sketch the
total lunar eclipse. Using a HB graphite pencil on white sketching paper to which I had
earlier added a 15 cm diameter circle using an Alvin protractor, I sat down at the
eyepiece and drew in outline form a sketch of the maria and highland features of
the Moon. I finished in time to see all of the earth’s shadow passage to totality.

 During totality I began sketching from the darkest side to the lightest. I decided
to use oil pastel crayons (Cray-Pas) which I have used a few times in the distant
past. Oil pastels are messy so when I returned indoors I needed to clean up some
stray marks. I prefer not to draw in color due to my limited experience. I
practiced with both oil pastels and drawing pencils about a week ago and since the
pastel experience went better in practice, that’s what I decided to use. I enjoyed
making this  sketch, but I did feel a little rushed.
  
  Sketching:
  
  For this sketch I used: white sketching paper 8”x 10”, and a 2HB graphite pencil,
assorted colors of oil pastel crayons (Cray-Pas). I also used a piece of black
construction paper with a 15 cm hole cut from the center to create a dark sky
background.
  
  Telescope: 4.25 inch f/ 5.0 Dobsonian and 26mm eyepiece –  21x
  Date: 2-21-2008   3:01-3:50 UT
  Temperature: -12°C (10°F)
  Clear
  Seeing:  Pickering 5
  Co longitude   85.2°
  Lunation:  14 days
  Illumination:  100% through the earth’s atmosphere
  
  Frank McCabe