Paper quality and deep-sky drawings

[kisspeter]

Hi All,

I'd be interested if you have any experience with different kinds of paper for drawing deep-sky? For my drawings I use the most common 80 g/m2 white office paper. But I am curious to know if it makes any difference to use thicker / better quality / shiny / etc. paper for drawing deep-sky.

So far I have not experimented because
- it takes a lot of time for me to process my drawings from the sketch made at night by the telescope into the final drawing (right now I am lagging 2 years),
- I am a little afraid to realise that my drawings could have been much better had I used better paper.
But one day I think I'll try to process the same drawing on different types of paper to see the difference.

[Ciel Extreme]

Hey Peter

Like you, I just use regular office paper and have for the last 25 years. I’ve always been satisfied with the results and my drawings from 1992 still look as if I made them last night. If I may make a suggestion, perhaps you could try just using regular paper for your sketches at the telescope and then try using a few different grades of paper from an art supply store... at the same time experimenting with blending sticks, different grades of pencil, etc. until you find something that pleases you. On a dewy night, regular paper (which is inexpensive) is fine at the telescope, but I wouldn’t want to take an expensive art sketching pad outside where conditions could negatively impact the paper. On my profile site, I have a couple of albums of sketches I’ve done over the years (they are negative images of my black on white sketches)... like I said no special pencils or papers and I’m pleased with my own results.

[kisspeter]

Thanks Mark. Glad to hear that the drawings can last decades on casual office paper. My oldest ones I have at home are from ~2000 and I haven't noticed any degradation either.

By the telesope I use a sketchbook from an art store and I like it very much:
deep-sky-sketchbook-kisspeter.jpg
It withstands the dew, cold, sand. It's pretty much in use and you can see it but it's not that bad.

I use only one pencil, a 0.5mm with B lead (at night and for the ready drawings as well) and sharpened good erasers. I make the diffuse areas with folded handkerchiefs, a blending stick and a sharpened bad eraser. I don't smudge with my fingers. This is what I could achieve the best results with.

[Jraymond]

I use thick paper, 65 lb cover stock. Regular paper gets dew, then torn by the pencil. We have lots of dew. I printed my observing forms and keep in binders.

I also have a small sketchbook for casual observations.