Step by Step by Sarah Summerton
Hi everyone, welcome to a new step-by-step crafting tutorial with Sarah Summerton. This time we’re crafting a beautiful serene moonlit scene with Thistlewhisk our whimsical umbrella-wielding mouse. Let’s dive in!
Step 1.
Using a piece of 150x150mm watercolour card, stamp Thistlewhisk and the Spring Trees in Fallen Leaves and a tree stem in Morning Mist.
Step 2.
Stamp another Tree Stem on copier paper and cut out. Use this to mask off the first stem and stamp two more, one either side. Bend the trunks a little to make it look like a cluster of trees.
Step 3.
Put a piece of low tack masking tape on the back of the moon mask and stick in place. Use a number 9 stencil brush to add Della Blue ink to the background as shown.
Leave a clear space where the path will be and a slightly lighter area under the moon mask. Don’t worry about going over the mouse and trees as we can faux bleach those later to remove the colour.
Step 4.
Use a mini hill mask to cover the foreground and add Dark Denim to the sky, still leaving the lighter area under the moon.
Step 5.
Use a fan brush and add droplets of water to the sky, covering the ground area with copier paper and leaving the hill mask in place. Blot dry with kitchen roll. This will give you a lovely, starry sky.
Step 6.
Add a very light covering of lemon drop and a touch of denim blue to the moon to soften it.
Step 7.
Using your stencil brush 9, add some more Della Blue to the foreground, using a hill mask to mask off and keep the path area clear.
Step 8.
Ink up your lavender stamp using Monarch for the flowers and Shady Lane for the stem. Stamp in the bottom right comer using first and second generation stamping.
Step 9.
Use Shady Lane and the Dill stamps to add foliage around the tree bases and in the foreground. Use a torn piece of copier paper to mask off the stamping and only show the tip of the plant like tufts of grass.
Step 10.
Use a waterbrush pen to move the ink in the foreground around and break it up to add texture. Dab a small amount of dark denim onto an acrylic block and use your waterbrush pen to pick up the ink and add some colour to the horizon and around the base of the trees to add depth.
Step 11.
Add some Olive to the acrylic block and use the waterbrush to pick it up and add colour around the tree bases and lavender stems. Clean the brush on some kitchen roll. Paint water on the Tree Stems then blot with more kitchen roll to lift some of the colour out. Repeat on Thistlewhisk and his umbrella. Add some graphite to the path using the waterbrush pen. Focus the colour on the foreground leaving the horizon lighter.
Step 12.
Use the waterbrush pen to move the ink around in the moon slightly, giving it a textured effect.
Step 13.
I use Posca Pencils to colour with as I love the coverage and colour. But you could equally use your Mondeluz Watercolour pencils. I colour the tree stems grey, shading it lighter on the moonlit side.
Add some horizontal lines of dark grey and black to make it look like a Silver Birch trunk-they are such beautiful trees. A touch of green gives a mossy look to the trunks.
The Spring trees I colour in brown shades, again keeping the moonlit side lighter. Angelic white signo gel pen where you imagine the moonlit touches the trees gives our little glen a magical look.
Step 14.
Add some colour to Thistlewhisk and his umbrella. I will add the white spots later. Some lilac pencil adds some highlights to the lavender too. A touch of dark grey under Thistlewhisk’s feet adds a bit of shadowing.
Step 15.
Using Shady Lane, add foliage to the Tree Stems with the mini leaf stamp. Use the foliage stamp from the Spring Trees with Shady Lane on those, first and second generation stamping.
Step 16.
Final touches-add some dark denim in the foreground with a size 7 stencil brush. Draw some clumps of grass using quick strokes with a dark blue pencil, dot these around the foreground. Colour in the spots on the umbrella with a white Mangaka pen. Use a clear stardust gelly roll pen to add some sparkle to the umbrella and a pink stardust pen to add some sparkly highlights to the lavender. Use the angelic white gel pen to add some fine white lines on Thistlewhisk to fluff up his lovely fur.
Finally add a touch of Titanium White Pan Pastel (I use a stencil brush 3 for this) to underneath the moon and extending down to the horizon, spreading out behind the trees. This gives a mysterious, misty glow in the distance.
I hope you enjoy creating this moonlit scene with me. Please swap any stamps you have not got for ones in your collection, it will still look fabulous. Happy crafting!
