Forest Folk Worldbuilding Contest – Prompt 1: Homes of the Forest Folk My Entry

this is the finished look of my entry to the worldbuilding forest folk contest. this is how I envision the house of the forest folks please read on

I was happy to see the Homes of the forest folks contest posted on the Draw A Day community today which is hosted by our MOD @cabalen. I had been participating in the forest folk contest earlier this year and I am just glad it is back but with a different approach. The contest is now about worldbuilding wherein we the participants are given the freedom to design each aspect of the forest folk universe and for this contest we are going to design their homes

Here are some progress drawings for my entry

This is a typical house I quickly sketched with the usual shape. It is elevated from the ground so I can have those lovely stone steps that add whimsy to my drawing. Expect an overgrowth of greens and trees around because this is a woodlands. Before I finalize my drawing I made a careful review first of the previous forest folks I submitted for the other forest folk related contest prompts. I realized I made three different groups which I uploaded below. The idea is to make the house work for these folks that I designed before.

They look like fun loving folks based on this drawing I made under the prompt: food and festivities

They love to have fun and dare take on challenges too this one I submitted for the tree top acrobatics prompt

They love attending festivals in the community under the prompt lantern parade

Well the characters I made back then are the usual human like creatures which would fit in any house I create. so that is now out of the way nothing major hiccup and I can safely proceed without changing the design of my house.

Time to proceed with the ink drawing after the rough pencil sketch

The roof is made from whatever tall grass available in the woods which was then dried. The posts and beams are timber from the forest and the walls are mud. The steps are natural stones from the mountain. Everything is sourced in the forest.

When the concept of the house had been solidified and decided upon, adding details to further define it has been a breeze. I love seeing the house unfold right before my eyes. At first it was a clean and minimal line drawing and fast forward it now shows some intricate details that look like wood carvings around the window and door frames. To make it fit the woods I added an overgrowth of mushrooms everywhere. This forest folk house is now complete.

How does this house define the inhabitants as part of the worldbuilding aspect of the contest?
The intricate wood carving details reflect the skillfulness and resourcefulness of the inhabitants in making wood carvings, they are craftsman who love experimenting with materials found in nature and making a wise of them. Take a look at the stones they turned into steps and the grass they made into roof and the mud as clay plater on their walls. The house has a central chimney where they gather for warmth and cook delicious meals. The place is deep in the woods where the climate is foggy, cold and wintery. There is an abundance of fungi which is used for medicine and food.