Felting in 2D and 3D - Three Fairies and a Dark Sky

step by step tutorial

Materials List

Felting needles

Sturdy foam or wool pad

Prepared fiber base with hanging loop

Dark wool for the sky with no stars

Dark greens and brown for a night forest

Wool in a color palette for multiple fairy outfits

Pale colored wool for wings

 

The felting lesson: 2D and 3D – Three Fairies and a Dark Sky includes a materials list and four still image galleries, each with step-by-step instructions of needle felting a dark starless sky, with a nighttime treeline and three fairy friends all pointing upward with wonder. Each fairy has its own unique outfit, but the small size of these fairies keeps the detail work to a minimum. The techniques used in this lesson focus on the art of combining 2D and 3D elements. I am working on the illustration for the last page of my second fully illustrated children’s book. 

Felting Three Fairies Under a Dark, Mysterious Sky

The difference between the dark night shades of the background and the bright colors in the clothes of these three fairies make for an eye-popping contrast! As usual, the characters are a focal point in the illustration, so there are still shot galleries with tutorials for developing small figures. In this case, the figures are a bit less detailed than in other lessons.

Felting a Dark Starless Sky

The first few layers of color for this illustration are dark shades, bringing us into the dark of night. I’ve found it very difficult to get true black wool, and besides, there are very few things that are true black anyway – including the sky!

*For optimal viewing and learning, click on the first image in each gallery to open the full view and then scroll through. If you view the images in the preview galleries only your view will be a cropped version of each image and you will miss out on the descriptive captions I have added to each picture. Enjoy!

Felting a black sky begins with a dark base.
Using a dark shade of royal or viridian blue, create the shape of your night sky.
Once the sky is firmly felted in place, also wrapping the edes around to the back of the base, place a small moon in the picture.
To prepare trees, section out several pieces of a similar amount of dark brown wool and roll/felt them into tree trunks.
In this composition the tree line helps frame the three fairies. Once all the tree trunks are formed I felt them securely in place, staggering them ever so slightly.
Using a roll and loop method with strips of dark green wool, I next lay in leaves on the trees. My style is to limit my colors for a more stylistic feel, but you can add as many shades of green as you'd like.
The leaves and Sun Fairy took form as I sat outside Eva's ballet class. Isn't it awesome, you can easily take your felting project just about anywhere!

Creating Legs and Wings

The elements that pop off the surface of the base are constructed separately and added to the base – the combination of a 2D and 3D style. These two elements are 3D, creating a lot of depth in the piece.

2D Felting the Coat & Hands Directly to the Base Layer

Attaching Felted Wings & the Hat

Hillary Dow Felting Master Class Instructor fiber artist

Meet Your Instructor

Hi, my name is Hillary Dow. I am a mother of two, an author, artist, family chef, marketing manager, marketing consultant, felting artist, outdoor enthusiast, Maine native… and on, and on. I attended the Hartford Art School for my undergraduate studies, diving into the visually narrative world of illustration. Graduate school rounded out my studies with an MBA and I continue to run my own businesses amidst a successful career in marketing. I write and self-publish children’s books illustrated with my wool creations. It is both a thrill and an honor to help others develop their own skills and CREATE artwork. Thank you for joining me!

Binding Tales Lichendia Hillary Dow

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