The Luminary Sanctuary stands as Frostfall Village's oldest structure, its stained-glass windows said to hold the captured light of the very first harvest moon. Villagers leave small, dried flowers on its doorstep each November, a quiet tradition of gratitude for the season's enduring light

Hey, guys, I am so excited to share my first piece for the Frostfall Village challenge. I am finally done whew. this is the Luminary Sanctuary. I tried to capture that super cozy, snow-dusted feel with the light just spilling out the windows, inviting everyone in. This building is just the perfect way to start the prompts and build from it as we all go along,

This is officially Prompt 1/13, and we are on a mission to fill our snowy map with all thirteen magical buildings or places before November ends. If you haven't started yet, grab your tools and jump in. Who's ready to share their take on the Spiced Sip Haven or the Frostbound Dispatch next? Let’s keep this momentum going and aim to complete all 13. Kudos to those who already had made their own depiction of the prompt. I was amazed and happy with what you had shown, keep it up.

Here is how I made the Luminary Sanctuary
I've been thinking long and hard about the spires—they are key to bringing in the exact aesthetic I want for this whole batch of my drawings. I started off feeling that segmented, clay-like wall texture on the main part of the building, and I totally think I can bring that same look into the spires as well.

Initially, I sketched two doors for the Luminary Sanctuary, both featuring the small protective roof above them. Since I decided to go with the segmented, clay-like walls for the main body, I removed one door and focused on using the wall's segmentation to highlight that single entry. I kept the one door where I placed the pine bough, as requested in the original prompt. As planned, the segmentation was applied to the spires as well, which really gives the whole building a coherent look. The arched windows I stylized a little bit for my version. For the weather vanes, I went with rustic wood and added a bird on one spire and an acorn on the other, giving it that perfect Thanksgiving/mid-November feel. All of the windows are now arched; I removed the circular window because it looked misplaced with the overall aesthetic.

I was definitely thinking terracotta when I was deciding on the main building color, it just felt right with that segmented, clay-like texture. Using that reddish-brown base really grounds the building and makes it feel warm, like a giant gingerbread house, even before adding the roof snow. It creates the perfect earthy contrast against the pure white of the snow and the green of the pine bough later on.

The contrast between the warm building and the cool background is perfect especially when I added the shadows. I colored the roof trim and the window frames in a light, slightly desaturated blue-gray to make the warm glow from the windows pop even more. For the windows themselves, I used a warm, deep amber and yellow that classic candlelight glow to really emphasize that Luminary Sanctuary vibe. The pine bough over the door is a soft, muted green, which feels really natural against the terracotta. The final touch for this stage was the night sky color, which is a lovely, moody blue-gray. I think that cool background instantly makes the whole structure feel cozier and brighter

For the background I took that segmented look I used on the terracotta walls and applied it to the pine trees in the background, making their silhouettes feel consistent with the overall style of the Sanctuary. It creates this awesome look that pulls the whole drawing together. I kept the tree colors dark and moody, almost black, against the twilight blue sky to emphasize the nighttime setting and provide depth.

For the details, I added a full moon glowing with a cool light to contrast with the warm windows of the Sanctuary. That smoke curling up from the chimney and spires which is light blue-gray, adds to the cozy, inhabited feel. And lastly, I sprinkled in tiny little stars and snowflakes across the dark sky to give it that perfect, crisp winter night

For the last step, I experimented with an alternative look by adding a distinct glowing light effect onto the surrounding snow. The idea was to make the warm light pouring out from the windows and the open door feel really tangible, creating these clear, warm patches on the cold snow. While it definitely makes the light pop, I'm not totally sold on it—it changes the mood too much from the quiet, serene look I want. So, I’m keeping this version just as an alternative, but it was a great way to explore the contrast between the warm glow and the cool winter night

Okay, guys and here is the map that makes it all come together I finished the Luminary Sanctuary, and now I can scratch it off the Frostfall Village map. Seeing all thirteen locations laid out like this from the Gingerbread Grocery right down to the Whispering Woods Workshop makes me motivated. This map shows the path we need to follow, and remember, we've got until the end of November to fill in all these wonderful spots. Please wait for the details of the second prompt so you can draw your next destination . Let’s explore every corner of Frostfall village together

The Map of Frostfall Village

About the Frostfall Village Drawing Challenge

This challenge builds a complete winter village one illustration at a time.
There are 13 locations in Frostfall Village, and each day features one prompt.
Draw the spot in your own style, post your artwork on Hive, and watch the village take shape piece by piece.