Rock Painting -- How to Paint Rocks
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My Rock Painting Journey
I saw an article online about rock painting and decided that I had to try that! I don't consider myself to be artistic at all, but I do love crafts. I have no problem trying new things (or stopping if I am no good at it!). I figured painting on rocks would be a perfect new thing to try.
I already had a bunch of acrylic paint and paint brushes (cheap craft brushes, which won't work; oil and watercolor brushes, which I use very rarely and that are probably a little too nice for rock painting but hey, I already have them). That meant one thing; I just needed to find some rocks!
Photo of my first rock painting project.
Photo Credit: Peggy Hazelwood
I already had a bunch of acrylic paint and paint brushes (cheap craft brushes, which won't work; oil and watercolor brushes, which I use very rarely and that are probably a little too nice for rock painting but hey, I already have them). That meant one thing; I just needed to find some rocks!
Photo of my first rock painting project.
Photo Credit: Peggy Hazelwood
Contents at a Glance
Starting to Paint on Rocks
Starting is sometimes the hardest part for me.
I got a book by Lin Wellford called The Art of Painting Animals on Rocks and looked at the pretty pictures. I marveled at her skill. I wondered how she made those tiny strokes so evenly yet natural looking. This went on for at least a week or two. I am an expert at studying something and never acting till much later (if ever).Finally the other day I found the right rock, scrubbed it, and got busy. This photo shows Scarlett O'Hairy laying on the book. I slipped the ladybug rock, the recommended first project, on the book to get in the picture with her. See it by her right paw?
Photo Credit: Peggy Hazelwood
To get started painting on rocks, I'll summarize here what you'll need:
- some smooth rocks, cleaned
- acrylic craft paint
- small paintbrushes
- paper, pencil, and scissors
For more detail, please see LIn Wellford's great books.
The Art of Painting Animals on Rocks... and more
by Lin Wellford
Rock Painting Tip:
Put an old towel or cloth instead of newspaper on your work surface to set the painted rocks on. When the rocks dry, the paint might stick a bit to the fabric but won't pull up any of the cloth like if the rocks dried on newspaper.
Got Rocks?
These unpolished river rocks are waiting to be painted.
Rock Painting -- Project No. 1
Ladybug
Lin Wellford recommends painting a simple ladybug on a rock as the first project and for once, I did what I was told. I guess I waited so long because I hadn't found the right rock yet. So, with rock in hand, I had at it.I followed her step-by-step advice and think I did okay, not great, but okay for my first rock painting project. I need to get a small liner paintbrush. And I used a toothpick to paint the antenna and the eyes on the ladybug. Oh, for the small black dots, I used the end of the brush handle.
The finished ladybug rock is shown in the introduction above.
Photo Credit: Peggy Hazelwood
Get Painting
Rocks Love Craft Acrylic Paint
Rock Painting Tutorials
Buy one to help you paint on rocks
Learn to paint on rocks with these individual rock painting tutorials.
- Rock Painting Tutorial How to paint on rock a by Livingrocks
- A mother hen with her chicks is a cute and fun project to paint on rocks,especially for an Easter display. Learn rock painting with my lessons!
- Rock Painting Tutorial How to paint a Leopard frog by Livingrocks
- Paint a collection of frogs to decorate your garden. They are nice to look at and don't croak loudly! This is a unique rock painting Pdf lesson,
- Rock Painting Tutorial How to paint on rock a by Livingrocks
- This lovely kitty is ready for you to paint, just find the right rock shape and follow the instructions that will lead you through every stage of the
- Free How To Paint Rocks Instructions
- Free how to paint rocks instructions. Step by step photos and instructions on how to paint stones.
Rock Painting -- Project No. 2
Cat
I found the rock. Now I have to figure out what to paint on it. Any idea? I'm thinking a cat but I'm also thinking that might be too ambitious for my second project.Okay, I finished painting this rock this evening. I've added the completed CAT below. This was tricky. I'm not thrilled at all with how it turned out but then I don't have a lot of patience so slapped the paint on, pretty much. Hmmm.
Photo Credit: Peggy Hazelwood
Rock Painting
Some Rock Stars too
My Rock Painting Finished Projects
Ladybug, Project No. 1, July 2011.
All photos here by Peggy Hazelwood.
Rock Painting -- Paisley Lady Bug
I like to say that paisley and plaid are my favorite colors. I know that's not quite right. Blue paisley and blue plaid are my favorites. Any hoo, since I love paisley so much, I decided to paint a lady bug with paisley on her back.This was a fun one! I used a toothpick to dot on the little dots around the black paisley swirls and inside. I applied the eyes using the end of a paintbrush. I have no idea if these tactics are kosher, and I really don't care. I figure if it ends up with the result I want, it's okay.
Flowery Painted Rock
This little rock was kind of tricky to paint but I got 'er done. The opposite side tilts southward a bit so I couldn't get a decent photo of it.Again, I used toothpicks for some of the fine strokes.
Painted Rocks by Other Painters
These are great for inspiration or to buy!
- Children's Crafts: Making Rock Critters | FreeStuff4Kids
- Children always seem to love to play with rocks, so this can be the perfect craft project. Rocks are also free, since they can be found almost anywhere
- Billie (BillieRocks) on Etsy
- I am a self-taught artist. I began painting as an adult and have been painting rocks since 2007. I love everything about the process from selecting a
- Dark Sun Handpainted Magnet rock painting by thestoneteller
- *Dark Sun* - Hand-Painted Magnet .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... -Hand painted with acrylic colours and
- Pair of Cardinals Rock Painting by HildeMosaics on Etsy
- I painted the Cardinals with acrylics on a oddly shaped found piece of of slate. the size is 12 inches x101/2.inches. The piece is sprayed 3x with
- A frog in the well Painted rocks by Livingrocks on Etsy
- Let me introduce to you a unique set of painted rocks. The set illustrate an ancient tale, very popular in India and China, and is about just what
- One of a Kind Painted Rocks
- This is another Squidoo lens featuring rock painting by d-artist. Her painted rocks are awesome!
- Duckling Pond -- Paint on Rocks
- Three tutorials for painting on rocks.
Have you ever painted rocks? Dripping paint on a gravel driveway counts!
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betty-tailor May 3, 2012 @ 4:47 pm | delete
- Very cool! :) I like how you can transform something so easily.
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WaynesWorld
Mar 7, 2012 @ 9:50 pm | delete
- I saw a painted rock at a gravel pit's scalehouse, it was of a bunch of flowers. The scale lady said she had painted it. A few weeks later I was at Michael's (the craft store) with my wife, she was looking for some bead stuff. I saw a book on painting rocks and it reminded me I wanted to try it. So I bought some paint and cheap brushes.
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I have hauled gravel off and on my whole adult life so I have always had a love for rocks; picking up petrified wood at a gravel pit on the Colorado/Nebraska border, fossils in the grayish-white limestone at Coralville, Iowa and great looking rocks at gravel and limestone quarries near and far.
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I remembered the book at Michael's had mentioned if your rocks were too rough you could put a layer of Bondo(auto body putty) and smooth it up with sanding paper. The rocks I found were smooth enough though. On all of them I painted flowers, I had done a red tulip on a black background on a weird elongated rock about 10 inches long and 4 inches wide by 1 1/2 inches thick. On a round rock I did half a dozen yellow daisys on a brown with green background. I did some others but one of my artsy sisters asked to borrow them when she saw them when we moved, I can't recall what they were. I do know that it is fun, fun, fun and if you screw up paint over your rock's surface and start over.
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Great lens.
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scarlettohairy Mar 7, 2012 @ 9:55 pm | delete
- Thanks for sharing your rock painting tales. I love to see how good other people's rock painting is. Mine is crude and simple but I have fun. Maybe you could write your own lens on rock painting!
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hntrssthmpsn
Mar 3, 2012 @ 8:06 pm | delete
- Our front yard is landscaped with river rocks, which is low maintenance, but a little on the humdrum side. We have painted a handful of rocks and scattered them amongst the others. It always makes me smile when I notice a cheerfully painted rock peeking out from our staid and mature rock garden.
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marsha32 Feb 18, 2012 @ 6:43 pm | delete
- It's fun to paint rocks. My teen helped out downtown for smaller kids to paint rocks this past year. I love the kitty in the first picture--looks just like my Exodus.
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Squid Angel Blessings for Rock Painting
Woo hoo!
Thank so much to DecoratingforEvents and gottaloveit for blessing my ladybug rock painting!If you love rock painting,
how about a thumbs up!?
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by scarlettohairy
I'm a freelance writer and copy editor. I write articles at Squidoo on a variety of topics, which is handy since I have a variety of interests!
I h...
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I use acrylic paint on my rocks.
DecoArt DASK278 Crafter's Acrylics Primary Sample Pack
Amazon Price: $8.65 (as of 06/04/2012)
A Kit for Rock Painting
Rock Painting Book & Kit
Amazon Price: $14.08 (as of 06/04/2012)
Keep Your Toothpicks Handy
For Painting or Tooth Picking
Fred Ouch Toothpick Holder, Gray
Amazon Price: $6.49 (as of 06/04/2012)
