Painting Stones Rocks!
Step by Step: DIY How to Paint Rocks
First, of course, you need to find the perfect stone. Look for smooth rounded stones. River stones are best, or stones found on the beach. If you have a certain design in mind, like a cat, an owl, or a caterpillar, be on the lookout for the right shape stone to be your canvas. Searching for just the perfect stone is part of the fun!
If you don't have time to wander around looking for just the perfect stone, you can march on down to Michael's Crafts or another nearby craft store. Michael's has bags of natural stones that come in small, large, dark or light colors so you can take your pick!
If you're picking up your stones from mother nature, be certain you're allowed to take the stones. National and state parks prohibit their removal.
If you picked up your canvas from the outdoors, you'll want to make sure it's nice and clean. Wash it off with some warm water and soap and pat it dry. You could even scrub it with an old toothbrush.
Some stones have rough patches on them that will make painting a little more difficult. You can sand it down with sandpaper, starting with 100 grit and moving to 150 and 220 grit until the patch is gone.
At this stage, you're ready to draw your design onto the rock. It might be good to try practicing your design on a piece of paper beforehand to perfect it. When you actually draw your picture onto the rock, you can use a pencil, chalk, or soapstone - or even an ultra fine Sharpie marker which offers a lot of control and the ability to draw small details.
Now you're reading to start painting! Be patient and move from the biggest parts of the design to the smallest, letting each coat dry before moving on. You can use a hairdryer to dry the paint faster.
Once you've finished painting your design, it's time to seal it! Use a sealer and add a coat or two to make sure your art lasts for a long time.
Here are some other supplies to have on hand:
Paints All kinds of craft, water-based, or acrylic paints work well for rocks. One downside of acrylics is that they tend to be difficult to wash out of clothes, so be careful when using them. Wear a smock and put down something to protect the painting surface. Test out your paint on paper before painting your rock to make sure you don't have any surprises with consistency or color. Applegreen Research Acrylic Paints on Amazon work very well.
Fine point markers These are great for adding details that can be tricky to do with brushes, especially on smaller stones. Markers in general can be fun to use for "painting rocks."
Marker paints These are perfect if you like the control of a marker but the look of a paint. Both markers and marker paints come in cool metallic colors, too!
Mod Podge or other sealer You'll want to use a sealer to make sure your creations last for a long time. If you'll be using your finished product indoors, you can use an acrylic spray that will make the colors brighter and glossier. You'll need to use it outside, however, and only under adult supervision. For rock art that will be outdoors, you should use a spar urethane sealer which will prevent cracking and wear. Modge Podge is also a good option for indoor art.
Magnet backings For if you want to use your finished stones as magnets! Just attach magnet circle to the back. When making magnets, be sure to use stones that are not too big or too thick, or you will need a super strong magnet to keep your stone from sliding down the fridge!
Newspaper or other protective covering for your table
Paint Palette You can either purchase a paint palette or make one out of a paper plate, a piece of cardboard covered in foil, or something similar. If you're going to be painting over a long period of time, you might want to invest in making or purchasing a wet palette, which will keep your paints wet for longer.
Paint brushes Get some stiff, cheap brushes with wooden handles in a wide variety of sizes. The stone's surface will quickly wear brushes out, making expensive brushes a waste. Wide, flat brushes will be good for parts of your design that are bigger, and smaller, pointed ones will be good for adding details like faces or whiskers (cute!). Look for brushes with long bristles that can hold a lot of paint.
Google eyes Eyes are a must for those pet rock and rock monsters you plan to make! Also, any other mixed media that you want to use in your art
Glue If you're attaching stones to each other or some kind of media to the stones, you'll need some glue. Elmer's can work just fine. Hot glue guns can also do, but if you want your rock to last for a long time outside, you should ask about an outdoor-safe glue.
