Rock Painting

Keywords :

Pebble painting

Small rocks and pebbles are the result of erosion. Led by the water, they roll against each other and slowly polish themselves. You can find them at the seashore, beside rivers, or in garden supply stores.

Rock painting is the art of taking these naturally-occurring stones and giving them a personal decorative touch.

The best media to use on rock are acrylic paint and ink.

Often, painted rocks are used as paperweights, but they can also be:

place cards: write the guests' names with ink (paintbrush, felt tipped pen). Practical for summer lunches held outside, they'll hold paper napkins in place.
knife rests: as well as being useful, double as table decorations.
doorstops: work well with larger rocks.

game pieces: for checkers, chess, backgrammon, etc. Any little flat stones can be playing pieces for a game that develops at the beach, for example, but you can also plan ahead and make your own.
weights for outdoor tablecloths: choose stones that have holes in them and slide the corners of the tablecloth through the holes.

Supplies

Tools

Thin paintbrushes, according to what you need

Palette (you can use a plate, some sturdy cardboard, etc.)
Rag
Glass of water
Newspaper or drop cloth to protect your work area
Countertop or table to work on
Countertop or table to dry rocks

Materials

Rocks

Choose from:
- Acrylic paint
- India ink
- Colored inks
- or paint for miniatures

Multipurpose glossy varnish, applied as a spray or with a brush
White spirit

Directions

Choose your background for rock painting

Choose your rocks according to what you want to make.
- For decorations, use rocks that you find in nature.
- For place cards, the small, polished stones available at garden supply stores are perfect.

Use the appearance of the rock (its shape, its bumps, its seams, its colors) to your advantage to create a unique work of art.

Choose your decoration for rock painting

If you're using paint, choose acrylic. It sticks better than water- or oil-based paints.

Ink
- Ink is a good choice when painting rocks.
- India ink is good for line-heavy projects: lines, mazes, horizons, silhouettes, letters, words, names, etc.
- Colored inks offer infinite possiblities.
  NB: The inks' colors will be modified by the background, and light-colored inks will be difficult to see.

Paintbrushes
- Choose a paintbrush according to the design you're going to make and the medium you're using (acrylic paint or ink).
- You will need very thin paintbrushes for details and small designs.

Decorate your rock painting project

Clean your rocks beforehand.
Paint your design with ink and/or acrylic paint.
Let dry.
In a well-ventilated area, apply multipurpose varnish from a spray can or with a paintbrush.

Tips

Jade's Tips

I use paint for miniatures because it has a naturally shiny finish and thus has pretty results.
I always wash my rocks in the dishwasher before painting them.
I clean my paintbrushes with white spirit (and I always keep a fresh supply of white spirit on hand) so that my paintbrushes are always rinsed well.
Besides searching at the seashore, I go to the rivers at Haut-Doubs to find rocks because they're more colorful than those I find at the seashore. I like using naturally-colored rocks for my backgrounds because then the varnish amplifies the natural beauty of the rock.

Looking for inspiration? Look at these examples below that Jade painted ([email protected])!

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