Acrylic Painting On Rocks

You can get really creative with some of mother nature’s creations by going out and doing some rock hunting. Choosing acrylic painting on rocks as a hobby is a fun and affordable way to utilize your inner artistic abilities. Making decorations for outdoors like garden stones or stepping stones, and indoors like statues, door stoppers, paperweights and pet rocks is a craft for any age group to engage in. Check out some cool rock painting ideas here, or come up with your own crafty creations.

Supplies

Rocks, smooth ones are the best.

Container of water to rinse the brushes and to thin the paint.

A few Paint brushes - durable, inexpensive ones that have long bristles work best.

Outdoor Acrylic Paint or DecoArt Patio Paints

Paper towels or rags to wipe the brushes on.

A table to work on with some newspapers or plastic to protect the table.

Chalk, soapstone or pencil to draw your basic design on the rocks.

Palette or Wet Palette (something to squeeze your paint on and to mix it).

Wood filler - to fill in any holes or make a flat bottom.(get the outdoor kind)

Sandpaper - to make rough rocks smother - 100, 150, and 220 grit.

Sealer - Brush-on, Spray-on, or Mod podge.

There are many places to get your acrylic paint supplies like local craft stores, artist supply stores, or you can have it delivered to you from Amazon

There’s also a handy checklist on the Supplies page with a few links to help you find the products.

Step by Step instructions for Acrylic Painting on Rocks

Step 1

Find the rocks. Smooth and rounded ones are the best. Find them near rivers, at the beach or anywhere outdoors but make sure you don’t get them at a National or State Park since that’s prohibited. If you can’t find any you can always buy them at the craft store.

Step 2

If you got your rocks outdoors, make sure you clean them with soap and water. Use a toothbrush if you want and then pat them dry.

Step 3

Some rocks might have holes that you want to fill in using wood filler. Use the outdoor kind like Elmer’s Wood Filler. You can also use the wood filler to make the bottom flatter by applying thin layers and wetting it to smooth it out. Dry completely about 24 hours.

Step 4

Some rocks you might want to sand them if they’re rough. Start with 100 grit moving to 150, then to 220 grit until it’s smoother.

Step 5

Next you’ll want to paint the whole rock a background a color of your choice. One to two coats and let that completely dry. Outdoor Acrylic Paint or DecoArt Patio Paint is perfect for use on bird baths, clay planters, patio surfaces, concrete, masonry, terra cotta, stone, wood surfaces, and more. It is weather resistant and specially formatted to resist water and adhere to surfaces, even in changing temperatures. No sealing or varnishing required! It's perfect for outdoor decorating and it won't scuff, crack, or peel. If you don't use the outdoor or patio paint you will want to varnish it when you're done to protect it.

Step 6

Now you can draw your design on paper first to practice then on your rock with chalk, pencil, or soapstone. You can look at the Painting Rocks Ideas page to see some examples if you’d like or Painting Picture Ideas might inspire you if you do not already have something in mind to paint.

Step 7

Time to start painting. Paint the biggest part of the design first, working towards the smallest,  and allowing each coat to dry in-between. There's no need to use a sealer after you paint your rock if you used the outdoor paint or the patio paint. Otherwise go on to step 8.

Step 8

When you’re done and your project is completely dry, it’s time to seal it. Use at least 2 coats of Outdoor Polyurethane to make the ultimate finishing touch in preserving the beauty of your project and waterproofing it if you want it to go outdoors. One coat or a spray varnish is sufficient for decorative indoor use.

Check back soon. I have lots of Acrylic Painting Ideas to share with you.


Please feel free to ask me any questions you have in the comments section.


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