If you are ever looking for something fun to do in your free time that does not cost a lot and gives you hours of pleasure – here is a solution – rock painting!! You only need a few supplies to get started and this can easily become a healthy habit for you.
To get started painting rocks, the best kind of paint to use is acrylic paint. As pictured above, there are a variety of brands to choose from and they can be found at your local craft stores. For painting tools, you can use brushes but to get small details, you want to use things like chopsticks, toothpicks and skewers. You can also add embellishments like rhinestones and google eyes if you choose. You want to use a durable glue to attach them, ie. E6000 or something similar.
You can find your rocks anywhere. This is a bag bought from Lowe’s for a nominal cost. You will need to wash the rock dust off first then can choose to spray paint with a base coat or paint right on the rocks themselves.
Once you have gathered your supplies, the fun begins!! Your imagination is your only limitation. You can create any designs you want on your rocks, using the shape of the rock or simply just painting on its surface.
A popular design on rocks is Mandala flowers. When choosing to paint using this method, there are a few ways to get started. For each method, start with a larger dot right in the middle of the rock. Your next ring of dots can either be in the shape of a cross or triangle (see pictures). Split the distance between these dots for your next dots. You then start a pattern of dots, varying sizes and alternating spacing (see pictures).
After you have created your masterpieces, you want to seal your painting with a clear coat. Spray painting is the best method of doing this and again, you can choose from a variety of brands.
If you choose, you can then take your painted rocks and hide them for others to find. This is a fun pastime for a family to enjoy, creating a page where the finders can post pictures.
For more information on painting rocks, be sure to check out these sources.
https://rockpainting101.com/dot-mandala-beginner-tutorial/
https://www.rockpaintingguide.com/mandala-rock-painting-guide/
https://paintedrocklife.com/index.php/2017/04/13/how-rock-painting-works/