Painting rocks and going out hiding them is a great activity that you can do together with your friends and family. However, if you have just discovered the hobby for yourself, then you may be wondering “what supplies do I need to paint rocks?”
Well, the answer is not much at all! Sure, there are some essential supplies that you need to paint rocks. In this post, I’ll give you tips about the things you need. Most of them you can get at your local craft store or supermarket, or most conveniently online. But for the most part – you’ll be using your creative juices and spreading the joy of painted rocks with others who will find them!
What Supplies Do I Need To Paint Rocks
So, you want to start painting rocks and creating your own little masterpiece, but don’t know where to start? Luckily for you, the barriers to entry for this activity are very low. In fact, all you need are basic art and craft supplies.
And the best part about rock painting is that it can be as simple as a small design, or as intricate as an entire mandala-style masterpiece filled with different colors and textures – it’s entirely up to your creativity!
Essential supplies that you’ll need to start painting rocks
Rocks!
Painting on rocks requires you to, well, actually have the rock to paint on! Look for rocks that are nice and smooth – these are a lot easier to paint on as compared to rougher surfaces.
Pebbles work great for rock painting, but if you can’t find any, a small rock with a relatively flat surface for painting on will do just fine.
Paintbrush
This one is pretty obvious, but essential. You’ll need to get a set of brushes in order to create your masterpiece on your painted rock. Don’t worry about what you’ll need at first, you’ll only need to get a basic set when you’re just starting out. If you’re more experienced, you can start to get higher-quality brushes and specialized brushes that will help you craft a magnum opus on your rock. As you advance and acquire more skills in your rock painting journey, your brush collection will get bigger!
Paint
You’re probably thinking – “it’s just a rock, any paint will do, right?”. Well, ideally, the best paint you are going to want to use would be acrylic paint, specifically. Why acrylic? Well, acrylic paint is water-based, meaning it is easy to mix with gloss or matte mediums and is easy to apply as watercolor as well.
It is also thin and flexible enough to transfer color onto your rock from the brush and is less prone to cracking unlike oil paints, which are thicker and can start to harden and crack after multiple heavy coats. Acrylic paint can be recoated lots of times thanks to its thin yet strong consistency. Plus, cleaning up those brushes will be an absolute breeze compared to using oil paints, when all you need is soap and water!
Paint pens
Painting with a brush and paint pot can be time-consuming. You have to prepare the brushes, prepare the paint on a paint tray, and when you’re done painting then you have to clean up the whole work.
Acrylic paint pens are a really convenient and very clean alternative for painting on rocks and not just on those, they can be used to paint on almost any surface. There is no need for long preparations and when you’re finished painting you just put the cap on and you’re done.
Marker pens for painting on rocks are great. Many painters who started out with brushes eventually switch to pencils after trying them out for a while.
My favorite pens to paint rocks are posca acrylic pens. The posca pens are non-toxic and you can use them to paint on almost any surface. In addition, the pens are available in different thick tips that can be exchanged when they are worn out.
Sealer
Sealing rocks after painting them, is important so that your little piece of art becomes weatherproof. The best way to seal painted rocks is to use a simple water-based clear coat. Clear varnish is available from the can or as a spray.
Other things you may need when painting rocks
- Brush (different strengths)
- Paint cup and water
- Plastic painting palette
- Pencils (hard and soft)
- Contour pencils (thick and thin)
- Ruler – For precise lines or shapes
- Nail polish remover
- Spray paint for sealing
- Tracing paper or carbon copy paper
- Old newspaper or cardboard pad to protect your desk
- Camera to take photos of your rocks
Painting rocks is a fun craft project for young and old. And as you can see, the hobby is not particularly expensive because the supplies you need to paint rocks can easily be bought for little money in craft stores or online.
When your rocks are ready you can put them as decorations in your apartment or garden, give them to friends or put them out somewhere in the wild. I’m sure someone will be really happy when they find your painted rocks.
