How to Paint Gems and Pearls on Rocks

I thought gems and pearls painted on rocks could be eye catching and this easy lesson courtesy of Elaine Benfatto helped me understand how to paint them.

"How to draw a gem" by Elaine Benfatto "urbanspinner"

Although this is a drawing lesson, I figured it could also work with rocks and acrylic paints.

First, I ran through the steps using paint on paper.

My attempt at gems painted on paper

My attempt at pearls painted on paper

I thought the painted gems and pearls looked pretty good on paper so I tried the techniques on one of my round rocks. 

I used the same acrylic paint colors for both the gems and the pearls and used the different shading methods Elaine demonstrated.

Gems painted on one side of a rock

Pearls painted on the other side of a rock

My thoughts on painting gems and pearls on rocks:

• A Micron pen may be better than black paint and a liner brush to outline each circle for both the gems and pearls
• When painting gems, the paint must be thinned with the correct amount of water to achieve the graduated shading referred to in the lesson (I considered using white paint but thought allowing the rock to show through would be better)
• I wasn't sure what paint color to use for the drop shadows on the rock so I chose gray
• My pearls remind me of candy
• I will keep practicing this technique -- stones painted with pearls and gems would definitely be "eye-catching" when placed in unexpected places.

Coming soon: How to paint water droplets on rocks.

Do you have tips or suggestions for painting gems and pearls on rocks? Please leave a comment.

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks 

3 Free Rock Painting Lessons - Bees, Ladybugs, and Frogs

Today's 3 FREE lessons are courtesy of Patty Donathan.

All of Patty's free PDF rock painting tutorials include:

• A list of the supplies you'll need
• How to select the rocks
• Detailed illustrations and instructions for painting both simple and detailed bee, ladybug, and frog rocks

How to Paint a Bee

I painted this rock bee using Patty Donathan's free how-to guide

Every artist has their own style and you'll see a slight difference between my painted rock and those in Patty's lesson. I also added something extra to my painted rock bee - a toothpick painted gold became the bee's stinger.



How to Paint a Ladybug

This simple, ladybug how-to guide is perfect for those round rocks in your yard and easy enough for children to do. At the time I painted the ladybug, I did not think to take a photograph of my finished product.


How to Paint a Tic Tac Toe Frog & Koi Pond Game

This tic tac toe painted rock project is more involved, however, it's a very clever idea. Instead of playing tic tac toe with X’s and O’s on paper, two sets of frogs are painted on rocks - one set of frogs with orange spots and the other set with yellow spots. Patty also includes instructions for painting the pond tic tac toe board. One day I hope to complete this tutorial for myself. 

Thank you, Patty Donathan for generously sharing your free rock painting instructions and giving us rock painting ideas and inspiration.

The free projects mentioned in this post along with their links were viewable on the date of this post. I cannot guarantee how long the projects will remain free and available online. 


© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Learn to Paint Rocks with Free Guides, Lessons & Tutorials

If you'd like to try your hand at rock painting, there are several FREE, step-by-step tutorials I'd recommend.

These illustrated, instructional, lesson guides will show you:

• How to choose your rock(s) 
• The supplies needed
• How to create your own, one-of-a-kind painted rocks.

Today's Free Lesson is Courtesy of Lin Wellford

How to Paint a Wild Rabbit and Baby Bluebird on a Rock

I painted this rabbit & bird using Lin Wellford's free online tutorial

The rabbit was one of my earlier attempts at painted rocks and the bird was done much later. For a beginner, I recommend you try painting the baby bluebird rock first. Painting the rabbit's fur can be a little tricky and I don't want you to get discouraged.

Click here to see how I added my own personal touch to the painted baby bird rock.



If you've never painted rocks before, a free how-to guide will help you get started and for little or no cost you'll discover if it's the craft/hobby for you.


The free projects mentioned in this post along with their links were viewable on the date of this post. I cannot guarantee how long the projects will remain free and available online.


© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks