There's More Than One Way to Paint a Cat Rock

I used how-to guides from 4 different artists to create these kitty cats painted rocks.

Lin Wellford's book, "Painting Pets on Rocks" was the inspiration for this Black Cat painted rock.

Design courtesy of Lin Wellford

I found Lin's instructions clear and easy to follow. Other cat designs included in Lin Wellford's "Painting Pets on Rocks" book are: Tabby Cat, White Cat, Siamese Cat.

Note: When you click on certain links in this post, I may receive a commission for the purchase of products. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This Black and White Cat was painted using Ernestina Gallina's downloadable PDF tutorial - "How to Paint on Rock a Black and White Cat."

Design Courtesy of Ernestina Gallina

This Black and White Cat was more difficult to paint than Lin Wellford's version, however, by following Ernestina's detailed instructions, I was pleased with the result.

Suzi Chua's ebook "Let's Get Catty: Painting Realistic and Detailed Cats on Stone" inspired the Striped Orange Tabby and White Persian painted cats rocks.

 

Design Courtesy of Suzi Chua

Design Courtesy of Suzi Chua

I am always able to paint cute, whimsical designs using a Suzi Chua how-to guide. However, I find it necessary to study Suzi's included photos because her directions aren't as detailed as Lin Wellford's or Ernestina Gallina's and could be frustrating for beginners.


Flora Tan was a guest artist also featured in Suzi Chua's "Let's Get Catty" ebook who included instructions for painting this Sleepy Kitty.

Design Courtesy of Flora Tan

Of the five cats I painted using the how-to guides, I found the Sleepy Kitty to be the most challenging. The instructions were clear and detailed but all the fur strokes became frustrating for me.

The steps for painting a cat on a rock are basically the same in each how-to guide. I often refer to and adapt various steps/features from each guide to paint my own version of a cat rock.


How to Paint Cats tutorials mentioned in this post:

• "Painting Pets on Rocks" by Lin Wellford
• "How to Paint on Rock a Black and White Cat" downloadable PDF by Ernestina Gallina
• "Let's Get Catty: Painting Realistic and Detailed Cats on Stone" downloadable ebook by Suzi Chua

Note: When you click on certain links in this post, I may receive a commission for the purchase of products. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Rock Painting Ideas: Cats

I enjoy painting cats on rocks and stones...

...however, I don't enjoy painting the fur - it's very tedious and time consuming.

I'm always looking for different ways to paint cats on rocks and have a new Pinterest board: Ideas for Painted Cats Rocks. 

The next time I paint a kitty on stones, my Pinterest board will be a reference for a different rock painting technique.


Visit my Pinterest Rock Painting Ideas and Helps board to get inspiration for other painted rocks projects.

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Simple Rock Painting Idea for Polished Stones

My problem: Polished stones are difficult to paint because of the smooth, slick surface. (The paint doesn't want to adhere to the stone.)


My simple solution for some of the prettier, polished stones like the group pictured above:

 

Polished Stone Kitties

How to Paint Kitty Cats on Polished Stones

My supply of polished rocks included small stones with a perfect shape for a cat's face, as well as larger, colorful stones to use for the body.

Step 1: Choose a large and small stone that closely match in color. (Small triangular or round stones work well for the face; round or oval shapes work well for the body.)

Step 2: Glue the small stone onto the large stone using E-6000 glue (or similar craft adhesive).

Attach the face stone to the body with E-6000 glue

Step 3: After the glue has dried, use 3-D fabric paint in various colors to add simple details for the face and body.

3-D Fabric Paint

Add simple details to the face and body

Step 4: To keep the paint from flaking off the stone(s) you'll need to seal the rocks:

• First coat: Mod Podge (an all-in-one glue, sealer and finish)
• Second coat: Delta Ceramcoat Varnish (to avoid stickiness of Mod Podge in high humidity) 

Sealer 1: Mod Podge - Sealer 2: Delta Ceramcoat Varnish

Update: I used the brush-on sealers pictured above for the cats pictured. Since the time of this post, I still use Mod Podge as a first coat, but I now prefer Americana Duraclear Satin Varnish for my second coat.

Tips

• Before gluing the polished stones together, sand the area where they'll be attached. This will help the glue adhere better
• Apply the glue to each stone and wait approximately 2 minutes before attaching the stones together
• Press the stones together for a few minutes to make sure you have a good hold. (Be watchful of the stone sliding rather than adhering.)
• You can use a brush instead of the 3-D paint tip for applying the details. This may give you more control on smaller stones  

Ideas

• Tie a ribbon around the cat's neck
• Add a little bell on thin elastic around the kitty's neck
• Use this idea for painting other critters on polished stones
• Display your painted stone pets in little baskets or no-sew bedding

Painted Rock Pets

A PURRfect solution for polished stones!

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Painted Rocks: My Process for Creating Butterfly Kitty Cats

My creative juices started flowing the other day when I spied several flat, oddly-shaped stones in my rock pile.

The shapes and natural colors of these stones seemed ideal for painting half of a cat's face. The goal was to keep it simple with one eye-catching feature - the cat's eyes!


First, I traced the stone shape on a piece of paper and sketched my idea to see if it would work.

The initial design sketch

I was pleased with the effect and started painting my kitties with these two simple features:

• A pinkish nose
• White whiskers highlighted with gray

Because I was leaving most of the stone unpainted, I wanted my focal point to be each cat's eye.  I chose yellow, green and blue eye colors and added more detail to this specific facial feature for each kitty cat stone.

The eyes are the focal point on these painted stones

I liked the result and when I placed the two larger stones next to each other, I had an "Aha moment." Why not create a complete cat's face? I used my graphic viewer and flipped a 2nd image of the painted stone to complete each face. The kitty cat became symmetrical on both sides like a butterfly.

As you can see below, some stones worked better than others when creating a complete face.

Butterfly Stone Kitty Cats

It was a fun surprise to see each kitty's face after the original and flipped image were combined.

Ideas

• Find stones that closely match in shape and size and paint left and right sides of the face. Then mix and match for funny kitty faces
• Glue a half-face stony kitty to a stick and use for a bookmark or plant accessory
• Instead of leaving the stone's natural color, paint the rock black, white, calico, etc. before adding the nose, whiskers and eyes.
• Place a half-face kitty stone strategically in a garden so it looks like a cat is hiding among the greenery.
• Use this technique with other critters also - e.g., owls, dogs, bunnies. 

 A PURRfect solution for oddly-shaped stones!

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks