Easy Rock Mandalas with Posca Paint Pens

Rock mandalas are easy to create when you use Posca Paint pens.

(Inspiration for this project is from the Rock Art Handbook by Samantha Sarles.)

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There are two types of mandalas you can create on rocks with Posca paint pens  - an outline mandala and a filled-in mandala.

As you can see in the photo below, the outline mandala on the left is the simpler of the two designs. You start in the center and add concentric circles of varying designs/dots/colors using the Posca paint pens.

Outline Mandala (L) - Filled-In Mandala (R)

The filled-in design on the right looks more complicated, however, Posca paint pens make the process easy - as I'll show you.

I started with a smooth, round stone which I base coated with white, acrylic paint.

A yellow dot in the center of the rock started my mandala. I then surrounded the yellow dot by adding petal and leaf shapes in pink, green, and purple using the Posca paint pens. (Note: my paint pens are the extra fine point tip.)

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The fun of mandalas is that you can choose any colors and designs you wish to surround your starting dot.

This is what my mandala rock looked like after I finished my design around the center dot using the Posca paint pens. It's a simple, colorful, filled-in mandala. I could have stopped here but the next step is what makes the rock mandala "pop."

I used my black, Sakura Pigma Micron Pen (03 tip) to outline the colorful shapes and add various doodles. In the photo below you can see where I started with the outlining in the center of the stone.

Observe how adding fine, black details (lines, dots, doodles) with the Pigma Micron pen adds a look of complexity to the mandala without being difficult to accomplish.

Reference Links
Rock Art Handbook by Samantha Sarles
Posca Paint Pens
Sakura Pigma Micron Pen

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© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

How I Fixed Two Stones Ruined by a Spray-On Sealer

Supplies I Used to Repair These Two Ruined Stones

When art pens or Sharpies are used on a rock, care must be taken when applying a sealer because the pens tend to blur or fade.

Applying thin coats of a spray sealer is usually effective in protecting the painted rock unless your spray sealer happens to drip as you're spraying. (This is the first time it has happened to me and may have occurred because I did not clean the nozzle after prior use.)

Here's what happened and how I fixed the stones.

I created these stones using acrylic paint for the colorful background and Pro Art pens for the mandala design.

I was sealing the stones using my preferred method and sealer, and the can's nozzle dripped while I was spraying thin coats onto the rocks. (The green stone survived but the design on the orange and blue stones blurred.)

Two of Three Stones Blurred by a Spray-On Sealer

Close-Up of a Design Blurred by Spray-On Sealer

My first thought was "Oh, no. I have to repaint the entire stone." But after mulling it over for a few days, I decided to "mend" the error and try another sealer recently suggested to me.

The first step was to paint over the blurred portions of the stones using my tiny nail art brush.

After the blurry, colored portion of the stone was repainted and dry, I re-drew the ruined mandala section with the Pro Art pen.

I didn't want to chance using the same spray sealer. Instead, I grabbed some clear nail top coat and brushed it over the stone. And the clear nail top coat didn't smear the design!

The Blue & Orange Stones Repaired and Sealed with Clear Top Coat for Nails

In the photo above, the green stone has the matte spray sealer and the blue and orange were sealed with the clear nail top coat. 

What I learned from this experience.

• Clear top coat for nails is a suitable sealer for smaller rocks where a pen has been used.
• Clean the nozzle on the spray sealer (per the can's instructions) otherwise it may drip and ruin the art.

Useful Links

Spray-On Sealer Tips
Brush-On Sealer Tips
Nail Art Brushes
Pro Art Pens

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

How To Paint Dotted Mandalas on Rocks

 

Beautiful, dotted mandalas are all over the Internet. 

I wanted to paint some for myself but could not figure out how the simple, yet intricate design was accomplished. 

Then, I came across a fantastic dotted mandala tutorial and look what I painted!



Here are my tips and thoughts about painting these beautiful stones.

Paints

I used both acrylic and acrylic craft paints. Acrylic paints will need to be thinned with water more so than the craft paints. Consistency of the paint is very important in order to obtain a nice effect.

Colors

I love color and these stones can be painted with any combination. For inspiration, I have a Pinterest board devoted just to color palettes:

Brushes

The tutorial recommended a certain type and size of brush for painting dotted mandalas. I had 4 suitable brushes on hand. I found the small brushes from a recently purchased nail art set worked best for me. (The nail art brushes are the 2 with white handles in the picture below.)

Stones

I used 3 types of stones for my dotted mandalas because I wanted to see how the painting technique would work on each one:

• Round and pitted (bottom left)
• Flat, smooth and an irregular shape (right)
• Round and smooth (top left)

The Tutorial

I recommend reading the detailed steps from the tutorial a few times before starting.

Mandala Tutorial by Colorful-Crafts.com

Practice

I practiced the brush dotting technique on paper first to get the hang of it before painting my first stone.

Painting the Stones

Stone 1 - Round and pitted

You can paint a dotted mandala on a pitted stone. I think my first attempt is OK but the dots appear to be flat.

One stone "dot" painted and two more to go.

Stone 2 - Flat, smooth and an irregular shape

It was definitely easier to paint on the flat, smooth rock and my dots have a little more dimension this time.

Stones 1 and 2 side by side

Stone 3 - Round and smooth

My third stone is nice but I definitely need more practice.

What I Learned

• It's not as easy as it looks.
• Go slowly and don't rush.
• Practice and practice and practice.

Helpful Links

• Dotted Mandala Stones Tutorial
• Green & Blue Dotted Mandala Stone Tutorial
• Nail Art Brushes - A Great Set of Tools for Painting Details on Rocks
• Rock Painting Color Palettes on Pinterest

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

5 Imaginative Rock Painting Ideas

"Rock Art! Painting and Crafting with the Humble Pebble" by Denise Scicluna inspired me for a 5th week of rock painting.

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An imaginative idea is painting a colorful circle first and then adding the mandala design. (I need more patience & practice to make mandalas on rocks! They always end up lopsided and become doodles instead.)

Making Mandalas: inspired by "Rock Art!" by Denise Scicluna

Your imagination can run wild because colorful ladybugs are one of the simplest designs to paint on any shape or size of rock.

Brilliant Bugs: inspired by "Rock Art!" by Denise Scicluna

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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

These pebble messages are tokens of faith, peace, and love and can be carried in a pocket. Any meaningful words, names or quotes can be painted on pebbles.

From Me to You: inspired by "Rock Art!" by Denise Scicluna

Black and white paint gives this imaginative owl design a clean, graphic look and complements the pebbles' natural colors.

Hoot Your Pebbles: inspired by "Rock Art!" by Denise Scicluna

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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

These colorful fish rocks used two of my favorite things - dots and metallic paint.

Fish Tails: inspired by "Rock Art!" by Denise Scicluna

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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Useful Links

• "Rock Art! Painting and Crafting with the Humble Pebble"
• Pretty rock painting ideas from "Rock Art!"
• 5 fun rock painting ideas from "Rock Art!"
• 5 creative rock painting ideas from "Rock Art!"
• 5 easy and colorful ideas from "Rock Art!" 
• A Rock Painting Book Perfect for Beginners (Blog Post of May 19, 2015) 

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks