Free Rock Painting Tutorial: Christmas Mouse

Patsy Waters has graciously shared her tutorial for painting a very cute Christmas Mouse on a rock (or slate).

Photo Courtesy of Patsy Waters

Step-by-Step Instructions

Tutorial Courtesy of Patsy Waters

 

Another Variation

 

You can adapt the Christmas Mouse tutorial to create a prayerful Angel Mouse thanks to Lisa Carter of ROCK ART USA.  

Illustration Courtesy of Lisa Carter ROCK ART USA

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Start painting now and you'll have some very cute gifts and stocking stuffers ready for the Christmas holiday.

Rock Painting Technique: Pattern Tracing

No drawing skills? No problem. You can trace a pattern onto a rock and paint it.

Supplies

• Flat, somewhat smooth rock
• Pattern or photo
• Graphite transfer paper
• Pencil or stylus
• Paints

  
Steps

Find a rock with a smooth and/or flat surface. A rock with lots of pits or angles will be difficult to transfer a pattern onto.

Even though this rock has pits, the pattern transferred nicely because of it's flat surface.

Find a photo or pattern you'd like to paint on your rock. If the photo or pattern is larger or smaller than your rock, that's OK.

This pattern was taken from "Stained Glass in an Afternoon" by Vicki Payne

Measure the width and height of your rock. You'll need the dimensions to adjust your pattern so it fits nicely on your rock.

Copy OR scan your pattern so your original is not damaged. 

• If you copy your pattern on the printer, you'll need to play with reducing or enlarging the image so it will fit nicely on your stone
• If you scan the image, you can insert it into a drawing program and resize the image using the rock's measurements to find a good fit, then print the page

Place a sheet of graphite transfer paper on top of your rock with the waxy side down. (If your rock is dark colored, you'll use white graphite paper. If your rock is light colored, you'll use gray or black graphite paper.)

Place your pattern (face up) over the graphite paper. You can use masking tape to secure the pattern and graphite paper to the rock so it doesn't slip while you're tracing the image.

Trace around all the lines of your image using a stylus or pencil.

Remove the pattern and graphite paper and paint your rock.

Pattern transferred onto the rock

The rock after it was painted and sealed

I used a stained glass pattern for this painted rock but you can use photos and other patterns just as easily. (Remember to copy or scan them first so the original isn't damaged.)

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks 

How to Paint Fingerprint Stones: No Drawing Skills Required

I came across a fingerprint drawing book and wondered if the clever technique would work with rocks and acrylic paint.

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To my delight, the project was very easy and the results made me smile. 

Although you don't see the loops and whorls of a fingerprint, the simply-painted stones are quite charming. This would certainly be a fun, easy project for children.

Supplies you'll need:

• flat stones
• your finger (or thumb)
• paintbrush
• acrylic paint
• paint pen or marker
• sealer (optional)

Fingerprint Stone Painting Process

• Paint one of your fingers or thumb
• Press your finger onto the stone
• Let the paint dry
• Add some dots and lines
• Seal the stone to protect it (optional)

Tips

• It's better to use light-colored stones
• Bright, saturated paint colors show up better
• Paint your finger or thumb, don't dip it into a puddle of paint. (You don't want a glob of paint on the rock.)
• Practice on paper first to test the amount of paint required for good coverage 
• Apply more paint before each finger press onto the stone
• If using more than one color, allow the first color to dry first 
• Use a small brush and touch up (by dabbing) any areas where the fingerprint is light or uneven
• I like to use acrylic-paint-filled pens, however, magic markers could work
• Ed Emberley's Complete Funprint Drawing Book is a wonderful resource for fingerprint and thumbprint ideas for critters, people, and more

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Ideas

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No two fingerprints are alike and no two fingerprint-painted stones will look alike - prints will be dark or light, lines will be thick or thin, colors will vary.

Fingerprint painted stones are great personalized gifts to both give and receive. 


© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks