This is list of some basic rock painting supplies that will help you get started. You do not need all these to paint rocks. All you need is rocks, paint, brushes and sealant. However, we will share extra resources if you are interested in trying them. We will cover:
1. Acrylic Paints
2. Behr Interior/Exterior Paint
3. Paint Pens
4. Micro Liner Pens
5. Brushes
6. Foam Brushes
7. Sponges
8. Sealants
5. Brushes
6. Foam Brushes
7. Sponges
8. Sealants
9. Drying Rack
DecoArt Americiana is my preferred craft paint. It isn't too thick or too thin. The consistency seems perfect. It covers beautifully and they have a wide variety of colors. It generally costs $1.00 - $1.50 for a 2 ounce bottle. DecoArt comes in different finishes, regular (matte), gloss, patio paint (outdoor formula), glitter and metallic. You can find it at your local craft store, Walmart or online at DecoArt.com
Apple Barrel paint is another good choice. The consistency of the paint is a bit thinner than Americana. However, it does come in a wide variety of colors. And it more economical than other name brands. It generally costs .50 cents to $1.00 for a 2 ounce bottle. Apple Barrel comes in a few different types. The regular (matte), gloss, and multi-surface. You can purchase Apple Barrel paint at Walmart, your local craft store, or Amazon.
If you decide to give them a try, make sure to get Acrylic Paint Pens or "water based" paint pens. These work best and dry quickest. There are "oil based" pens and they take a longer time to dry and are not the best for rock painting.
Here are a few great brands of Acrylic Paint Pens you can try:
Posca Pens are high quality and cover very well. The paint and color is consistent and they are long lasting. However, they are a bit pricey and they have a limited selection of colors. If you choose Posca pens be sure to shop around for the best deal.
I have bought several packs of extra fine point Tooli-Art paint pens on Amazon. I was very pleased with them. They offer the largest selection of colors of any Paint Pen. They have extra fine point and medium point pens. The one down side to these are they require a lot of shaking and priming with every use.
I absolutely love these fine liner brushes from Hobby Lobby. You can find them in the model section. They are great for lining and very fine detail. You can find them here!
These are slightly larger brushes. They are perfect for base coating your rocks. You can order them online at plaidonline.com or find them at your local craft store. They generally cost $4.00-$6.00 a set.
These are smaller brushes that are perfect for painting designs and words on your rocks. You can order them online at Plaidonline.com or find them in your local craft store. They generally cost $5.00 -$7.00 a set.
Foam brushes are great for applying sealant, Mod Podge and glue. They apply smoothing and evenly and do not leave brush strokes. They are also easy to wash. They are reusable. You can find them in the craft section & the dollar store. Michael's has a Bucket of 72 brushes for only $9.99. It's a great value!
Spouncers are excellent for doing galaxy rocks, clouds and backgrounds that are blended with different colors. You can pick up a pack at Walmart for $3.00. Also your local craft store may carry them as well. Be sure to wash them out after each use. A pack will last you long time if you take care of them.
Nail Dotting tools are great for making perfect dots! This is a popular set that has 5 sizes of dots. You can also use dotting tools to paint in small areas, outline and even write with paint. You can find them on Amazon and they run about $3 - $6 a set.
1. Acrylic Paint
Acrylic paint works better than oil paints. It dries quicker and is easier to work with in rock painting. Also the clean up with easier. There are many different brands of Acrylic paint. I will just highlight a few of the better ones.DecoArt Americana
DecoArt Americiana is my preferred craft paint. It isn't too thick or too thin. The consistency seems perfect. It covers beautifully and they have a wide variety of colors. It generally costs $1.00 - $1.50 for a 2 ounce bottle. DecoArt comes in different finishes, regular (matte), gloss, patio paint (outdoor formula), glitter and metallic. You can find it at your local craft store, Walmart or online at DecoArt.com
Apple Barrel
Apple Barrel paint is another good choice. The consistency of the paint is a bit thinner than Americana. However, it does come in a wide variety of colors. And it more economical than other name brands. It generally costs .50 cents to $1.00 for a 2 ounce bottle. Apple Barrel comes in a few different types. The regular (matte), gloss, and multi-surface. You can purchase Apple Barrel paint at Walmart, your local craft store, or Amazon.Liquitex Basic Acrylic Paint
Liquitex Basics Acrylic is very high quality paint. It comes in a 4 ounce tube. It is very thick unlike craft paint which is more watery. Liquitex has excellent coverage, blends beautifully and has a rich high pigment making the colors vibrant. It is more expensive at about $6 a tube. But a tube goes a very long way because it's so thick. You don't need very much just a little dab! I love this paint! It's my favorite!
2. White Base Coat / Primer
Base coating or priming your rocks with white acrylic paint or white gesso helps your paint colors to be brighter and true to their color. If you are painting darker rocks, your paint colors will be dull and muted. You can use regular white acrylic paint, White Gesso or even white house paint. Behr Premium Plus in a matte finish works great for base coating rocks. It is latex based and it works great with acrylic based paints. Behr usually covers well in one coat and has a built in primer.
3. Paint Pens
Paint pens are fun and easy to use. They are great for writing and outlining. Also great for kids to use. There is little clean up and very little mess using paint pens versus traditional paint brushes. They come in different sized tips. Medium is for large areas like background and heavier writing. Extra fine tip is for outlining, fine details and thinner writing.If you decide to give them a try, make sure to get Acrylic Paint Pens or "water based" paint pens. These work best and dry quickest. There are "oil based" pens and they take a longer time to dry and are not the best for rock painting.
Here are a few great brands of Acrylic Paint Pens you can try:
Posca Paint Pens
Posca Pens are high quality and cover very well. The paint and color is consistent and they are long lasting. However, they are a bit pricey and they have a limited selection of colors. If you choose Posca pens be sure to shop around for the best deal.
TOOL-ART PAINT PENS
I have bought several packs of extra fine point Tooli-Art paint pens on Amazon. I was very pleased with them. They offer the largest selection of colors of any Paint Pen. They have extra fine point and medium point pens. The one down side to these are they require a lot of shaking and priming with every use.
TIPS ON USING PAINT PENS
This set offers a variety of different sizes and types of brushes. They have a few larger brushes perfect for base coating and smaller brushes for more detailed painting. You can get these at Walmart and most craft stores. They generally cost about $7.00 - $ 9.00 a set. They offer several different 15 piece sets. Look carefully at the sets to pick the one that will best suit your needs.
NEW BOX / NEW PEN
When you first open a new box or new pen, follow these steps to ensure good use:
1. SHAKE: Shake the pen for 30 seconds or more to mix up the paint well.
2. BURP: Remove the cap and hold the pen with the tip facing upward towards the ceiling. Then gently press your finger down on the tip to allow any air to be released. Press several times, you might even hear a little burp. This will help lessen the chance of having paint spills while using.
3. PUMP: On a piece of paper gently press the tip of the pen up and down in a pumping motion. This will cause the paint to flow. Once the tip is saturated with the paint and writing good, you are finished. Replace the cap securely.
USING YOUR PAINT PENS
1. Make sure you shake each pen up very well before every use. This helps break up the paint and get the water flowing through the paint. If you do not here the little ball sound in the pen, that means it is stuck. Drop the pen on a table several times to help loosen up the ball. Then shake, shake, shake!
2. Keep a blank piece of paper nearby. Gently press down the tip of the paint pen onto a piece of paper to pump/prime the pen and then doodle a bit to make sure the paint is flowing properly.
3. Keep a damp paper towel near by. After using each paint pen, gently wipe the tip on the damp paper towel to remove any other color paint that might have gotten on the tip.
4. Make sure the caps are securely on when you are done. Otherwise your pens will dry out and die before their time.
5. IMPORTANT: If you used a paint pen or any pen on your rock, you have to protect it before sealing it otherwise it might run and smear all over your rock. I let my rocks dry at least several days or even a week before I seal them. Then before sealing, I apply a very light coat of Mod Podge over the entire rock with a brush or sponge brush. Let it dry at least an hour. Then seal your rocks like normal.
4. Micro Liner Pens
For extra small writing or outline, I use Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens. They come in black and gray. They work better than other micro liners that I have tried and don't clog up like Sakura Micron Pens do. They come in various sizes. I got the 4 pack which includes sizes .1 pen, .3 pen, .5 pen and .7 pen. This seems to cover most of my micro lining needs. A pack costs about $10. You can also purchase individual pens if you have a preferred size. You can purchase them at Hobby Lobby, most craft stores and Amazon.
IMPORTANT: If you used a Micro Liner pen or any pen on your rock, you have to protect it before sealing it. If it's not protected it might run and smear all over your rock. I let my rocks dry at least several days or even a week before I seal them. Then before sealing, I apply a very light coat of Mod Podge over the entire rock with a brush or sponge brush. Let it dry at least an hour. Then seal your rocks like normal.
5. Paint Brushes
Paint brushes matter! You want to spend a few extra dollars and get good ones. The cheap plastic bristle and nylon bristle brushes do not work very well on rocks. You want to find taklon bristle brushes. Here are few good choices to get you started:Langnickel 15 piece Value Sets
This set offers a variety of different sizes and types of brushes. They have a few larger brushes perfect for base coating and smaller brushes for more detailed painting. You can get these at Walmart and most craft stores. They generally cost about $7.00 - $ 9.00 a set. They offer several different 15 piece sets. Look carefully at the sets to pick the one that will best suit your needs.
I absolutely love these fine liner brushes from Hobby Lobby. You can find them in the model section. They are great for lining and very fine detail. You can find them here!
FolkArt 3 piece Base Coating Brushes
These are slightly larger brushes. They are perfect for base coating your rocks. You can order them online at plaidonline.com or find them at your local craft store. They generally cost $4.00-$6.00 a set.
FolkArt 10 Piece Detail Brushes
These are smaller brushes that are perfect for painting designs and words on your rocks. You can order them online at Plaidonline.com or find them in your local craft store. They generally cost $5.00 -$7.00 a set.
Disposable Eyelash Brushes
These are really great for fine lining details and painting in small areas. You can get 100 of these on Amazon for about $7.00 - $8.00 and free shipping! they will last you a very very long time. You can wash them and reuse them as well.
6. Foam Brushes
Foam brushes are great for applying sealant, Mod Podge and glue. They apply smoothing and evenly and do not leave brush strokes. They are also easy to wash. They are reusable. You can find them in the craft section & the dollar store. Michael's has a Bucket of 72 brushes for only $9.99. It's a great value!
7. Sponges
Sponges are great for creating galaxy rocks, clouds, blending and blended backgrounds. Here are few types that work best.Spouncers
Daubers
Are excellent at doing blended backgrounds, galaxy rocks and cloudy backgrounds. You can get a set at Hobby Lobby for about $4.49. You can find them in the stenciling department
Cosmetic Wedges
Cosmetic wedge sponges are great for creating blended backgrounds. You can get a large pack of them at Walmart and Dollar Tree for just a few dollars. It will last you a long time. Make sure to wash them out after every use. You also can trim down the flat part when it gets too yucky. And keep using the sponge trim after trim.
8. Nail Stylus (Dotting Tools)
If you are interested in doing extensive dot work and mandala art, The Happy Dotting Company has an excellent set of dotting tools with a very large range of sizes. It's a great set to use for tutorials and following patterns. You can purchase the set on Amazon or Esty from The Happy Dotting Company.
9. Sealants
You will need to seal your rocks if they are going outside. If you do not seal them the paint will eventually fade and chip off. For info on sealants see the sealant post.
10. Drying Rack
You will need a rack to be able to seal your rocks on and let them dry. I like the Egg Painting Drying Rocks or otherwise known as Cat scat mats for drying my rocks. You can purchase a set on Amazon.
AMAZON LINK
OR you can make your own DIY drying rack out of styrofoam and toothpicks. Check out this post to learn how.
HAPPY ROCKING!
OR you can make your own DIY drying rack out of styrofoam and toothpicks. Check out this post to learn how.
HAPPY ROCKING!
