It goes without saying the best paint type to use when creating drop rocks is – Acrylic Paint. Even when Acrylic paint is used, we get asked to troubleshoot – questions like ….. My paint coverage is not right, or it is streaky – WHY? let us look at the many reasons why. These include your brush type, the paint type is too thin or too thick, the paint quality or how quickly your paints are drying out. Let’s start you off with some paint options that work, a few easy to use paints to start with. And then troubleshoot through your questions.
Let’s chat Paint and putting colour on rocks ….
The most important thing to think about when choosing how to decorate your rock is what are you creating ? That will determine what you should use on your rock.
Drop Rock – This is a rock that is hidden outside in the elements and subjected to the elements like rain and sun. A Drop Rock must be sealed for the outdoors, you can find that information HERE
Art Rock – This is a rock you creatively design and it is kept inside AWAY from the elements so you have a lot more choice with choosing supplies that do not last outside.
For a Drop Rock, after many trials with 30 day outdoor testing the answer is Acrylic Paint or Acrylic Paint pens.
Acrylic Paint – Comes in two grades, Professional and Student. Professional grade costs more as they use better quality pigments. Acrylic paint is a fast-drying paint made of pigment suspended in acrylic polymer emulsion and fillers. Acrylic paints are water-soluble, but become water-resistant when dry.
To start rock painting try – Americana or Liquidtex or Arteza paints.
These paints are all easily cleaned up with water (water based) They are easy to use, seal well and last outdoors, We have 30 day+ tested all these brands (and many others) and know they are great for rock painting. Yes there are many great paint brands…. Yes you can use cheaper quality craft paints – that is something to experiment with and below are some great troubleshooting tips to understand the paint you have.
You can have an overall brand and within the brand you have different quality Paints. Here we show you the brand – Decoart and within that brand here are two of their craft paints. They are of different quality – Americana about double the cost and the pigment is double in quality. Your outcome in quality will be from the decision you make when buying your paints.
Brush type will play a large outcome on your finish- There are so many brushes to choose from it is difficult to know which ones work for you. To look at brushes suitable for rock painting – CLICK HERE
Paint type – uneven paint or streaks can happen from the paint type you use. Thick heavy body paints can be artist quality but are designed to leave brush strokes.
Use a liquid/fluid acrylic paint to overcome this and get a smooth coverage.
Most Craft Acrylics will be fluid type paints for easy use.
Thinning your Paint – this can cause streaks. Acrylic paints can be thinned down with water HOWEVER it should never be done more than a 50% ratio -30% is great. (Take into consideration the water in your brush for this as well)
A fluid medium is more suitable to thin your paints as it is compatible with the polymer base in your paints and helps the paint cover your rocks smoothly.
To buy Fluid Medium
Click here – Australia
USA & Other Countries
Cheaper paints dry out quickly as they have more additives in it. As the paint dries you can see the brush marks and streaks. With any paint as it dries it is less fluid so the paint pulls with each stroke, this causes streaks.
You might like to use a stay-wet Palette to keep your paints moist. Anne teaches you how to make a Wet Palette HERE
Pigments
Watercolors, gouache, and poster paints all rely on pigments for their coloring rather than dyes. This means that tiny pieces of colour materials are suspended in the paint mixture, rather than being dissolved like dye.
The difference between paint transparency is quality and the size of their pigment particles. Pigment based paints are the most suitable for rock painting.
Binder – All paint uses a binder to hold the ingredients of the paint together. Depending on what binder is used is how easily it reactivates in water after it has dried. Binder type is what reactivates your paint and can cause a bleed when you seal – even though you are using pigment based colours. – CLICK HERE for sealing advice and reactivation of acrylic paint. You do not have to keep trying more and more paints- Be consistent, find the paint you like and it’s compatible sealer -and stick with it
Additives – Acrylic paints contain additives, which vary considerably between brands and even between individual paints in the same brand. One of the additives is to “stretch” the paint so that it contains less pigment. This can make the paints less expensive BUT it tones down intense pigments .
You are more likely to get a high amount of the additive that stretches paint in student or low grade craft paints.
Our Supplies page is HERE to read up on everything you need to paint Rocks.
Learn heaps of different techniques on how to paint rocks – Right HERE
We are adding new tutorials all the time CLICK HERE for heaps of new ideas
