Well since starting on this adventure of rock painting, we have discovered …. no rock is the same….
~ Some like to be painted on and some do not
~ Some are smooth and some are rough
~ Some soak up the paint and others repel it
~ Some areas in the world you can pop outside and grab a rock and in other areas there is not a rock to be seen
~ And there are some places in the world it is not legal or environmentally friendly to take rocks …..
Let’s chat about rocks
and where to find them
Landscape Supplies – Head to your local location and you will find piles and piles of different kinds of rocks. Have a chat to the staff and explain that you would like to buy a bucket of rocks, we have not heard of a company yet that has not said yes – then you get to head out to the yard and hand choose the ones that suit you for rock painting. They will cost a few dollars per bucket and is the cheapest option for paid rocks. They have heaps of varieties as well to choose from. We are from Sth East QLD in Australia and we have found a brand that we love and all our tutorials are painted on them and they are – Kashmiri Pebbles. We love the Pinks & Ivories and buy them in 20kg bags for $27.
Buy your Rocks online – Speciality Rocks – Yes that’s right ! Delivered to your door and they are beautiful flat rocks that make amazing art rocks. SO if you are looking for a certain type or shape head to this page where we share a variety of speciality rocks.
Make your own rocks – Many people are doing this option, especially those that are painting Mandalas on their rocks. We can step you through how to make your rocks here and the supplies you will need.
Shiny Rocks You are able to find rocks at different retail shops but we do have a warning for you – AVOID the shiny rocks, they have a wax coating on them that repels paint and paint pens. Time wise they are not worth it for us but there is a way to remove that. Put the rocks in a pot of water and boil them until the coating has melted off. A few things to note is
~ Boil the rocks from cold to hot so they heat up slowly, you do not want to pop them in boiling water as the extreme shock of heat will cause natural hairline cracks to explode.
~ Do not dispose of the water down the sink or place the waxy rocks in the dishwater, the removed wax can clog the pipes as it cools. Lay some newspaper out on the grass and tip the water out on that and the paper will catch the wax so you can scrunch that up and throw away .
Mother Nature – It can be really fun out hunting for your ideal rocks in Mother Nature. As you are trekking around looking for your treasure make sure that where you are taking them from is legal. In many countries it is illegal to take rocks from the beach. Also pay attention to where you are taking the rocks as they may be there by nature on purpose, creating nature ways for water to flow – Be Mindful.
Prepare your Rocks – What is the best way to start? Here we discuss a few different ways to prep your rocks for successful long lasting finishes. Yes that’s right, what you do in the start is the most important part – from washing (CLICK HERE), base coats (CLICK HERE) & bare rocks.
Have you joined us on Social Media? We would love to hang out with you there, jump on these links & come introduce yourself.
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
