Oh dear… this seems to be the MOST controversial subject in the rock painting world! We get that, everyone has an opinion and wants to be heard. There are so many to choice from – Sealers & opinions, so how do you decide? Yes we also have what we think works great and we are not saying your method does not.
We spend 30 days testing our methods at the least – some even longer. We look at ease of use, does it smear the paint, how it lasts outside in the environment – sun & rain. Below we share our findings and why …
Let’s chat Sealers …
I have a few different sealers on this page that I have tested over 30 days, I share which ones stood up to the testing. The first two are the sealers I personally use. They are all I have used for years and they work great!
Polyurethane is perfect and it is great for rocks you will be leaving outside in your garden. Remember no sealer last forever and depending on the elements i your area will be how soon you need to revarnish, about 1 year is roughly when you may need to revarnish.
Rocks that are for my home or drop rocks that I leave in my community for others to find I use Liuitex.
This is a CLEAR Polyurethane Sealer it is hard wearing and fast drying.
It comes in matte, satin & Gloss finishes.
~It is water wash up
~Touch dry in 2 hours for 2nd coat
~ UV protectant
~ Non yellowing
My rocks are dry and ready to be shared overnight. I have used it on a rock that was painted & left to dry for 10 minutes. ( sample below)
It repels water and prevents water absorption, but it never fully blocks it so it will never make it 100% waterproof. But then no sealer does.
I transfer some to a jar for my desk so I have a small jar of it rather than a big tin.
Medium is an all-purpose product that performs two functions. It can be used as a varnish sealer and/or a fluid medium that enhances the flow of acrylic paint without diluting it or affecting its colour. Medium won’t split or crack as they dry.
Acrylic mediums contain binder as do Acrylic paints so they are very compatible as it expand and contract together during the drying process. This is the perfect product to avoid Acrylic Pen bleeding.
~ Lightfast & Archival
~ Permanent
~Non Yellowing
~ Flexiable and non-cracking
~ Water Resistant when dry
- CRYSTAL CLEAR FINISH THAT LASTS This is a CLEAR Polyurethane Sealer but one that USA friends can buy
- SATIN SHEEN – Give your projects a sleek finish with a satin clear varnish. It’s also non-yellowing, non-ambering and low odor.
- ULTRA FAST DRYING – Get more done with this protective poly coating. It’s a fast-drying clear coat, which allows for quick recoats after 2 hours, letting you get projects done faster. Be sure to apply with a high-quality synthetic bristle brush.
- EASY CLEAN UP, Water clean-up
- Low odor, non-yellowing
SPRAY ON SEALERS – Head to the Hardware store not the craft Department, you will find sealers way more compatible there. Bit of logic right? If we play at the Hardware store it caters to the outside like stones or concrete and so we need a more heavy duty sealer. Craft store caters more for the inside – craft surfaces – mostly paper!
How to spray your Rocks
Always shake your can before each use and follow the instructions found on the brand that you are using. Handy Hint – Spray fine mist layers and do not hold the spray too close. This is important on the first layer especially – you want to SET the colour with a fine mist layer and let this DRY. Do not spray too close and too heavy so it pools or is really wet – that can reactivate your paint or paint pen. Spray another 1-2 layers normally to get the desired finish you want. The first layer is to set the colour so it does not bleed. The other layers is to achieve the look you want.
Most times when your Acrylic paint pen bleeds it is because you sprayed too thick , too close and being so wet it reactivated the paint pens so they bled.
Here are a few brands that we love and so do the members of our Facebook group
KRYLON MATTE SEALER – you can buy it here
– Permanent protective matte coating – Eliminates glossy sheen -Non-yellowing
– Moisture resistant – Dries in minutes
KRYLON UV RESISTANT CLEAR – you can buy it here
-Protects against harmful UV light rays –Non-yellowing, permanent coating –Moisture resistant
-Dries in minutes
WHITE KNIGHT CLEAR ACRYLIC – you can buy it here
– Clear finish –Provides a protective coating over oil and water based paints –Resists cracking and yellowing –Interior and exterior application –Adjustable aerosol spray nozzle –Safe to spray – CFC and lead free –Non-chroming formula –Quick drying –Available in a clear gloss and satin finish
AUSTRALIAN EXPORT PAINT – you can buy it here
High quality, quick drying spray enamel –Use for interior & exterior applications –Adjustable fan spray nozzle –Reduced toxicity (contains no Xylene or Toluene) –Fast Drying
Brush on Sealer – Many people are confined indoors due to weather and prefer to use brush on sealers. Here are a few that we like but do not feel limited to these brands, it is just these are ones we have tested and know they work well. The most important part when choosing a sealer is that you do not use it straight on a rock you just spent hours painting unless you know how it reacts. You want to test everything for the first time on a test rock.
Medium is compatible with Acrylic Paint as they both have polymer binder. Mod Podge being more water based and evaporates at a different rate than the paint does. This difference in the drying times can cause splits/cracks later in the rocks life – This is looking at the outcome of the rock in 2-3 months not just the 2-3 days you spend creating it and sharing it .
Liquitex Medium Sealer – Gives a bright, high shine finish
Click here – Australia
Click Here – USA & other countries
DURACLEAR – you can buy it HERE
This brand has many types of sealer within its brand.It is popular as it is in the craft stores and easy to buy. The trick is that the glossier the varnish is, you may run in to a touch of trouble.
**The Triple Thick has been known to make some reactive colours bleed – it is 100% not a suitable sealer for rocks. It is to shine up things like cane baskets etc NOT COMPATAIBLE WITH ACRYLIC PAINT AND PENS**
If you overwork this product it can smear your rocks. The High gloss, Satin and Matte are more user friendly. One ‘FINISH’ is not better than another it is a personal preference as to the finish you like best.
HIGH GLOSS – Gives a bright, high shine finish
Click here – Australia
Click Here – USA & other countries
SATIN – is a medium gloss finish not too shiny
MATTE – leaves a coverage with no shine
Click here – Australia
Click Here – USA & other countries
Concrete/Pavement Sealer
- Clear satin to gloss finish
- Hard wearing
- Resists stains and damage to substrate
- Resists algal and other growth
- UV stable
- Safe and easy to use
- Highly water repellent
Crommelin Brand – Click HERE – Australian
USA similar product – please note Australian admin here have not tested a USA equivelent product personally.
Concrete sealer is great for rocks going out in the garden You want the paint on your rock to be dry all the way through so it does not reactivate with the sealer. Another way is to seal a thin layer of Liquitex medium over the paint to set the colour. You will know if you need to add this layer if your test rock smears with the paint or paint pens you use.
you will see on my – what sealers I use page how I do this.
With concrete sealer use the first layer to set the colour -Do not overwork it , the more you fuss on a rock and keep brushing you could reactivate colour and it smears. On the first layer you want to paint on a light layer of a few strokes. Let that dry so it sets the colour then add your desired coverage for the glossy look.
Oh and just another hint – Do not use those scratchy cheap hogs hair brushes they are really harsh when applying sealer and worse they leave brush stroke lines in your work. Use a softer taklon brush and clean it well after use.
This type sealer is found sometimes in tester pots – if not it will be in 1lt, 2lt or 4lt bottles – not very handy to be on your rock painting table.
Grab some empty jars and using a syringe you can make up some handy small bottles of sealer for your desks. I have a couple on the go so no running out in the middle of the night!
Syringes
CLICK HERE – Australia
CLICK HERE – USA & other countries
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT BRUSH ON SEALER I USE ON MY DROP ROCKS ?
Check it out ! I seal within hours of painting and at my studio desk. And the rocks are dry with 2-3 hours…
CLICK HERE AND CHECK THIS OUT !
Resin – Well we mostly stay out of this one as it is so disappointing to see a bunch of crafters ignoring safety advice. Anne taught resin art for many years as well as working with product companies, it is a topic we understand well.
We will share with you a few things here as direction on where to look for further advice to make up your own mind. A craft video of someone showing you to mix resin, rub it over with gloved hands isn’t solid advice on resin it’s just a quick craft hack how to use it. CLICK HERE
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