Acrylic Painting Crafts: Kindness Rocks!

1. Introduction: Rock painting goes way back in time where ancient peoples painted scenes of their surroundings on cave walls and rock shelters worldwide. Now in modern times, we still paint on rocks as a form of artistic expression. And in my little city, I too use my creative skills to adorn my garden and delight passerbys with tiny painted stone creations. In this class, I'd like to introduce you to Kindness Rocks, a creative movement towards making the world a better place through small, generous gestures of art left in random places. Hello, it's nice to have you here. I'm Bridget Miller and I'm a decorative painter by trade. I've been painting for over 30 years and more recently I'm sharing my knowledge with those that are interested through in person and online classes. One of my favorite hobbies to do and teach is rock painting. In this class, I'll explain to you the materials I like to use, my process step by step with tips and tricks along the way that aid in efficiency and developing your own creative ideas. Rock painting is a fun hobby. It's very versatile and accessible, and it can be enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels. Whether you consider yourself a beginner or an experienced artist, jump in and give this class a go, I think you'll enjoy my methods of creating these tiny little works of art. 2. Class Project: In each class. Here on skill share, we encourage learning by actually doing a class project. For this course, I'd like you to practice the Brush and Tool techniques in Lesson Six and incorporate them into at least one rock. Then I'd like you to leave it somewhere for someone to find and record your work by submitting your project to the student gallery. To submit your project, click on the Projects and Resources Tab below this video. Once there, you'll see a blue Submit Project box to the right. Click that and then you can upload your image from your photo file. And once it appears you can adjust your photo by clicking on it, enlarging or reducing until you get it just right. Then push the Submit button, that becomes your cover image. Then you can type in a title for your project, add details of your process, and add more photos if you'd like. Then click the green publish box. And just like that, your project is uploaded for all to see. Next up, I'll go over the materials you'll need to make ready and then we'll be able to get started. See in the next lesson. 3. Materials: Filing together a few materials before starting the class. I have a checklist for you to use if you'd like, and you can download it by clicking the Projects and Resources tab below the video. Firstly, you'll need some rocks. I use river rock for my flower beds, but you can find rocks at landscape nurseries by the pound and in bags, and also craft stores like Michael's crafts. Next you'll need some craft paint in colors you like. I'll be using purple, green, yellow, orange, red, a turquoise called Ocean Breeze. And of course, white. You can also use Esso if you have it. It's a primer, especially suited for acrylics, but it's not completely necessary. Acrylic white paint will work just fine for brushes, you'll need a few sizes. I always use a three, four inch flat. A two inch Filbert brush, one four inch Filbert brush, a number three round, and a number one liner. You could also use a number six round if you'd like. In addition to brushes, you'll also need some tools for creating dots like dowels. The wood end of a paint brush, the end of a brand new pencil, or the eraser end of a brand new pencil. A wooden or plastic stir stick for tiny, tiny dots. Toothpicks work really well for larger dots. I use both ends of a sponge pounce brush. If you'd like to splurge on fancier supplies, you could purchase a dot making tool kit. They work very well, but of course they're not necessary. Another couple handy items for this class would be a white chalk pencil and various paint pens. I use Posca and Sharpe brand for cleaning the stones. You'll need some dishwashing soap and maybe a little scrub brush to get into the nooks and grannies. You'll also need water for rinsing out your brushes and some vapor towels. In lesson ten, I'll go over how to finish the painted rocks with a clear coat. And if you choose to do this step, you'll need a finishing spray or clear paint. I use Stoleum brand Ultra cover, gloss, clear, it dries fast, it's non yellowing and UV resistant. However, you will need proper ventilation when using this product. There's many clear coats available on the market. Find what works for you and test it out. Everybody has different preferences. Lastly, a hair dryer comes in hand and need to speed up the drying time once you've assembled all your materials. Meet me in the next lesson to get this party started. 4. Prepping Rocks : The first step in rock painting is to thoroughly clean your rocks To prepare them for paint. Getting the dirt and grime off will aid in the paints adhesion to the surface. I use DAWN soap because it takes off any oily substances as well as dirt. I also like to scrub all the nooks and crannies with a nail scrub brush, then I dry them thoroughly. After they're completely dry, I put on a white base coat of either Gesso, a primer for acrylics, or a good quality acrylic paint. Both of these are water resistant when dry and nontoxic. One or two coats is sufficient. I'll start with my half inch or number eight Filbert brush. Use whatever you're comfortable with. If you want, you can paint the entire rock or just shapes like I'm doing. I like a little of the natural stone showing and I like to finish quick. I only paint shapes. Painting the base coat white will help your design last longer and it will aid in making your colors appear brighter. As some craft paints are not as opaque as others. You don't want the dark stone color to show through your paint. I let the rocks shape dictate the base coat design. If it's a roundish rock, I paint a round shape. If it's an oval shaped rock like this one, I'll paint an oval base coat on it. To get a very clean edge I push the paint where I want it to smooth it out, especially on these rocks that have a little rougher texture. On this one, I'd like a scalloped shape, maybe like a stylized flower. I'm fairly good at free-handing it, but if you feel more comfortable with a guide, draw with a chalk pencil, your design first, then color in the shape, similar to how you would use a coloring book as a child. The chalk will not compromise your paint in any way, and any chalk residue left over can be washed away. Once you're finished and it's dry, I paint about six to 20 rocks at a time, kind of like an assembly line. I feel like creating them in batches saves time. In the long run After they're dry, if the paint looks uneven, add another coat if you'd like, Then dry again thoroughly after you've painted all the rocks in your batch. Meet me in the next section and I'll go over the next step, which is painting the color backgrounds. See you there. 5. Color Backgrounds : For variety, I like to paint many different colored backgrounds following the shapes of the base coat closely and leaving a little of the white on the outer edge. I'm going to take you step by step, but if you'd like to do this on your own, I have a design idea sheet that you can download if you like under the Projects and Resources tab below this video. Using my half inch Filbert brush, I load it and follow the design pattern on each rock, again, leaving a little of the white showing on the edge. I paint all the rocks I want to have in this color at the same time. I only need to rinse this color out of my brush. once. I do this same process for each rock, if I want to make any color lighter in value, I add white. For this color shape. I'll add some variety and switch to a number three round to make a flower shape. In the middle of the background shape, I use the shape of the brush to make each petal, pulling each stroke to the middle as I turn the stone. Then I fill in the center Here, I'll add a scallop design within the oval base coat. Lastly, I'll mix a light blue with my blue and white and add a circle for my last rock. An easy way to make a circle is to use a sponge pounce brush, dip it into your mixed paint, and then holding it perpendicular to the surface, press it gently to stamp the color. I give a little twist too, once all the rocks have the addition of color, dry them completely. And in the next lesson, I'll go over the brush and tool techniques for embellishing these stones. See in the next lesson. 6. Embellishments: Embellishments are the decorative details that we'll add to make these sing. These techniques are similar to decorating a cake. They add much flare and make each rock uniquely interesting on their own and crazy fun when they're displayed together. To start this lesson, you'll need some cardstock and contrasting colors. If you choose a paper plate or a white cardstock, choose dark colors. I'm using black paper because it shows so well. in my video. I'll start with lines, then I'll go over dots and the tear drop stroke. And then I'll move into flourishes where we put it all together. To make lines, use a liner or rigger brush. I'm using a number one. Your acrylic paint may be the perfect consistency. But if you find it difficult to make a smooth straight line, add a little water to thin it and it will help. Just know that the more water you add will make it less opaque and not as durable. Start with straight lines and then practice squiggly lines and zig-zag lines. I find that if I use my entire arm, not just my wrist, my line turns out straighter and more uniform in width. Also, continuous motion is the key. Set the brush down and pull through at the same time. Rather than setting it down, then pulling out. If you want your line to taper, pull out and gradually up at the end of the stroke. Practice these a lot and eventually you'll develop muscle memory where your hand will remember the motion and it becomes easier and easier. Next, I use a lot of dots in my designs. If you're not concerned about them being perfectly uniform, the tip of the liner brush is fine or you can use the wood end of the handle. Remember to clean off your tools because once the paint dries, it's permanent. I found this wooden dowel, or maybe it's a chopstick that has two different sizes on either end. It works great for small and medium dots. The eraser end of a brand new pencil works great for a medium sized dot. As does the end of a colored pencil like this one. This little stir stick makes a nice sized dot. For a tiny, tiny dot, You can even use a toothpick. Like I demonstrated in the last lesson, for large dots, grab a pounce sponge tool, it's super fun to use by just stamping the dot. You could also purchase a set of fancy dotting tools with metal ends. I've seen these used by professionals for fingernail painting. They're not necessary unless you'll be doing a lot of it and want to take it to another level. The next technique I'd like to show you is a tear drop stroke. The tear drop is a dot stroke that you pull and then lift quickly to taper. Set your brush down, pull and lift, lift for a larger tear drop switch to a larger brush. Here's a number three round. You can also curve them and elongate them. And like frosting on a cake, you can use this stroke, one after another to make a more decorative line. Two tear drop strokes together, one on each side, will make a heart shape. You can also make petals for flowers with this stroke, or sun rays emanating from a round circle shape. To flourish. I put a few of these strokes and techniques together and change the colors and just use my imagination and experiment with different combinations. It'll be fun to see what you come up with. Here's a fleur de lis with two curved tear drop shapes and a smaller teardrop shape between the two. Enjoy yourself and you'll soon find your favorites and your unique style will find its way on your batch of rocks. In the next section, I'll begin adding these techniques to the rocks themselves. And you can follow me pausing as needed or watch through and paint on your own later. Meet me there and we'll get started. See you soon. 7. Adding Details - Part One: When I begin my details, I usually start with white and a number one liner brush. I add a line, maybe some tear drops, dots and whatever I think will look good and just build from there. I like to create as I don't like to follow a set pattern on these, It's just fun for me to just kind of intuitively create as I go. When I get tired of white, I switch to another color and do some more embellishing. I lose myself in choosing each detail and color according to the rock and find it very therapeutic. I don't stress about getting everything exactly even. I like the whimsy of having it unmeasured with its hand painted appeal. I love experimenting with different color combinations and patterns and just discovering what can happen. There's no worries or stress with this craft, because if something doesn't work out as well as I imagined it would, I just wipe it off and give it another try. After I have quite a few added details, I dry them thoroughly and then add a few more. The busier, the better for me. When choosing color, I go for maximum contrast. If it's a light color that's down already, I choose a dark color and vice versa. This is a great craft for all ages and skill levels. I've been doing these for years and I always have a batch ready for when I take a trip to the beach, walk around my neighborhood, or to cheer up a friend. Consider organizing a craft party just for fun, and then together placing around the rocks that you make for National Neighbor Day on September 28th, or next time you're the planner for a child's birthday, you could make these as one of the activities and it would make a nice takeaway Instead of a store bought toy. You could also start or join a rock trading group online or in person. It's a super fun hobby. There's even an official Kindness Rocks organization called the Kindness Rocks Project that teaches people how to start a group to build community and foster wellness for people worldwide. They're looking more and more whimsical and fun with each detail. Meet me in the next section for even more details, see you there. 8. Details - Part Two: I get my ideas and inspiration from everywhere I go, I see patterns and beautiful art forms in museums. Tile walls, dishware, stained glass windows, and other art in galleries. Sometimes for inspiration, I do a Google search for folk art patterns or one stroke painting. And that gives me a plethora of ideas for these little pieces of art. I hope that you're getting the hang of this and also making some discoveries of your own to share in the student gallery. It'll be fun to see how you interpret my process. In the next section, I'll show you the final details in a time lapse to wrap these up, see in the next segment. 9. Details - Part Three: Well, that's it for the details. Now it's time for the final step in decorating. Meet me in the next lesson and I'll take you through. 10. The Finish: After the embellishments on your rocks are completely dry, coat with a UV clear coat to protect your miniature art from scratches and normal wear and tear that will inevitably happen if left in the elements. I use two coats, letting them dry completely between coats. If you're using a different clear coat, follow the directions for your product. I've tested this product with two painted rocks left outside for four months. The one that was coated appeared the same as the day it was painted, but the uncoated rock faded to very light colors and started to chip. I know this product works great, and I highly recommend that you use it so your rocks will last a long time. This product is fantastic for murals, signs, and to protect fine art as well. Don't forget to rinse out your brush thoroughly. It's always a good idea to sign your work or leave some information for how to get back with you if you're in a trading group that requires you to do so. Some want you to add a hash tag. I keep it simple and just sign with my initial. I use the color pink and a number three round brush to add my initial B. And then I add a little heart too. I first add a little water to my paint to help it flow off my brush easier. Then I use the tip perpendicular to the surface to write the letter in cursive. It takes practice. Have a moist cloth or paper towel handy. If it doesn't work out the way you want, you can wipe it off quickly and give it another go. I usually have to put two coats to get the coverage that I like. If writing with a brush just isn't your thing, you could use a paint pen instead. The brand Sharpie now has a metallic pen that shows up very well and is very easy to write with as well. After the backs are completely dry, clear coat a couple coats and you're ready to display them in your yard, hide them for someone else, or trade them with a group on social media. In the next section, I'll finish up the class with a couple more pointers and information about the Kindness Rocks Movement and then you're done.! See you for the wrap-up. 11. Wrap-Up: Colorful, whimsical and trendy painted rocks are a fun hobby and are quite good at spreading joy and positive vibes all around. I hope you're inspired to create a batch of your own. There is many uses for these mini art pieces. I like to display them in my planters, Leave them as thank yous at friends and neighbors doors. And also place them in random places for strangers to find. There are groups on Facebook that were created just to bring those that leave treasures and those that find them together. It's such a fun hobby. I like finding them and making them for others to find just as well. And I feel like most people enjoy seeing painted rocks. However, some do not enjoy this pastime and even see the painted rocks as a bit of a nuisance. I do not want what was meant for joy to irritate anyone and nor do you. Please be aware that here in the US painted rocks are not allowed in national parks, they're also not allowed on private land. It's actually considered a criminal offense to leave anything on someone's private property. Another place that should be avoided is businesses unless you're given permission, of course. But don't let any of that stop you. Paint away, be your creative self, spread joy and happiness. It's a wonderful form of artistic expression. Not to mention the therapeutic benefits. According to the Webster Dictionary definition, kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. These painted rocks certainly fit the bill. Who couldn't use a little more kindness displayed in others? Let me know how you use this class by uploading your class project to the student gallery. And remember if you have any questions or want to share a tip with me and those taking the class, you can reach us all under the Discussions tab below this video. There you'll also see where you can leave a review and share your thoughts about this class. Don't feel obligated, but if you have a few minutes that would be quite helpful. Also, let me know what other types of crafts or painting classes that you'd be interested in. I thoroughly enjoy helping other creatives with step by step instruction. With that said, if you'd like to be the first to know when I publish a new class, follow me here on Skillshare, it's the green follow by my name or visit my Youtube channel called Creatively B. And you can also find me on Facebook and Instagram. You'll see those links on my profile page. Just click on my name to get there. Thank you for taking my class and until next time, stay creative and have fun spreading your kindness.