Fox Painted Rocks

My town has an interesting history with red foxes. I live in a small town in Northern Oklahoma. Our claim to fame is our oil heritage. E.W. Marland formed the Marland Oil Company in 1920. He brought the sports of polo and fox hunting to Oklahoma. The little red foxes they hunted were not indigenous to Oklahoma. They were brought in from Pennsylvania. Now, 100 years later, you still see red foxes in our neighborhoods. All are descendants of a Marland Fox that got away.

The red fox has become an icon in my town. You can drive around downtown and they have a modern-day fox hunt. We have paintings and statues of foxes in various places. Some are in plain sight and some are hidden. I have a few of my favorites pictured below.

I am downtown often so I see these paintings and statues all the time. It is fun to spot live foxes around town. My kids have asked about them and know how the red foxes got to our part of Oklahoma. We thought it would be a good idea to paint some fox rocks so we could go on our own fox hunt.

Let’s review our 4Ps approach to rock painting before we dive in. The 4Ps are Prime, Pencil, Paint and Protect. We are going to follow this approach with both of our rocks. If you need further details on the 4Ps please visit my article: How to Paint Rocks – A Beginner’s Rock Painting Guide.

Fox Painted Rocks – Design 1: Fox in Trees

Red foxes love to run and hide. You can often find them poking their head out from behind a tree. We are going to capture this moment in our first rock.

Prime: I primed the rock using two coats of white acrylic paint. Priming the rock will even out the color of the rock, fill in small holes, and allow your painted design to adhere better. I used Folk Art acrylic paint in vintage white. I like the thickness of Folk Art, my rocks usually are completely covered after two coats. Allow for plenty of dry time between coats.

Pencil: I drew my design on the face of the rock. I started with tree trunks shooting up at different angles. Then I added the face and body of the fox behind the most prominent tree. I did not add any details to the pencil drawing, they would get covered with paint in the next step and I would not be able to see them.

Paint: Posca paint markers are my absolute favorite tool to use on rocks. They come in multiple widths and colors. The coverage you get from these markers is amazing and the lines stay smooth. I used a dark brown color for the tree trunks.

Then I used an orange for the majority of the fox. Leave some white areas around the nose, tummy, and tip of the tail. I also took a white paint marker and added some shading to the tree trunks.

For details, I outlined the fox with a black paint marker. I used the same black marker to outline the trees, add more texture to the tree trunks and drew in some small branches.

Protect: Since I sealed both rocks at the same time, I will describe that process below.

Fox Painted Rocks – Design 2: Stained Glass

I love the symmetry of the fox face. We decided to try painting a fox in a stained glass pattern to emphasize that.

Prime: I also primed this rock with two coats of white acrylic paint.

Pencil: Using a pencil, I drew a line down the center of the rock. Then I penciled in sections for the sky and the rolling hills of the ground. I used the center line as a guide for the fox’s head and body. I always use a pencil when drawing my designs. If I make a mistake, it is easy to correct. The pencil marks will get covered up by the paint and disappear.

Paint: I used two colors of blue and colored alternating sections of the sky. I did the same with the hills but used two shades of green. This color-blocking method will give you the illusion of stained glass.

I used an orange marker to color the fox’s head and body. I left white sections on the face, tummy, and tip of the tail. I added a bit of black to the bottom of the tummy. Finally, I used a fine-tipped black paint marker to outline everything, including the different color-blocked sections.

Protect: Sealing your rock will help protect your design from the elements and make your masterpiece last longer. I like to use a clear acrylic spray sealer. The brand I normally use is Mod Podge, but this kind of sealer comes in many different brands and finishes. Use whichever one you prefer. I recommend reading the instructions on your can of sealer and only using the spray outside. The fumes can be pretty strong.

I love using painted rocks as a learning tool. My kids were very excited to hide these rocks and imagine what it would have been like to be on a real fox hunt.