Forest Animal Painted Rocks
Where I live, the ground is pretty flat and clear. We have trees, but not much that I would consider a forest. My family recently went on a road trip where we drove through a few national forests. The trees were so different from anything that we have in northern Oklahoma. Here the trees are spread apart and can grow big and round. We drove through several areas of forest where the trees were packed together. That resulted in skinny trees that had nowhere to go but up. Those trees seemed to reach the sky and block a lot of the sunlight.
I began to think about the different types of animals that would call the forest home. There would be several that we have here in Oklahoma like raccoons and deer. But others, like a bear, you probably wouldn’t see around this area. I get many requests to demonstrate animal painted rocks, so I thought it might be a good idea to show you a few forest animals. These rocks are great projects for kids and can also make great learning tools.
Before we start on our designs, let’s review the 4Ps approach to rock painting. The 4Ps will help you break down any rock painting project into four easy-to-follow steps. The 4Ps are prime, pencil, paint, and protect. Let’s look at each step individually.
Prime: Priming a rock serves many purposes. It helps to fill in small holes, even out the color of the rock, and help even out the rock’s surface. There are many ways to prime a rock, but I recommend priming with acrylic paint. Use whatever color of paint you would like for the background of your design. I will often use white paint for this process. I like using Folk Art paint in Vintage White.
Pencil: After priming your rock, use a pencil to begin drawing your design. I like using a pencil so that if I make a mistake, I can easily erase it. This step will give me a guide for where I want to put the paint on my rock.
Paint: I recommend using acrylic paint or acrylic paint markers for your design. Acrylic paint is easy to work with, dries quickly and cleans up with soap and water. I will sometimes use other mediums, such as watercolors, colored pencils, or markers, but that will depend on the effect that I am trying to achieve.
Protect: Sealing your rock is a very important step that should not be skipped. Applying a sealer will help the paint stay on the rock for a more extended period of time. There are many ways to seal from paint-on sealers, and enamels, to spray-on sealers. I prefer using a spray sealer. Ensure you have a clear sealer and follow the directions on the can.
Forest Animal Painted Rocks Project 1: Bear
This cute and cuddly bear has gotten himself into a bit of trouble with a swarm of bees. This bear is easy to draw and can be painted in your choice of colors. Let’s follow the 4Ps to create this project.
Prime: I used two coats of Folk Art Vintage White paint to prime the rock.
Pencil: Using a pencil, I drew the profile of the bear’s face and a few flying bees.
Paint: For this project, I used Posca paint markers. I filled in the main colors of the bear, a dark brown for the head, a peach for the bear’s muzzle, and yellow on the body of the bees.
Then, I filled in the details of the rock. I used a fine-tipped black paint marker on the bear’s eyes, nose, bee bodies and wings. I also used a darker shade of brown to add some shading and texture to the bear’s face.
Forest Animal Painted Rocks Project 2: Deer
We see a lot of deer in Oklahoma. They are pretty fearless so you have to be very careful when driving. I have seen several walking down my street and sometimes even find one or two in my front yard.
Prime: I used two coats of Folk Art Vintage White paint to prime the rock.
Pencil: Using a pencil, I drew the shape of the deer’s head, then I added the body, facial features, and antlers.
Paint: I used a few different shades of Posca paint markers to fill in the deer. I started with a dark brown for the body, peach for the face and tummy, and a very dark brown for the antlers.
For details, I used a black paint marker to color the eyes, face and outline the entire design. I used the peach paint marker to add a few spots to the deer’s body.
Forest Animal Painted Rocks Project 3: Raccoon
Prime: I stuck with two coats of Folk Art Vintage White acrylic paint.
Pencil: I drew the raccoon’s face, body and tail going across the front of the body. I also penciled in a few stripes on the tail.
Paint: I used a light gray Posca paint marker for the majority of the raccoon. I used a darker gray on the tail stripes, and inside of the ears, eyes, and nose. Then, I used a black paint marker for the mask area of the face.
For details, I used a white paint marker on the eyes and some texture to the face mask. I also added some texturing to the body and head with a black paint marker.
Protect: I sealed all of the rocks together on a paper plate outside. I try not to complete this step indoors, the sealer can get a bit fumy. I like using Mod Podge brand acrylic spray sealer.
I hope you enjoyed this Forest Animal Painted Rocks project. The rocks are just adorable and will make a great painting project for all ages.
Happy Painting!