With winter knocking on the door, here’s an owl painted rock project for the season
Snowy Owl Painted Rock – Supply List
• Smooth rock
• Acrylic Paint – White
• Fine point paint markers – Black, Yellow
• Small, flat-tipped paintbrush
• Acrylic Sealer
• Other supplies: pencil, paper plate, cup of water, paper towels, table cloth or other table protector.
A Snowy Owl Kind of Day
One of my kids’ favorite things to do is family movie night. We take turns picking a movie and sit down and watch it together. We don’t have a lot of rules, just that it needs to be something that we think everyone would enjoy. We have taken this opportunity to introduce them to a wide variety of film genres and make sure that they know some of the classic family movies.
We will often repeat a favorite movie over and over. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is one of those for my family. I love watching the kid’s imaginations come to life and dream of going off to Hogwarts School one day. They have even gotten to the point where they can recite the dialog of the movie and act along while it is playing in the living room.
One day, I asked my youngest son who his favorite Harry Potter character was. I expected him to say Ron since my son also has very noticeable red hair, but to my surprise, he replied “Hedwig”. Hedwig is Harry’s pet owl. He is a lovely white snow owl and one of Harry’s only friends for the first half of the movie. Hedwig accompanies Harry to his new school. There are a variety of pets that a student can take to Hogwarts, but it seems that an owl is a popular choice.
After watching this Harry Potter movie for about the fourteenth time, my son asked if we could create an owl painted rock and make it look like Hedwig. He has a big imagination so of course, I said yes. I set out to gather supplies and gain inspiration for the design.
Designing the Snowy Owl Rock
There are endless possibilities for an owl painted rock. Rachel at DIY Joy painted some very detailed owl rocks that you can check out here https://diyjoy.com/how-to-paint-owl-rocks/
Angela at I love painted rocks had a great design that was simple and easy for kids https://www.ilovepaintedrocks.com/2018/12/how-to-paint-cute-owl-painted-rock.html
At The Inspiration Edit, Angela shows how to paint a pretty, colorful owl rock https://www.theinspirationedit.com/owl-rock-painting-project/
Since Hedwig is a Snowy Owl, he is mostly white. You can see his yellow eyes and there is a bit of shading to him to show his wings and the feathers on top of his head. Normally, I would practice drawing the design on paper beforehand, but I did not find that this snow owl would need a lot of practice. I did make a quick sketch so you could see where this is headed. Please practice drawing the owl beforehand. It is easier to make corrections on paper than on your already painted rock.
Hedwig will need round yellow eyes. For the beak, I drew a diamond shape with the bottom portion longer than the top portion. Then, I added the wing shapes on each side. Simple stroke marks will serve for the shading of the wings and the top of his head.
Choosing a Rock for my Snowy Owl Painting Project
I decided that I would make the entire rock shape the body of the snow owl. I looked for a rock that was nearly heart-shaped. The one I used was smooth on both sides.
Priming the Snowy Owl Rock
This rock was more on the dark gray side. I wanted to paint the rock white all over the face so it could be used as the owl’s body. Since the rock was dark, I knew it would take several layers of paint to serve as the primer. This photo is with one coat of white acrylic paint.
In the end, I put on four coats of white acrylic paint, and here is the result.
Drawing and Painting the Owl Design
Paint markers or pens are a quick way to put details on your owl painted rock. The paint is acrylic so it is water-based and easy to clean. I have found that the paint in the markers is quick drying. The fine point makes the markers easy to work with.
Using a pencil, I sketched the eyes, beak, and wing shapes onto the rock. If you did some practice sketches use them as a guide or use the sketches that I provided above.
Then, I used a yellow paint marker to fill in the eyes and a black marker to fill in the beak. I continued using the black paint marker for the outline of the wing shape. Using the same marker, I added some vertical lines for the feathers of the wings and the feathers on the top of the owl’s head. Allow all of the paint to completely dry before sealing the rock.
Using a Spray Sealer for my Owl Rock
I chose to use a spray acrylic sealer on this rock. Spray sealer covers well and dries quickly. I always go outside to spray my rocks since the sealer can get a bit fumy. The kind that I like to use is made by ModPodge and can be easily found at craft stores. Follow the instructions on your sealer to ensure proper application. Typically, you will want the nozzle to be about 10 inches from the rock. Spray a light even coat over the rock. Once dry you can apply a second coat if needed.
Display your Owl Painted Rock
My kids have a special place in the garden for their rocks. They like to rearrange them often. Since the rock is sealed it is protected from the sun and the rain that it will encounter outside.
Owl Painted Rock Top Take-Aways
1. Kids can come up with great ideas for rocks and let their imaginations run wild
2. Paint markers are a quick easy way to draw on rocks
3. Set aside a place for kids to display their rocks. Much like the drawing on the refrigerator they love to see their creative work out in the world and to share that joy with others.
Happy painting!