Vacation Planning and Waterfall Rocks
School will be out soon, and I am in full swing planning our summer activities. We normally take a road trip each summer and this one will be no different. I have been planning this trip for some time, but the dates are getting closer, and I need to start working on the details and get some reservations made.
This summer we are planning to drive to see Mount Rushmore (about 12 hours away) and then head a bit southwest and stay a few days with some friends in Colorado Springs. I hope to come home with some great inspiration for painted rocks, but I was surprised to find an idea just by planning the trip.
Nestled in the Rocky Mountains are numerous hiking trails, gorges, and caves. My family has been to several locations in this area, but a waterfall is the spot they find the most beautiful. There is a place called the Broadmoor Seven Falls. It is located on the westernmost side of Colorado Springs. It is not outside of the city at all and is a very short drive from where we are staying. When you arrive, you can get up close to the seven waterfalls in a row tumbling down the mountain. The hike is not too bad either. There is an elevator that will take you most of the way up, but there are also stairs for the more adventurous. The area is very rocky and is the inspiration for this how to paint a waterfall on a rock project.
How to Paint a Waterfall on a Rock – Supply List
• Smooth, flat Rocks
• Acrylic sealer, spray or paint on
• Acrylic paint markers in assorted colors
• Acrylic paint in assorted colors
• Other supplies: table cloth, paper plate, pencil
Choosing and Priming Your Waterfall Rocks
When choosing a rock for a project, keep in mind that the size and shape matter. I would not want to paint The Statue of Liberty on a tiny pebble. I normally purchase rocks at Hobby Lobby or on Amazon. Purchased rocks tend to be flatter and bigger than what I find out on a stroll in the park. But I live in Oklahoma, we are not exactly known for having an abundance of rocks.
The rocks I chose for my waterfall painting were about 2 to 3 inches in diameter and had a flat surface. I will often put a primer coat of paint on the rock before painting the design. A primer coat helps to fill in holes, it provides coverage when your rock is a darker color and will help the paint for your design adhere to the rock better. A primer coat can be any color you choose. Mostly I will use white, but I will use other colors depending on what I am painting.
Here is some more information on priming rocks if you would like to read further.
How to prepare rocks for rock painting?
How to Paint a Waterfall on a Rock Design 1: Brown Rocky Background
I would say that this waterfall would look more like one you would find here in Oklahoma. I say that because of the reddish-brown ground color and lack of trees. I wanted to concentrate on the shape of the waterfall and add the details to create a sense of movement.
I started by priming the rock with two coats of white acrylic paint. Then, I drew an outline of the waterfall using a pencil. I added the skyline, rocky ground to each side, and a couple of larger rocks. I also added a single shrub to the side.
I did all the coloring on this rock using acrylic paint markers. I love the control that I get from a paint marker over a paintbrush. I highly recommend trying them if you have not already. I used a lighter brown for the ground surrounding the waterfall and colored the rock shapes with a darker brown.
Then I used a light blue marker on the sky, dark blue on the water, and a deep green for the shrub.
The detail work was very fun on this rock. I wanted to add multiple colors to the water to add texture and movement. I used white, light blue, and a small amount of black. I added some shading lines to the rocks and the shrub. I also took my light brown paint marker and added a few rocks sticking out of the waterfall.
How to Paint a Waterfall on a Rock Design 2: Rocky Waterfall
The coloring in this painted rock reminds me more of the Broadmoor Seven Falls. The rocks there are very gray and go out in different directions. I started this rock by painting two coats of white acrylic paint over the surface of the rock. Then I drew the outline of the waterfall in pencil. I used a dark gray acrylic paint marker to begin coloring the rocks on each side of the waterfall.
I used a silver paint marker to draw the lines between the individual rocks and I used a little black to add some shading lines.
For the waterfall, I used a bright medium blue paint marker.
I used turquoise blue for the sky and added a small amount of light green at the base of the rocks for grass. The details on the waterfall were done with silver, light blue, and dark blue. I made a circular pattern at the bottom of the waterfall to make it look like the water was swirling at the bottom.
How to Paint a Waterfall on a Rock – Sealing the rocks
I decided to seal the waterfall rocks using a spray acrylic sealer from ModPodge. I made sure to do this step outside. Spray sealer can give off some strong fumes and you don’t want to have that linger inside the house. I set the rocks on a protective surface so I didn’t get the sealer everywhere. Using a paper plate or plastic table cloth works perfectly for this step. I sprayed a light coat of sealer and let it dry. Be sure to follow the package instructions on your sealer.
More Inspiration for my Waterfall Painted Rocks
I found this simple waterfall rock on Pinterest. I love the use of sharp lines to create the water and the rocks around it.
Pinterest
I really like the different shapes used in this rock painted by Kricket Mulligan. You can see the movement of the water from level to level.
Pinterest
This fine art piece from Annamoon is just gorgeous. (The background music is soothing too.) She will walk you step by step using fine-tipped brushes and watercolors for a beautiful painted rock.
Rock Painting Tutorial Waterfall Landscape – Bing video
Top Take-Aways from my Waterfall Painted Rocks Project
1. Use different shades of your base color for the detail work or shading lines. This will add movement to your still picture.
2. A primer coat is very important when you want to paint details on rocks. Primer coats will even out your background color and fill in any holes.
3. What other places have you been to that might inspire a painted rock?
Happy painting!