2 Rose Painted Rocks
Is there something that you have thought about painting on a rock, but you are afraid it will be too hard? I get a lot of questions on how to paint flower rocks. Specifically, roses. Flower rocks can be gorgeous and make great gifts. But, roses can be difficult to draw so I am going to show you two simple solutions for painting rose rocks. I hope this helps you gain some confidence in your drawing.
We are going to take our 4Ps approach to rock painting with each of these rocks. The 4 Ps are Prime, Pencil, Paint and Protect. These steps are easy to follow and easy to apply to practically any design of painted rocks.
Rose painted rock design 1: Stem rose
Let’s start with a single stem. Rose petals can be intimidating to draw, but let’s keep the design simple and use basic shapes to put it together.
Prime: I primed this rock using two coats of white acrylic paint. Priming a rock serves many purposes. It helps fill in small holes, creates a consistent background color, and helps the rest of the paint adhere to the rock. I used Folk Art brand acrylic paint in Vintage White. I can find this paint at my local craft store. I like the thickness of this brand of paint – it provides great coverage on the rock and I find that it dries quickly. Make sure to allow for dry time between each coat.
Pencil: To begin drawing the rose, I made a swirl shape toward the top of the rock. This will be the top of the rose where the petals are more packed together. I drew lines downward from the top of the swirl to create the left and then the right side of this section. I added a couple of basic oval shapes for the petals that were not a part of the center. I also drew the stem, a few leaves, and the fringed petals that are in between the rose and the stem.
Paint: I used Posca paint markers for the coloring of this rock. I like the variety of colors that I can get from Posca. They also apply the paint very smoothly. I used two shades of pink on the rose, lighter on the inside and darker on the petals on the outside. Then, I used green for the stem and the lower leaves.
For details, I used a fine-tipped black paint marker. I outlined the flower’s petals, fringe petals, stem and leaves. I also added a few lines on the inside of the leaves.
Protect: I sealed both rocks at the same time so that process will be described below.
Rose painted rock design 2: flower from above
This will be a straight-from-the-top view of a rose as if you were looking down at one. I find this method easier to draw.
Prime: I also used two coats of white acrylic paint to prime this rock. You do not have to use white as a primer, but that is what I use most often. If you need your rock to have a different color background, I would recommend using one coat of white and then moving on to the color you want.
Pencil: I also started this rose with a swirl. This one was more centered, smaller and a bit tighter. Then I went around the swirl with sections of short wavy lines. Continue around the circle for a few layers until the flower is the size you want.
I then drew two thin stems with leaves on both sides.
Paint: Again, I used posca paint markers. I love the even coverage that I get from them and they are so easy to use. This time I layered four shades of pink for the rose petals. I used a medium shade in the center since the petals were more compact there, then I worked my way out using lighter shades to darker shades on the outside. I used green on the stems and smaller leaves.
For the details, I used a fine-tipped black paint marker to outline all of the petals and the stems. As you can see, this small detail really helps the rose “pop”!
Protect: I used a clear, spray, acrylic sealer from Mod Podge to protect the rocks from age and wear. I did this step outside because the fumes from the sealer can be very strong. Be sure to follow the directions on your brand of sealer. Most only require one coat, but I have seen some that need two.
These lovely rocks are ready for your rock garden. Or maybe you wish to give them to someone special. Don’t be intimidated by a harder drawing. Break it down into simple shapes and add more details as you get more comfortable.
Enjoy and Happy Valentine’s Day!
