The Art of Stone Painting: Book Review

The Art of Stone Painting: 30 Designs to Spark Your Creativity by artist F. Sehnaz Bac is a book you want to know about.  If you read my prior post on rock painting, you come to find out this is a little bit of an obsession of mine.

If you’re looking for more ideas on rock painting, Rock Painting Ideas and How to Get Started and Most Popular Rock Painting Words and Phrases will help you on your journey.

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” – Pablo Picasso

The passion isn’t just about painting rocks, it’s about stumbling on to a movement of spreading kindness. This campaign is literally transforming lives.  If you would like to read more about spreading kindness, read my other blog post on rock painting that I have listed below.  When a book comes out with easy instructions of how to create and paint gorgeous rocks, I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to let you all know about it.

F. Sehnaz Bac is an artist living on a coast in Italy. Her love of painting with vibrant colors and creating detailed works of art shine through on every page.  I can’t even decide what part of the book I like the best.

I think because of the step-by-step instructions, anyone can feel like they can paint works of art just like her.  There’s something for everyone.  Elegant birds, Cheerful Hearts, Sea Themes, Friendly Fish and Flourishing Trees are just some of the rocks you will learn how to paint.  You just don’t get 30 design ideas, you get 30 theme ideas.  Each theme has 1 to 17 different designs.

The kindness movement was started somewhere in the Pacific Northwest.  Someone started painting rocks, sealed them and then left them outdoors for others to find.  When you found the rock, you were instructed to go to a Facebook page and take a picture of the rock to let the club know that you found one.  Once you find one of these special rocks, you can’t help but want to join in all the fun.

I started a new group on Facebook called Rock Painting Ideas and Resources.  We have over 20,000 happy members.   I would love to have you join and share your works of art.  You can join the group here. 

What’s so special about these groups, is that they go out of their way to spread joy in others lives.  When they find out that kids with special needs are going to be playing in a certain area, the rock angels “hide” plenty of rocks for the kids to find.  A children’s hospital in Seattle lets everyone “hide” rocks in the hospital for the patients.  Seniors who felt like they were no longer needed are hard at work painting rocks to spread the mission even farther.

Getting started on creating your own rock artwork is easy. You don’t have to be overly talented or an artist to get started. You just need the basic supplies and pretty soon you will be making your own works of art.  The Art of Stone Painting just made the process so much easier.

Here’s step-by-step instructions on how to get started stone painting:

1) Stones

You want smooth flat rocks to create your masterpiece unless an unusual rock acts as the body of your art piece. Keep your artwork ideas in mind when selecting the perfect stones.

Make sure you’re able to remove stones from where you find them. Removing stones from National and state parks isn’t okay. Removing rocks from waterways can also be against the rules. It is illegal to take rocks from railroad tracks.

If you live in an area that it’s hard to find rocks, head over to your nearest home improvement center, landscape supply store and garden centers to purchase some. Amazon has a 30 pound bag of 3-5″ rocks.  You can find them here.

2) Wash

Paint won’t stick to dirty rocks. A smooth surface is what we’re aiming for, so washing your rocks in warm water and soap will ensure that. You might want scrub it with an old toothbrush to make sure all debris is removed. Allow rocks to dry before painting.

3) Sand

If there is any light bumps or grit on your rock, you can sand using 150 grit sandpaper. You can find it here. 

4) Paint

Use acrylic patio paint for best results if you will be hiding your rocks outside. Adding a white layer before painting the color you want makes it pop. Let each layer of paint dry before applying the next layer. You can find acrylic patio paints prices by clicking here to Amazon.

5) Paint brushes

A selection of various sized paint brushes will help you create the perfect look you are going for. Here’s a brush pack with a variety of sizes and at a great price:

6) Markers

Adding text with markers is easier than painting words. Through trial and error, I have found that Posca Markers work best for rock painting. These markers are your secret weapon to creating beautiful designs easily.   You can find them here. Make sure you look at the tip size before purchasing to make sure you have the right size.

7) Fineline Applicator

This Fineline Applicator lets you control your artwork. You can find them here.

Here’s just the top to add to paint bottles.   You can find it here.  

8) Dots

Dotting tools make perfectly round dots. I love using these and they are really inexpensive you can find them here.

9) Seal

This is one of the most important steps to rock painting. All that hard work that you put into your stone would be wasted with any type of moisture. You want a seal that won’t curdle if the stones are subject to the outdoor weather. Here’s the sealant that I recommend. Two thin coats works best.

10) Brush Cleaner

How many have us have been guilty of not cleaning our brushes right away and throwing out a rarely used brush because of it? Soak your paintbrushes in this, and you’ll never have to do that again.  Find it here.  

Now I know you’ve been dying to get a little peek into this beautiful book.  It’s a good thing Amazon lets you do just that. Just click on the picture and when you see the book on Amazon go to the top right corner and it will let you look inside.

The Art of Stone Painting was just published in January 2017, so it’s just hot off the press!  I have nothing but praise for this gorgeous book.  The pictures are spectacular, instructions are easy, and the variety of items to paint is well worth the money spent.  This is a five-star book for sure and reviewers on Amazon agree.  You can find the book here.  

Amazing…right? If you want to read more about the kindness movement, please check out my blog post below. If you want to see if you have a Facebook rock painting organization in your area just put in the Facebook search box your city or county and the word “rocks.”  It’s fun to see what your local group has been up to and you’ll be amazed at the talent you will find in your own area.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it on social media.  Thanks for stopping by!

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