And now how to make this beauty:

Ordinary cobblestones can serve as an interesting decor for a summer cottage - if you apply creative imagination and paints to them.

My first experience was like this:

Painted with my daughter in gouache, then varnished. And now I came across a master class on painting stones on the Internet and decided to publish - maybe someone will be carried away by this lesson too.

Coloring smooth pebbles is both simple and difficult at the same time. Everything will depend on the pattern you choose. We'll start with simpler drawings: animals, bugs, fish. Children are happy to play with such painted stones. In addition, these beautiful stones can be used as paperweights, as souvenirs, interior and exterior decoration. We need: a pebble suitable shape, acrylic paints, brushes, colorless varnish, simple pencil, eraser.

After picking up the pebble you like, wash it and let it dry. Then draw with a pencil and paint the stone with gouache. Try to match the color of the stone to the picture. Pictures with a clear black outline between colors look most impressive.

To prevent the paint from rubbing off and not getting dirty, cover the pebbles with colorless varnish.

Don't tackle complex images right away. Start simple, like a ladybug.

I think the drawings explain the technology and the sequence of drawing quite well.

Now let's make a snake and a turtle out of stone.

The stone was probably the first object that a person consciously took in his hands. People also began to use it as a basis for creativity for a very long time. Painting on stones is still very popular today, for example, in eastern countries.

It is considered good form to give a stone decorated with an author's drawing to a close friend for his birthday. In addition, stones, like everything that surrounds a person, have their own energy. It is not for nothing that each sign of the zodiac has its own stone, which protects from trouble.

But here we are talking about ordinary pebbles lying on the ground. Not every stone can be the basis for a painting. There are stones that are too porous, taking all the paint into themselves, there are little rounded stones with sharp edges. Therefore, for creativity it is necessary to select smooth stones with a dense texture.

1. Since the material for work literally lay underfoot, the selected stones should be thoroughly washed and dried before starting the process.
2. The field for creativity is quite miniature, so the paint should be poured onto the palette quite a bit.
3. Acrylic paints dry very quickly, turning the brush into a hard scraper, so while painting, the brush must constantly return to the glass of water. For the same reason, when changing color, the brush should be thoroughly rinsed and dried with napkins or paper towels.
4. Drawing on a stone is a rather specific process. In order to avoid unpleasant surprises associated with the ingress of paint on clothes, it is better to paint stones with your own hands in an old T-shirt and jeans, or wear a large apron that covers everything. Even a small drop of paint that has dried on your trousers will ruin the item right away. You can, of course, try to wipe it fresh, armed with an old toothbrush, but it is better to exclude the appearance itself.
5. The same goes for the entire workplace. An old newspaper is a faithful assistant in protecting the table surface from encounters with paint and water.
6. But it is easy to correct the mistake made - the paint is easily erased from the surface of the stone, if necessary, or painted over with a different color after drying.

Materials required for painting

Paints

This can be a watercolor set, jars of gouache, or tubes of acrylic paint.

Each artist works in the manner that he likes, although painting on stones for beginners gives an opportunity to try their hand at all types. Experienced craftsmen still prefer to deal with acrylic paints. The whole palette bright colors fits perfectly even on an unprimed surface. And if you use metallic acrylic paints, the pictures will acquire a pleasant soft sheen.

Pebbles can become brighter and more shiny after painting with paints intended for porcelain or ceramics. You can fix them by putting the painted stones in an ordinary roasting oven. But even without this procedure, the pictures take on a beautiful look.

Contours, markers, pencils

In addition to paints, today there is a large number of means in the form of contours and felt-tip pens that provide decoration of the painting with additional strokes and details.

Flowers applied with a volumetric contour

Few people can portray their ideas without preparation. Even experienced artists sketch the image first. For this, special sketch pencils have been developed for dark and light stones, respectively, white and black.

Brushes

Painting on a stone is impossible without the presence of various types of brushes - from the largest, for painting the background, to miniature, capable of leaving the finest strokes on the surface. A set of brushes can be purchased at your respective store.

Varnish

The created miniature needs to be protected in order to admire it for many years. For this, the stone is varnished. As an illustrative example, there is a painting on stones called "The Master of the Forest" by Leonard Popov:

The lacquered stone has a characteristic beautiful shine

Stone painting process

First, the question of the primer is decided - to apply it or not.

Then the plot of the drawing is determined. Not only imagination, but also the shape, color, texture of the pebbles used will prompt its author.

Before work, the stones are thoroughly washed and dried.

The background of the picture is applied to the primed surface (if such a decision was made).

The future contours of the plot are drawn with a sketch pencil.

When filling fragments with paint, options are possible - first draw the outline with a brush, and then fill the drawing with paint. Or draw the whole picture in color, and then select the outline with a thin brush.

A professional artist's hand can also tremble. Any thinner will help to correct a jagged line or erase an excess stain.

The last step in creating a stone masterpiece is varnishing the entire surface of the painted stone. Only in this case the image will be preserved in all its glory, even if the painting of stones was intended for the garden, and not as a gift.

True, if the drawing takes up only part of the pebble, then you can save its natural appearance, having varnished only the painted area inside the outline.

After the end of the work, the scope of application of the painted pebbles is varied. It can be a wonderful gift for close friends. A glass jug filled with multi-colored stones will decorate your interior design. Magnets glued to the pebbles will allow you to create a unique composition on the refrigerator door. In general, there is no limitation to the flight of creative thought.

Master class on painting stones for beginners

To consolidate creative lessons, an original stone painting is offered, a master class will help you cope with it without much difficulty.

To create a fun family, stones of a certain shape and size are required. The composition will be based on a large flat pebble. Elongated thin pebbles will play the role of big-eyed chicks.

All stone "sticks" are carefully glued vertically onto a flat base using any moisture-resistant glue.

The Black Sea, smooth pebbles ... Today I don’t even know which I liked more - the first or the second. Probably all together, but the sea was far away, and the pebbles ... Everyone was bringing home wine and cognac, laurel and eucalyptus brooms and all kinds of "souvenirs" from the South, and I was carrying stones! There were quite a lot of sea pebbles, it was different sizes and colors - these are small colored pebbles, almost stone chips, and flat monochromatic pebbles, and cobblestones, sharp-angled with veins. So, there were a lot of stones, ideas too, all that was left was to start. And I began my stone-art work with the painting of the flat, light-colored nubs that I especially liked.

To paint sea pebbles, I needed:

• pebbles (flat, even, smooth, no cracks, plain - it can be any, depending on your idea)
• simple slate pencil, eraser
• paints, markers
• brush, needle
• floor and parquet varnish
• nail polish remover with acetone
• cotton wool and cotton swabs.

Pebble painting technology

Painting on stone is not an invention of "homemade" people, but an ancient art that we inherited from our cave ancestors. Today, stone painting is an independent and respected art. In the West, there are whole clubs of amateurs and communities of professionals in stone painting, they share experiences, conduct master classes, organize special exhibitions and even sell their stone arts.

Our stone painting is just beginning to gain popularity. Frankly speaking, there are no hard and fast rules in this matter, no specific technique, no clear instructions. Everyone paints the pebbles in their own way, often discovering "their own America." On a smooth sea pebble or an ordinary "local" cobblestone, you can depict anything you want, if you have imagination and desire - there are no restrictions. It could be ladybug or just a ladybug, fish, cat, dog or favorite hamster. Even the lack of artistic skills is not an obstacle if you want to try yourself as a pebble artist.
So, let's start painting the stone!
First, select a stone and decide if you will primer or paint on an untreated surface. From the very beginning, I decided that I would not be priming, it was decided in principle in order to preserve the natural color of the sea pebbles and its texture as the background.
After that, come up with a drawing that you will apply. Often the very shape of the sea pebbles, its color and texture suggest the future picture. Then draw on the stone with a simple pencil what you have in mind. After the sketch is made, proceed to painting with paints.
Many lovers of painting on stones recommend ordinary gouache, acrylic paints or varnish markers for painting stones. Having tried both, I can say that gouache does not fit well on the surface of an unprimed stone. Acrylic paints are better suited for painting stones - colors are more varied, brighter and fit well. However, I also refused from ordinary acrylics, choosing only acrylic "metallic" - they give a pleasant shine, moreover, they are more liquid than ordinary acrylics. I didn't like the lacquer markers either. I settled on paints for painting glass and ceramics - they are brighter, even if they are applied in one layer, they fit perfectly, evenly, smoothly, and after drying they give a beautiful varnish gloss. They are intended for painting on porcelain and are fixed by firing in an ordinary oven, but I did not need this, only their artistic qualities and the effect of gloss.
After I applied the pencil drawing, I moved on to coloring the stone. First, I applied the outline with light gold acrylic paint. I applied it with a needle, for my taste, even the thinnest brush is too thick for this. The needle draws lines subtly, clearly. The absence of a primer allows you to touch up and correct the drawing. Regular nail polish remover is fine for fixing things that didn't work out, for example, to erase uneven contours.

When the outline was dry, I applied the selected paints. I must say that paints for glass and ceramics dry quickly if applied in a thin layer. On the pebble with the lizard, I first applied a thin layer of silver acrylic paint, without painting over the unevenness of the stone, but only slightly giving the surface silver. Now it remains to cover the painted sea pebbles with varnish so that the drawing on them is preserved for a long time and does not peel off.
I did not varnish the entire stone, I applied varnish only to the drawing itself, without going beyond the contour. This was also part of my plan, the drawing on the "natural" stone seems to me "more alive", "more sincere", is preserved natural color material, its texture is felt. And to the touch it is all the same sea pebbles, which until recently the sea so diligently grinded.
The pebbles are painted! What's next?
And then you can lay out the painted pebbles on the desktop to please the eye and remind you of a vacation, give it to your friends, or you can fill a transparent glass vase with them - what is not an exclusive interior detail? I decided otherwise: I bought the most ordinary small magnets, glue - a colorless gel-moment - and glued magnets to the painted pebbles.

Drawings or paintings on stones as a form of fine art appeared at the dawn of mankind. Primitive people painted mysterious animals or natural phenomena on stones, believing that they would protect them. This is how one of the first trends in art appeared. In modern society, where gadgets and the World Wide Web are the most popular leisure activities, art, including painting, seems to have receded into the background. But despite this, creative and talented people gave a second life to one of the most beautiful occupations - painting on stones. And every day it is rapidly gaining popularity among connoisseurs of hand-made craftsmanship.

Paintings on stones. How to start? Useful properties of the lesson

For this activity, first of all, stones with a smooth surface are needed. They should be washed thoroughly with soap. You can add a little baking soda to the soapy solution. This will prepare the stone to "meet" the paint. Then you need to let it dry. Since the stones are porous, they need to be prepared. In order to fill the pores, a regular PVA glue or liquid primer is most often used.

Painting on stones pushes a person to creativity, reveals his talents in drawing.

This activity is suitable for both adults and children. Kids, painting on stones, show their imagination and develop their imaginations. It will also help development tactile sensations and motor functions of the hands. Painting on stones perfect for landscape design. But not only for him. They can be used anywhere: accentuate the design of a bathroom or a beautiful mantelpiece.

Drawing methods

Like all handmade creations, stone paintings will delight their authors for many years. In order for the drawings to turn out beautiful, you should know the technique of applying paint. There are several methods for making paintings on stones:

1) One of the most common options is decoupage. With the help of this method, the highest quality and beauty of the drawing can be achieved even by the person who has never taken brushes and paints in his hands. Step-by-step instruction performing decoupage is as follows: any paper or napkin with a printed pattern is taken. Then, using a hot iron, the folds of the napkin are ironed. It is placed on the front side of cellophane (you can use a special polyethylene surface) and filled with cold water. All that remains is to attach the drawing to the previously prepared stone, and the work of art created at home is ready! All that remains is to level the edges and apply varnish for durability.

2) The next method is called the double smear technique. The essence of this method is that two colors are typed on the brush at once. Thus, the picture will show a "double" effect: a combination of red and pink, or green and yellow. This method is most convenient for drawing petals and flowers first of all. You can also varnish the stone at the end.

3) A stencil can be used as a third method. Absolutely any figures are suitable here, for example, from a children's coloring book. The contours of the animal or the one whom the author plans to draw are drawn with a simple pencil. Here, watercolor or gouache can replace spray paint. So painting on stones will turn out to be spectacular and "alive".

Painting stones with acrylic paints

To start painting stones with acrylic paints, first outline the outline of the future drawing.

This should be done either with a bright felt-tip pen. On inner side white acrylic paint is applied to the outlined stone. It is on this white surface that the new creation will appear. You can draw anything. It all depends on the imagination and creative imagination of the painter. The main feature should be taken into account: do not start if the artist only likes certain colors. The combination of different textures is very important here. For example, first a bright blue paint is applied to the stone, and on top of it, in a second layer, a dark blue color is applied. That is, multi-layered colors are inherent here.

Every person at some point in his life wants to try to do some kind of art. Painting on stones for beginners will come in handy. This type does not require large financial costs and special skill in mastering the drawing technique, etc. All that a novice artist will need is a rich imagination and enthusiasm. Numerous works of masters will serve, photos of such beautiful pebbles of which are easy to find. An amateur can learn something from there, not forgetting to add a little from himself. Usually, in such cases, animals, flowers, vegetables, fruits, a landscape, or just natural phenomena are painted. From consumables, a novice artist will need:

1) stone (pebble);

2) a pair of brushes (their thickness is not so important);

3) plain and colored pencils;

4) primer;

5) paints - watercolor or gouache;

6) common solvent for error correction;

We decorate the garden

In a suburban area or in the country, each person tries to decorate the space around him. Painting stones for the garden will perfectly complement the summer landscape. Creative and extraordinary ideas can be embodied in just a couple of hundred square meters of a summer cottage. Here the creator is given complete freedom of action. Painting on a stone can emphasize the natural beauty of plants, complement the design of a flower bed. Also, this type of decoration is suitable for any corner of the garden. In this case, the theme of the drawings on the stone should be appropriate: bees, flowers, the sun, etc. The following option can be a vivid solution: furnish the roots of all plants without exception with painted stones.

Stone painting workshop

After they are washed, you should protect your clothes from paint: you can paint in pre-prepared clothes or in a special apron. The shape of the stone itself will be an excellent clue for the question of what to draw. You shouldn't look for stones with perfect shape. Conversely, irregularly shaped pebbles can add creativity to the entire design. For sketching small details, thin brushes are most suitable. And the thick ones are for creating an overall texture.

Regular and inexpensive watercolors and gouache can be used as paint. But if the author wants to achieve greater brightness of his drawing, then he can use acrylic paints.

After familiarizing yourself with the standard techniques for painting on stones, you can start experimenting with the palette: start mixing different colors to add more saturation to the composition. An already finished drawing must be varnished if this craft will come into contact with direct sunlight and be outdoors in general. That is, if your stone painting decorates the courtyard or garden. A master class that allows you to learn all the intricacies of this art can be passed by specialists in the art of drawing.

Consumables for painting on a stone

Suitable stones for painting can be found on the seaside or purchased from a specialty store. First of all, a pebble with a diameter of more than 25 cm is suitable. Only a specialist can draw on stones with a smaller diameter. Paints for this type of activity can be bought at almost any stationery store or art salon. According to its characteristics, it is considered the best. It dissolves quickly in water, mixes easily and does not leave streaks on the surface. It does not rough and gives a bright, rich color effect. Another advantage of this paint is that it dries quickly and creates a glossy shine.

For painting on stone with acrylic, synthetic brushes are suitable, which cannot be destroyed when interacting with this paint. For finer details, a black or plain pencil with a thick shaft is needed. So, painting stones with your own hands is available even to a novice artist or a child.

What to paint in stone

The choice of objects to paint on stone is limitless. You can draw absolutely anything. Artistic painting of stones will turn out to be very original if the master turns ordinary pebbles into Easter egg... A very memorable gift can be a birthday greeting or a declaration of love drawn on a stone. One has only to find a stone and give free rein to your imagination. The result will always be very pleasant for family and friends. After all, a handmade gift, in our case a painting on stones, will be a million times better than something ordinary and everyday bought in a store.

To decorate the garden, pebbles with drawings applied to it are increasingly used. Do-it-yourself painting stones is the easiest and cheapest way to transform country cottage area or the garden of a private house.

For novice artists, such a task may seem too difficult, but even children can apply drawings on stones with acrylic paints. Bright cobblestones will certainly decorate the garden, bring a juicy touch to the existing landscape design.

Instructions for painting stones for beginners

For ease of completing the task, it is better to divide the entire creative process into sequential stages:

1. The choice of material (stones) for painting.
2. Drawing up a sketch of the drawing.
3. Selection of paints and brushes.
4. Transferring the drawing to the cobblestone.
5. Fixing the pattern.

If all steps are followed in a clear sequence, the chances of making a mistake will be reduced to zero - the garden will be decorated with bright pebbles with interesting patterns.

You can decorate with painted cobblestones not only gardens, they are used for zoning the territory, placing them in the form of curbs and sidewalks. Playgrounds and park areas are decorated with the same colored pebbles. Small pebbles with filigree painting can decorate even the most sophisticated interior - they are suitable for decorating a living room, bedroom or hallway.

How to choose stones

Most often, you have to go to the sea to get material for painting. After all, artists draw on the most ordinary sea pebbles. This mineral is more suitable than others for applying patterns to its surface.

Stones for painting must be:

• not too dark;
• not porous;
• have the correct shape;
• priority is given to pebbles with a flat base so that the decor can lie on a horizontal surface;
• suitable in shape and size to the selected pattern.

Advice! Porous minerals can sometimes be used as well. Their surface absorbs a large amount of paint, but such a cobblestone can make an excellent "piece of cheese", for example.

It is most convenient to work with light, smooth and dense stones - the paint lays on such a surface evenly, and the pattern is very clear and accurate.

Do not limit yourself in choosing only perfectly even stones. correct shape... Sometimes cobblestones with complex geometric shapes make a great backdrop to create an unusual painting. It's just that you need to be creative with every interesting stone, think over the concept and create a unique masterpiece.

Making artificial stones

This process looks like this:

1. Pour into a basin or bucket a small amount of water.
2. Ordinary sand is poured into the container to the water level.
3. The sand should be evenly saturated with moisture so that excess water does not stand above its surface.
4. In the sandy mass, a recess is made with the hands, in shape resembling the desired outlines of the future cobblestone.
5. Line the prepared form with polyethylene.
6. Knead ordinary cement slurry and pour it into a mold.
7. The top of the cement blank is covered with polyethylene and sprinkled on top with a thick layer of sand.
8. When the cement is dry, the stone can be painted as usual.

Advice! In order for the background color of the stone to be the same as the author of the drawing needs, any coloring pigments can be added to the cement.

Selecting a pattern

It is necessary to select a drawing based on your own artistic skills and capabilities. It can be an existing picture found on the Internet, or a sketch created from scratch.

First of all, any drawing is depicted on paper. It is better to use in this process the same scale in which the pattern will be transferred to the stone, this will greatly simplify the work.

Now the drawing needs to be transferred to the cobblestone. First, draw the outline of the pattern using contour pencils. There are white and black pencils on sale, their shade is selected depending on the color of the base.

What paints are better to paint stones

For painting stones, artists use a variety of paints, the most popular are:

• watercolor;
• gouache;
• acrylic dyes;
• compositions for painting dishes and ceramics.

If watercolors with gouache have a fairly liquid consistency, moreover, they are washed off under the influence of water, they can crack in the sun, then acrylic paints are considered an ideal material for painting garden stones.

Acrylic colors have a dense, creamy consistency that avoids sagging and re-painting. The paint lays on the base with an even and dense layer the first time.

In addition, acrylic dye has a number of other advantages:

1. Does not fade in the sun.
2. Possesses plasticity, which avoids cracking of the paint layer.
3. Non-toxic, odorless - you can work not only on the street, but also in the house.
4. Dries quickly - a layer of acrylic paint dries in 15 minutes.
5. It tolerates low and high temperatures well.
6. Does not wash off with water.

All these qualities make it possible to use acrylic paints for painting garden stones - the drawings will not be washed off by rains and will not fade in the sun.

Attention! The fact that acrylic paint dries quickly can be a hindrance for a novice artist. To prevent the dye in the jar from thickening and deteriorating, it must be poured onto the palette in small doses.

Professional paints for painting dishes and ceramics are also quite convenient, but their cost can scare off a novice author of patterns. In addition, after applying such dyes to the cobblestone, it is better to bake it in the oven so that the drawing lasts for a long time and does not crack.

You can buy acrylic paints for painting stones both in a building and an art store. Of course, working with professional dyes is much more convenient, and the result will be more spectacular, but such paints are quite expensive.

Painting stones

When the stones are selected and paints are purchased, you can proceed directly to painting. Before starting work, the pebbles must be washed in soapy water and dried thoroughly (it is better to put it in the sun or on a hot battery).

Now comes a layer of primer. It is better to prime any stones - this way the paint will lay down more evenly and its consumption will be significantly reduced. It is allowed to skip this stage when painting very light stones with an absolutely smooth surface and non-porous structure.

Important! Experienced artists suggest using ordinary PVA glue as a primer. Its structure is excellent for these purposes, and White color will be a great background for any drawing.

After applying a layer of soil, the stone must again be thoroughly dried. After that, you can start staining.

First, the contour is applied using a pencil or a special felt-tip pen. Then paint the background by applying paint with a wide, long-bristled brush. Now they depict the pattern itself and carefully draw all the details with a thin brush.

Buying brushes for painting stones is a stage no less important than purchasing paints. Painting tools are sold in whole sets, each of which contains about eight brushes. All brushes come in a variety of sizes, lengths and bristle shapes. Painting stones is best done with synthetic or nylon brushes, so the paint will lie flat, the bristles will not leave visible streaks and lint.

The final stage

After applying each layer of paint, the stone must be left to dry for 15-20 minutes. The same is done after the drawing is finished. In principle, when the acrylic paint dries, the decor can already be taken out into the street, decorate a garden or paths with it - the coating will withstand rain and wind.

But for a greater effect, the painted stones are covered with a layer of acrylic varnish. For these purposes, choose transparent varnishes, which are applied by spraying. The lacquered patterns on the pebbles will become not only stronger, but also brighter, the surface will acquire a glossy sheen.

The technique of painting stones is so simple that it is quite suitable for novice artists. This lesson is suitable not only for adults, children will be able to draw on the pebbles, and then decorate their playground or yard with these pebbles.

For the first experience, acrylic paints from a hardware store are quite suitable, the remains of which are in almost every home. Increasing your professionalism, you can move on to more expensive materials by purchasing paints and brushes in art stores.