Drawings or paintings on stones as a form of fine art arose at the dawn of mankind. Primitive people painted mysterious animals or natural phenomena on the stones, believing that they would protect them. So one of the first trends in art appeared. In modern society, where the most popular leisure activities are gadgets and the World Wide Web, art, including painting, seems to have faded 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 lovers of man-made craftsmanship.
Murals on the stones. How to start? Useful properties of the lesson
For this lesson, you need stones with a smooth surface. They should be washed thoroughly with soap. You can add a little soda to the soap solution. This will prepare the stone for a “meeting" with the paint. Then let it dry. Since the stones are porous, they need to be prepared. In order to fill the pores, they usually use ordinary PVA glue or a liquid primer.
Murals on stones push a person to creativity, reveal his talents in drawing.
This lesson is suitable for both adults and children. Kids, painting on stones, show imagination and develop their imagination. It will also help the development of tactile sensations and motor functions of the hands. Murals on stones Great for landscape design. But not only for him. They can be used anywhere: they emphasize the design of a bathroom or a beautiful mantelpiece.
Drawing methods
Like all hand-made creations, stone paintings will please 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 to make painting on stones:
1) One of the most common options is decoupage. Using this method, the highest quality and beauty of a picture can be achieved even by a person who in his life did not pick up brushes and paints. A step-by-step instruction for 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 face-down on cellophane (you can use a special plastic surface) and is poured with cold water. It remains only to attach the drawing to a previously prepared stone, and the work of art created at home is ready! It remains only to align 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 collected on the brush at once. Thus, the “double” effect will be noticeable in the figure: a combination of red and pink, or green and yellow. This method is most convenient to draw the petals and flowers. Also, at the end, you can cover the stone with varnish.
3) A stencil can be used as the third method. Here absolutely any figures, say, from a children's coloring book are suitable. 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 be replaced by spray paint. So painting on stones will turn out spectacular and “lively”.
Painting stones with acrylic paints
In order to start painting stones with acrylic paints, first outline the outline of the future pattern.
This should be done with a colored pencil or a bright felt-tip pen. White acrylic paint is applied to the inside of the encircled stone. It is on this white coating that a new creation will appear. You can draw anything. It all depends on the imagination and creative imagination of the artist. You should consider the main feature: stone painting with acrylic paints you should not start if the artist likes only certain colors. A 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, a second layer, a dark blue color is applied. That is, here layering of colors is characteristic.
Tips for Beginners
Each person at a certain point in his life wants to try to do some kind of art. Stone painting for beginners will come in handy. This type does not require large financial costs and special mastery of the technique of drawing, etc. All that a beginner needs is a rich imagination and enthusiasm. The source of inspiration will be the numerous works of masters, photos of such beautiful pebbles which are easy to find. An amateur can draw something from there, without forgetting to add a little from himself. Usually in such cases, animals, flowers, vegetables, fruits, landscape, or simply 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) simple and color pencils;
4) primer;
5) paints - watercolor or gouache;
6) ordinary solvent to correct errors;
7) varnish.
Decorate the garden
At the suburban site or in the country, each person tries to decorate the space surrounding him. Painting stones for the garden will perfectly complement the summer landscape. Creative and extraordinary ideas can be embodied in just a couple of hundredths of a summer cottage. Here, the creator is given complete freedom of action. Painting on stone can emphasize the natural beauty of plants, complement the design of the flowerbed. Also, this type of decoration is suitable for any corner of the garden. At the same time, the theme of the drawings on the stone should be appropriate: bees, flowers, the sun, etc. A striking solution may be the following option: stones with painting to furnish the roots of all plants without exception.
Stone painting workshop
After the pebbles (stones) are washed, clothing should be protected from paint: you can draw in pre-prepared clothing or in a special apron. The shape of the stone itself will be an excellent clue to the question of what to draw. Do not look for stones with a perfect shape. On the contrary, pebbles with an irregular figure can give creativity to the whole picture. Thin brushes are most suitable for sketching small details. And thick ones - to create a common texture.
As a paint, conventional and inexpensive watercolors and gouache can be used. But if the author wants to achieve greater brightness of his drawing, then he can apply acrylic paints.
Having familiarized with the standard technologies of painting on stones, you can start experimenting with a palette: start mixing different colors to make the composition more saturated. An already finished drawing must be varnished if this craft will come in contact with direct sunlight and be outdoors in general. That is, if your stone painting will adorn the courtyard or garden. A master class that allows you to learn all the intricacies of this art, you can pass with experts in the field of drawing.
Consumables for painting on stone
Suitable stones for drawing can be found on the coast of the sea or purchased in a specialized store. First of all, pebbles with a diameter of more than 25 cm are 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, acrylic paint is considered the best . It quickly dissolves in water, mixes easily and leaves no streaks on the surface. It does not rustle and gives a bright, rich color effect. The next 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 can not be destroyed when interacting with this paint. For smaller details, you need a black gel pen or a simple pencil with a thick core. So, painting stones with your own hands is available even to a novice artist or a child.
What to draw on the stone
The choice of objects for painting on stone is unlimited. You can draw absolutely anything. The stone painting will turn out to be very original if the master turns ordinary pebbles into an Easter egg. A very memorable gift may be a birthday greeting or a declaration of love traced on a stone. One has only to find a stone and give free rein to his imagination. The result will always be very pleasant for family and friends. After all, a handmade gift, in our case - painting on stones, will turn out to be a million times better than something ordinary and everyday bought in a store.