Stones fall into a similar category as shells in as much as they are uniquely individual and can be found on the sea shore, in the bush and in most gardens.
Some stones appear dull to the eye and yet on deeper observation they can be found to have a most interesting shape which lends itself to a specific design for decoration.
Stones of Interesting Shape:
This stone itself was a slate grey slightly mottled and had some rough texture; this was taken into consideration when the tail was placed, and dimension was given to the form of the cat.
Start today collecting small, large, medium, colourful, plain and “anything goes” type of stone and when an idea stirs your imagination a stone will be there for you to complement. Once you have decorated a stone, you could find it an obsession and no stone will be left unturned!
Materials required:
- Stones.
- Acrylic Paints.
- Exterior varnish.
- Paint brushes.
- Detergent.
- Water.
- Pastel pencil.
- Palette knife.
- A master sketch or design.
The stone needs to be washed well with water and detergent and allowed to dry.
Note the interesting tones and form within the stone surface whilst the stone is wet. These could influence the decoration as it is always desirable to allow a natural combination with the design. The stone may need to be sealed with a clear varnish if it is very porous.
Painting begins:
- The materials are placed on a bench top or table, good lighting is always advisable.This design was sketched onto the stone with a pastel pencil.The solid form of the cat was blocked in with White, Blue, Ochre paint.
- Darker tones of paint were painted in for the darker tones and then blending some of the first mixture made a middle tone.
- A mixture of Blue, Indian Red colour tones for the ears, tale and profile of the face were applied. A straight black is a “no- no,” as it would appear flat and “kill” the tonal values.
- Blue and White mixed for the eyes, an outstanding feature of the Siamese cat.
- The whiskers were painted with a fine sable brush and a small amount of Indian Red and White for the inside of the ears.
- Some colour tones were painted into the stone background.
- The painting was allowed to dry for a couple of hours and then two coats of Exterior varnish was applied,
The inbuilt creative talent is born:
A painted stone can be used as a door stop, addition to an indoor or outdoor garden etc.
Children find collecting/painting stones great fun. They can allow their imagination to run free with colour and design.
Stone painting should “reveal a picture,” this is achieved by “reading” a theme into the stone by close scrutiny of shape, colours and texture.
When next you stub your toe on a stone, take a closer look at the culprit as it could be the beginning of a fascinating expression of an inbuilt creative talent.
Aileen McLeod - Art is a passion with Aileen with writing not far behind. She has always loved to paint/write and share her knowledge. Aileen has taught ...
