Painting on pebbles is an exciting creative activity... as long as you just get started! In this page, you can find simple step-by-step models to paint your first animals on pebbles... And your children will be able to participate without any problem.

It's an innovative alternative to rainy summer days! Why not imagine a collection of animals on painted pebbles?

With a pebble, some paint and work you can come up with some amazing works !!!

(akie-nakata)

 

So let's get to work without delay!

The necessary equipment...

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 Flat pebbles of all sizes

This can be pebbles collected on the beach (attention, collection is not always allowed ...) or simply bought in a large garden center or a garden development area in the materials department ...

These pebbles will be washed, bleached, rinsed and dried. It is better, from the beginning, to paint them white (satin acrylic paint for example).

 Acrylic paint and brushes...

All acrylic paints for artists are suitable. Be careful, some brands and qualities are out of price: stay in a "study" quality always very affordable. Some tracks at very low prices: BASICS from Liquitex (excellent) or RoyalLangNickel sold in batches of primary colors ...

Brushes don't need the noble materials of art supplies... a few brushes for spreading and a few round brushes for details, that's what you need. For example, here are two links for complete and very inexpensive sets: a complete set of brushes and round brushes for less than 7€ and this assortment of round brushes also for less than 7€...

Acrylic markers

If you're not happy with the idea of using brushes, a good alternative is to use permanent acrylic markers that can write on almost any surface... These are the most practical to use!

Here's an interesting set because colors are metallic..

The colors are frank and bright!

 Small equipment...

A pencil to draw on the pebbles, water to rinse the brushes, paper towels and clean cloths to wipe them...

A few black markers for the contours... large ones for contours like these and thinner ones for details in boxes of 12, it's much cheaper!

Also plan a surface protection for old newspapers and maybe aprons for the children... Acrylic may be a water-based paint... it can stain irreparably!

Examples and models...

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 To begin... simple shapes!

Preferably work on a pebble that you have painted white.
Draw a quick sketch with a gray pencil and then draw the shape with a thick black felt pen.
You'll finish with the acrylic plates ...

This is ideal for starting with children... And if the result does not suit you ... a new coat of white and start again after drying ...

Vous devriez obtenir des résultats comme ceci :

 Autres exemples et modèles simples d'animaux peints sur des cailloux...

The principle is always the same... A pencil sketch, a drawing with a thick marker and then the flat areas of color... In this example, the pebbles are used raw, without white undercoat... What preserves their aspect "raw nature"...

And again this Noah's Ark in painted pebbles ...

More elaborate painted pebbles...

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For each of the following examples, we have broken down the construction into 3 phases:

1- A quick sketch based on simple shapes... just to set the scene.
2- The contours of the animal to be painted made with a large black felt pen... If the lines seem too big, you can partially mask them with the acrylic of phase 3.
3- The painting of the areas delimited in 2.

All the models are downloadable in pdf... just click on the image...

Dogs on painted pebbles...

How can you resist this adorable dog ????

 Cats painted on pebbles...

About light reflections in the eyes... They give the depth of the glance and indicate the transparencies of the eye... There are no rules to draw them... but if you want a simple way to implement them, here is in 3 steps how I proceed: first, pass the whole pupil in black and, with a very fine brush, draw first a white point then a small white arc on the edge of the pupil...

And, finally cats, this pebble-painted pebble in the moonlight !!!

The animals of the farm...

This can be a source of inspiration to paint your pebbles... From simple models at the beginning... to the most elaborate... You can download a pdf of the 3 models below by clicking on the images.

And another nice cow painted on a whole pebble... just for fun!

Wild animals...

Some pebble painters push art to perfection... the play of shadows gives relief to this green mamba painted on a pebble! A meticulous and trompe l'oeil work !

Animals painted on pebbles... the conclusion!

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I hope that this page gave you the desire to paint pebbles and, more especially to include animals... Your children will love this activity and, if you give them a little help, they will reward you with magnificent works of art, modern or not !!

Happy painting !