How to paint pebbles?

Pebbles are rounded rocks found in the beach areas. I never thought that these heavy weight pebbles can actually be converted into beautiful art pieces. As a child I use to love pebbles specially the white nicely rounded ones. Of course at that time they were only used to decorate pots or found in the garden areas. But once i saw those naturally textures stones not to mention the textures were awesome, i wanted to paint them. Whites have their own beauty but textures on these pebbles shows some natural artwork. So i started creating those same kind of textures on white stones. For this i used to pour 5-6 drops of different acrylic colors on slightly wet white stone and move my brush into circular or wavy directions to give it a textured look. And slowly i started creating all sorts of designs and faces on these pebbles. Collecting pebbles is always fun but creating art on pebbles is more interesting. I teach how to paint pebbles in my art classes, i can sell but i want don't sell, i gift these to family and friends, i use these for home decoration.

What you need to do and how to start painting pebbles?

Collect pebbles or purchase them, they are easily available and can be collected specially from the beach areas.

Clean them with water.

Group them according to size.

Decide a theme for a group of 5-6 pebbles like flowers, breakfast table themes, or insects or animals prints or just anything that you wish to.

You can also paint each one differently as that also looks nice.

Draw a rough sketch on the stone with a pencil, eraser can also be used easily on stones.

Use acrylic paints and thin and thick brushes accordingly to paint.

Best is to paint the front side first and leave it to dry and paint the back side later as this will help in holding the stone in hand properly .

Another way is to apply paint on the pebble with a single color on both the sides and leave it to dry, draw a sketch lightly like a rose flower, color the flower and leave it to dry.

Apply a single coat of varnish once it is dry completely, this will keep the colors secure and will also add shine to the stone.

You can also create embossed designs using clay, and paint it.

Sequins and beads can also be pasted on pebbles to create a different theme.

How pebbles can be used for home decoration?

Paint some insects or flowers and keep them in your garden area, you can paint some coffee cups or fruits and vegetables and keep them on or around the dining area or paint something contemporary or paint some smileys. So there are endless ways to decorate home with the use of painted pebbles.

Some precautions you must take are,

As pebbles are heavy so it is best to keep them away from children.

While painting hold them firmly so that it does not fall on you.

It is better to choose slightly rough surface pebbles to be painted.

So next time you go to the beach areas collect some rounded pebbles, purchase acrylic colors and paint your first pebble. If you good at art you can create some intricate artwork and even nature scenes also on pebbles.

You can also make money by selling these painted pebbles to gift stores or sell them to your friends, you can also sell these on etsy.com which is so far the best online marketplace to sell handcrafted items.