Looking to get into the popular hobby of painting kindness rocks and kindess seashells? If so, we have 6 quick and easy designs to share with you today. All of these designs were painted using 2 packs of Acrylic Paint Markers which I’ll tell you about below. You can paint on smooth river rocks, clam shells, oyster shells, whelk & conch shells, etc. Depending on the size and shape of the seashell…you may have to alter the design to fit.
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For this project I used 2 different packs of Acrylic Paint Markers:
BETEM Acrylic Paint Markers and the Tanmit Metallic Colors Acrylic Paint Markers. You can certainly just use whatever you have on hand. However, make sure they’re acrylic paint markers and NOT kiddie markers that the kids use. You want the color to be permanent!
Wash all rocks and shells in warm soapy water and rinse clean. I like to use Dawn Liquid Dishwashing Soap. It does a great job at removing dirt, sand, debris and fishy odors. Let them air dry overnight.
Base coat in a white acrylic paint using a paint brush or spray paint. One light coat will do because it’s just a base coat. Why base coat? This will allow all of the colors that you apply on top to be bright and vivid. Let the base coat dry.
Take a pencil and lightly sketch your desired design onto your base. Now for the fun part…choosing the colors! You can use my photograph to give you some design inspiration. Use the acrylic paint markers to color in the larger areas first. Then use the fine tip on the markers to finish coloring in the smaller areas and to do the outlining or pattern work. Let the shells dry until the paint is no longer tacky. It usually takes about an hour.
You need to protect the painted surface by one of two different methods:
Clear Mod Podge Sealer – Brush it on both sides of the seashell and let dry overnight. It goes on white but will dry crystal clear. I like applying it with a foam brush, not a bristle brush.
Clear Acrylic Spray-On Sealer – You need to use this one outside due to the fumes and smell. Stand back from the item you’re spraying and give it a light coat. Let air dry overnight.
Looking for more free and easy painted seashell and kindness rock designs? We have over 350 on the TCC blog!