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Learn how to paint a mermaid on a rock!
Living near Lake Ontario we have an abundant supply of beautifully rounded rocks that make a wonderful canvas for painting. One of my favorite things to paint on them is mermaids. In this tutorial I will show you step-by-step the process I use, slowly building up the color.
I honestly have no idea how long this will take; I only paint a little at a time, then let it dry before coming back to it. I painted this over about the course of week, you could take longer or shorter.
The level of difficulty will depend on your painting skills already, more difficult for a beginner, but if you've had a lot of practice this shouldn't be too hard.
I set the budget as cheap, because I have a wide selection of paints & rock available to me already, but if you are going to be buying your paints for the first time, it could be an expensive project. Rocks should be pretty cheap & easy to find no matter where you live.
Also, if glitter isn't your thing, feel free to skip that step completely, and I highly recommend everyone skip steps 7 & 8. ^.^"
You can also find this tutorial at http://bunnykissd.deviantart.com/art/Mermaid-Step-by-Step-357868243
If you make your own, I'd *LOVE* to see it!
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Katie M. favorited Comet Mermaid On A Rock
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You Will Need
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Step 1Find the perfect rock. I generally prefer smooth rounded rocks that are slightly flat and sit well without rocking, as well as ones that have a generally even coloring that is light. If you prefer you can choose one with more colors, or one that hasn't been smoothed & rounded. It's all personal preference.
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Step 2Begin to paint your mermaid in white. This makes the colors more opaque on the rock so they will be more vibrant. You can use a photo reference of someone swimming if that helps. I try not to paint from someone else's art because any mistakes they've made get transferred to my work, and I prefer to make my own mistakes. ^-^
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Step 3Continue to build up the white. I let the rock show through more in places where I will have shadow later.
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Step 4Begin to add the base colors. I thin mine with water and slowly layer it, allowing it to dry well between layers. Notice how the colors are darker where there is less white beneath the paint.
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Step 5Start to add shading where appropriate. I used a very watered down, darker version of the base color to do this, in the same manner as before, layering & drying.
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Step 6Add some pearly or metallic paint to the fins. At this point I added a series of lines to help flesh out the fins.
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Step 7This step is optional.
Decide that you hate how her dorsal fin looks and completely cover it in white.
Like I said on the photo, I really don't recommend this step, as it destroy the translucent effect from the rock showing through. >.<
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Step 8Re-do the dorsal fin. Obviously, if you chose to skip Step 7, this one can also be skipped... ^.^"
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Step 9Begin to add details. Here I've added the highlights in her hair and her lip color.
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Step 10Continue to add the details. I've finished her face here.
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Step 11Add the finishing touches. I've built up color in some place where it was too translucent, and added more highlights & shadows on her body.
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Step 12Add glitter where, and if, desired. Then seal with the sealant of your choice. On this particular piece, I used Glitter Mod-Podge and Matte Mod-Podge as a sealant, but I've since switched to Minwax Water-based Polycrylic. These can all be applied with a paint brush, which allows the natural rock to show through where there is no paint. (Remember to overlap the edge of the paint just the tiniest bit.) If showing the natural rock isn't important to you, or if you want your rock to have a wet look, you can use a glossy spray sealant, like Krylon Crystal Clear Acrylic Gloss.
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