Painted Stones

Dragonfly and flower designs are fun, bright and cheery. They're an ideal choice for bringing a touch of outdoors inside or adding a touch of whimsy to a garden. Coat a raw piece of concrete or a slate stepping stone with outdoor paint. When it's dry, sketch the design on the step. Double-load the brush with two colors of thick acrylic paint.

Materials:

sponge
raw piece of concrete or slate
floating medium (available at art-supply stores; it helps paint go on smoothly and stay "workable")
thick acrylic paint
brush
outdoor varnish

Steps:

1. Take a sponge and dab outdoor paint into the concrete surface as the base background coat. Let dry.
   
   
2. Sketch the design you'd like to paint on the concrete (we chose a dragonfly). You can either trace or use a stencil.
   
   
3. Use thick and creamy acrylic paint, and double-load the brush with two colors and possibly a touch of white. Don't blend the colors. Keep one color on one side of the brush and one on the other. Work the paint in well.
   
   
4. Dip the end of the brush handle in the paint to create a perfect dot for the antenna.
   
   
5. Use white to paint the wings and add a touch of blue on the edges of the wings for accent.
   
   
6. Paint white accents on the corners.
   
   
7. Seal with outdoor varnish after the paint totally dries.
   
   
8. For a vine design, sponge on a background base color.
   
   
9. Double-dip the brush to paint and shadow at the same time, then dip it slightly into the floating medium.
   
   
10. Start at one corner and paint a wandering vine in the direction of the opposite corner. Alternate between edge and flatter strokes.
    
    
11. Double-dip the brush into the green paint and add leaves to the vine, again using a double dip technique. Begin with the point of the brush, flatten and pull to form the point of the leaf.
    
    
12. When dry, coat with an outdoor varnish to preserve the appearance and durability of the design.