
Member Reviews

Great little book full of hints and tips on ways to decorate rocks. I got some lovely ideas for designs on my rocks.

this book helps with ideas and techniques for making boring rocks into works of art. This is a great book for summer fun projects that are cheep and keep kids occupied. Also, for parents to enjoy with their kids. These are my personal kinds of crafts to do with kids because they always want to save every masterpiece, and these are works of art that can stay outside and have a purpose to decorate your yard for example.

I 😍 this book! My friends and I have been painting like crazy! We've tried most of the examples in the book and used them to make alot of people smile! It's easy to become an expert crafter with very little effort by following examples and instructions. If you have admired painted rocks in your local crafter market, you'll see how easy it really is to decorate your life.

Though this came to me marketed as “children’s nonfiction”, Rock Art Handbook is actually a how-to guide both for adults, and for adults working with children on craft projects.
I was drawn in by the pretty cover, and there are plenty of practical ideas here, laid out in steps - from beginning with the right materials to finding tools in objects around your home.
Of course, this is a book written and published in America, so certain aspects aren’t going to work for everyone. Most notably, there are a lot of recommendations for paints and sealants etc. you might not be able to find where you live.
Otherwise, it does exactly what it promises on the cover.

A beautiful book on creating colorful rock art. It covers choosing your rocks, possible sources, cleaning, prepping, necessary supplies (paints, sealants, tools), special effects (marbling, decoupage, paper on rocks and embellishments). It even covers a variety of uses such as teaching tools.
#RockArtHandbook #NetGalley

What a great resource for arts and crafters of every level. Definitely buying a copy for a couple Girl Scout leaders that I know.
The book has step by step tips on everything from prepping the rocks to finishing them, as well as the pros and cons of each medium one can use on rocks. It has tips on different styles, lists of all the different tools to use for each medium. Heck, some of these are great even for regular painting (see also: the galaxy background which I've been trying to get right for ages but couldn't just trying to watch a YouTube video...yet totally saw where my errors were after reading the step by step instructions in this book). And the mediums listed aren't just paints. They vary to include pencils, paper, fabric, etc.

Rock Art Handbook by Samantha Sarles is an exuberant how-to DIY for turning found stones into small works of art. Due out 13th August, 2018 from Fox Chapel Publishing, it's 160 pages and available in paperbound format.
I already used 'exuberant', but it's the best descriptor for this book. The photography is lovely and full color throughout. The author writes in an easy to follow style and the book is simply packed with good tips and techniques. The introduction does a good job of showing the available tools and necessary supplies. She even describes what makes a rock easy or difficult to paint. Preparation and priming are covered in the intro chapter with more advanced techniques having the necessary additional steps included inside the individual project chapters.
The step by step tutorials are clear and easily followable with photographs and supporting text. The included techniques are broadly varied, from marbling to decoupage, painting with acrylic, puffy paint, markers, metallic pens and more. There's something for everyone. I especially love the mandalas and zentangles.
The author says something quite profound in her introduction also:
Here's the best thing about creating art on rocks: rocks are not intimidating. There's something quite different about looking at a simple, natural rock compared with staring at an overwhelming blank canvas or piece of paper.
This is just a really fun (exuberant!) colorful do-able art book. The final chapter includes rock art with (and for) kids. I really loved the story rocks. What an awesome idea!
Five stars. This book does what it aimed to do very well. Fun fun fun!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Rock Art Handbook features beautiful color photographs and simple instructions on how to master this hot artistic trend. Just look at that gorgeous cover and you’ll be inspired. Includes 30+ projects that demonstrate an array of techniques including puffy paint, acrylics, oil pastels, alcohol inks, gelatos, art pens, embossing, stamping, and much more. 5/5 for great imagination and fun!
Thanks to the author, Fox Chapel Publishing and NetGalley and for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#RockArtHandbook #NetGalley

Rock painting is huge in my area. I have wished to get in on the fun, but I wasn't sure how to start. This book, Rock Art Handbook, answered all my questions. Rock painting is simple and fun to do.
Rock Art Handbook gives the reader many different ideas for different styles of painting. From traditional acrylic paint, watercolors, colored pencils and even stickers, the author shows you how to use each type to create your own artwork. I enjoyed the beautiful full-color photographs of the different projects.
I loved the Rock Art Handbook and can't wait to start my own rock painting journey!

What a fun book to share with your kids! I must say, I wouldn't have thought it was possible to write an entire book about rock art, but this book is packed with detailed ideas for tools, techniques and overall inspiration. This handbook would be great for crafters, teachers, parents looking for fun projects to do as a family.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing and ARC in exchange for an honest review.