What a great easy and step-by-step craft book for the hobbyist, or for creative or artistic souls on your gift list. At just 86 pages, this brilliantly illustrated guide gives the reader everything needed to design and complete painted rocks with impressive mandala patterns. I especially like this book idea to give to a crafty teenager looking for a new hobby, or as inspiration for a crafter or artisan considering a new product to market.

Mandala rock painting made simple - yes they did make it simple! No fuss about unnecessary things but a short introduction on the origins of the word mandala (sanskrit) and then on to the next thing: painting 101. What rocks are ideal? Where do you get them? What art supplies do you need? How to pick your colors?
Okay, got that? On to the next chapter: how to make a grit, use dotting and flourishes.
When you got that, you can go to ‘skill-building’. This chapter is really fun because it shows several examples that you can copy by a step-by-step tutorial on how to draw these mandalas. Every of the 25 patterns contains a start-to-finish time, a summary on which supplies, tools and paint and sealant you need. So definitely rock painting made easy! It really is a fun and easy book for anyone who wants to start rock painting, or as a gift to a creative friend, or a friend who wants to be more creative but doesn’t know where to start.
I received and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and I am grateful for this opportunity. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A great how to book that provides step by step instructions on how to create your own mandala rocks.
The photographs in the book are such a help to visual learners and clearly depicted each step.
I love that the book included ideas on how to finish off your rocks and protect them from the elements so your artwork will last. This would be a great gift for crafters or fun to do with a bunch of friends young and old.

Thanks to Net Galley and Callisto Media for the advanced copy.

Totally inspiring!! I immediately ran to the store to grab some paint picked up a few round rocks and am going to start this craft today!!! Loved how this broke down everything including finishing techniques! The patterns are easy to follow and beautiful! Thank you for writing such an easy to follow tutorial! Absolutely love!

Mandala Rock Painting Made Simple : Step-by-Step Instructions for Timeless Designs provides detailed step by step instructions from choosing stones and materials through to creating your design. It is a lovely colourful book full of inspiration and creativity with lots of mandalas and projects to choose from. A fabulous craft for mindfulness or to do with children.

Mandala Rock Painting Made Simple
5 Stars

I've enjoyed painting stones, placing them in fun or cute scenes in my houseplants over the years.

My children and I typically make a family art day to relax and catch up on life. This week, we used this book to spark our creativity. Mandalas are intimidating(math, eye-roll), but Mandala Rock Painting Made Simple does a great job breaking down the steps, to easy to follow directions. 3/3 of my clan rated it over 4 Stars.

Personally, I rated this book higher, because the author has an eye for details, which I appreciate. They included fun facts, and sneaking in educational bits, in fun & interesting ways. An example of their thoughtfulness was suggesting harvesting your stones sparingly to protect the ecosystem. Or not using glitter due to it not being eco-friendly. This book does touch base on the history of the Mandalas around the world and their base in spirituality. I learned something new. I think this book would be great for homeschooling parents.

This book is laid out well, directions are clear, and easy to follow. I Love it's eco-friendly message. This is what I want to be teaching my kids. It does a great job providing the right amount of information without overwhelming the reader. The step-by-step directions with picture illustrations are colorful and easy to follow. I re-created the bee mandala. It was fun and relaxing.

Thank you, NetGalley and Callisto Media, for an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Rock Painting Made Simple

I like this book because it gives detailed step-by-step instructions for creating a wide variety of mandalas. The images provide a close-up look at the intricacies of developing an ornamental stone for reflection. I would recommend this book.

Mandala Rock Painting Made Simple is a tutorial guide for painting meditative mandala type designs on decorative stones written by Carla Schauer. Released 1st Nov, 2022 by Callisto on their Rockridge imprint, it's 211 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

This is a really well photographed book and the tutorials are clearly written and illustrated. I am by no means an accomplished artist and the instructions were well within my confidence level as a beginning 'doodler'. The resulting projects are attractive and appealing (see cover).

There's an introduction with materials and how-to's as well as a short section on sourcing and choosing rocks for projects. The author does a good job also discussing the ethics of collecting and leaving stones, and how to be considerate of the natural environment. There's a good list of different paints, inks, and other media as well as tips for different shading, color, and surface effects.

The intro is followed by large tutorial chapters roughly grouped by theme: skill building (easier) mandalas, natural subjects, and animal inspired mandalas. Each tutorial includes approximate project times, tools, supplies, and paints needed. They all include a full color photo of the finished rock, and full step-by-step instructions.

The author/publisher have included an abbreviated resource/link list slanted toward North American readers. Readers from other areas will be able to easily source tools and materials with a simple online search (or local hobby retailer).

Five stars. This would make a lovely weekend family project or a really cool 'tie-in' hobby for gardeners, rockhounds, collectors, etc.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes