Beach Sunset Dot Rock

Hello loves! Today I am inspired to share with you my process for creating a Beach Sunset Dot Rock!

Materials: Pencil, Eraser, Paint Brush, Dot Makers (one small, one medium, one large. See below for more details,) Acrylic Paints (Black, Yellow, 2 Oranges, Red, 2 Blues, 3 Greens and 2 Browns) and a Sealer (link to the non-toxic eco-friendly quick drying sealer I use included in the sealing step.)

Notes: Regarding paint colors, if you desire to follow this design's color pallet, please note in the material sections the colors we will be using and the number of different shades you'll need for each color. I refer to the different shades I use with different names. For example: :"orange" and "light orange," but feel free to use your own shades, staying consistent throughout the painting wherever you substitute. For example: use your second orange color every where I say to use "light orange" and your third green color every where I say "dark green." This is a fun project, feel free to follow as closely or deviate as willfully as you desire from my design. You'll notice I deviate from my own design at times. This is a natural part of the creative process! If you make an error with a dot, see Step 40 for an example of how to fix it.

Step 1: Select your rock!

You can use any shaped rock you want to for this project. Since we're mostly using dots to paint the rock, it's ok for the rock surface to not be smooth. The rocks I gravitate to for this design are ones that are flat on the bottom, with one side curved higher than the other at the top.

Step 2: Paint the background black.

Using a black acrylic paint, cover the visible surface of the rock with black paint. I make sure the edges are painted as far down as possible without touching the surface I am painting on.

Step 3: Draw the Horizon Line

Using a pencil, draw a straight line for the horizon about one forth up from the bottom of the rock and parallel to it.

Step 4: Draw the sun on the horizon line

Using a pencil, draw a half circle connecting to the horizon line drawn in Step 2 to create the center of the sun. For the placement, imagine the rock was split down the center, then draw the half circle a little bit off of that center line on the side of the rock you're using for the sun. Since my rock is higher on the left side, I reserved that for the palm tree and drew the sun slightly off center on the right half of the rock.

Step 5: Draw three half circles extending out from the sun circle equal distance apart from each other

Using your pencil, now draw three more half circles, each one extending out from the first half circle drawn in Step 4, keeping the space between these lines consistent, with the first of the three being a small distance off of the sun circle. We will be using these three spaces later as guidelines for our dots. Even though our dots will be different sizes it's fine to keep the space for them uniform at this stage.

Step 6: Add another half circle line further out from the cluster of three half circle lines

Using pencil, draw another half circle line far out from the three half circles you outlined in Step 5. The space between this line and the Step 5 lines should be about the width of the three half circles in that step. Essentially you're leaving a big space empty before drawing your next half circle line.

Step 7: Add the last half circle line with the distancing of one of the three half circle lines

Using your pencil, add the last half circle line, keeping it the same distance from line drawn in Step 6 as the distance between one of the three half circle lines drawn in Step 5.

Step 8: Draw the dividing line between the water and the grass

Using your pencil, now draw a straight line down from the horizon line drawn in Step 3 at the edge of your last half circle line drawn in Step 7. This will be used to divide the grass section from the water section.

Step 9: Draw the grass lines, using the spacing of the half circles

Using your pencil, draw in grass lines parallel to the horizon line drawn in Step 3, extending to the dividing line you added in Step 8. Keep these lines as far apart as the lines for the half circles from Step 5. On my rock, I ended up with 5 lines, creating 6 sections.

Step 10: Draw four palm tree trunk lines extending up from the horizon line

Using pencil, it is now time to draw in the lines for the palm tree trunk. You will use 4 lines to create 3 columns, keeping the spaces between the same as the spaces of the half circle lines in Step 5. These lines do not have to be straight, they can have a little bit of a bend to them. Keep in mind the sun design will extend beyond the last half circle line drawn in Step 7, it's ok if your palm tree leaves overlap the sun design, but try to keep the trunk as far away from the sun as possible, while still being visible.

Step 11: Draw in the palm tree leaves outline

Using your pencil, now draw in your palm tree leaf outlines by extending them out from the trunk. To do this I usually take a curved line and then have it come to a sharp point, curving back to form a elongated curved triangle with only two sides. I used 3 palm tree leaves in my example, you may have more, this is fine. Note that part of my palm tree goes off the edge of the rock. I decided to leave it like that, drawing 2 leaves between the trunk and the sun and 1 leaf along the edge of the rock and the trunk. You can place the leaves wherever feels right to you!

Step 12: Paint the center of the sun

Using a regular brush, paint the center of the sun yellow. For my yellow color, I used Homefront Decorator Color's, "Real Yellow". (All of my other acrylic paints are Apple Barrel brand.)

Step 13: Add small orange dots in the space around the sun

Using your small size dot maker, starting from the edge of the horizon line drawn in Step 3, add orange dots in the space between the sun colored in in Step 12 and the first of the three half circle lines drawn in Step 5. For my smallest dot maker, I use the end of a bobby pin. You can also purchase dot making kits if you feel called to! For my orange color, I used Apple Barrel's "Harvest Orange."

Step 14: Add small yellow dots above and between the orange dots in the next section

Using your small size dot maker and the same yellow you used for the center of the sun, add dots in the next row, staying between the orange dots you added in Step 13. You will see that my dots are not in the center of the space that was drawn for them, this is ok as we'll be using a bigger dot for the next step. Remember these lines are simply guidelines!

Step 15: Add medium light orange dots above the small yellow dots

Using your medium size dot maker and a light orange color, add dots in line with the small yellow dots you added in Step 14. To create my light orange, I mixed my yellow and my orange together. To create the medium sized dots, I used the end of a thin paint brush.

Step 16: Add small orange dots above and in the spaces between the medium orange dots

Using your small size dot maker, add orange dots in between the spaces of the medium light orange dots you added in Step 15. At this point you should be at or near the edge of the set of three half circle lines you drew in Step 5.

Step 17: Add small red dots above and in line with the small orange dots

Using your small size dot maker and a red color, place dots above and in line with the small orange dots you added in Step 16. For my red color, I used Apple Barrel's "Flag Red."

Step 18: Add medium red dots in line with the small red dots

Using your medium size dot maker, add red dots in line with the small red dots you added in Step 17. Note, these dots should take you to the edge of the half circle line you added in Step 6. In my example you'll see I go over the line in some places, remember the lines are just for your guidance.

Step 19: Add small yellow dots between the small orange and red dots

Using your small size dot maker, add yellow dots between the small orange and red dots added in Steps 16 & 17. Try to stay between the dots both vertically and horizontally

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Step 20: Add medium yellow dots above small yellow dots, between small and medium red dots

Using your medium size dot maker, add yellow dots above and in line with the small yellow dots added in Step 19, staying between the small and medium red dots added in Steps 17 & 18.

Step 21: Add medium light orange dots in the space created in Steps 6 & 7

Using your medium sized dot maker, starting from the edge of the horizon line drawn in Step 3, add light orange colored dots outside of the dots added in Steps 16-20. This should be within the space created from the half circle lines you created in Steps 6 & 7.

Step 22: Add large yellow dots in line with the stack of small and medium yellow dots

Using your large size dot maker, add large yellow dots, lining them up with the small and medium yellow dots from Steps 19 & 20, Note that you will now be going beyond the last half circle line you drew in Step 7. To create my large size dots, I used the end of a thick paint brush. (I apologize for using the same color brush for the medium and large dots, I didn't think about the confusion when I was making the rock, hopefully you can see the difference!)

Step 23: Add medium yellow dots in line with the large yellow dots

Using your medium size dot maker, add a yellow dot in line with the large yellow dot you added in Step 22.

Step 24: Add small yellow dots in line with the medium yellow dots

Using your small size dot maker, add yellow dots in line with the medium yellow dots from Step 23. You have now completed your sun!! Yay!

Step 25: Add small and medium light orange, orange, red and yellow dots in the water section

Using your small and medium size dot makers, add dots in the section under the water section created in Step 8. I mostly tried to keep the colors under the colors of the sun design. Keeping the light orange in line with the light orange on the sun, but randomly spaced and far apart, (picture 1.) I did the same with the orange, red, and yellow colors (pictures 2-4). You'll notice I used more yellow than any other color and created a beam like reflection under the sun from Step 12.

Step 26: Add large light blue and dark blue dots to the water section

Using your large size dot maker, add light blue and dark blue dots to the water section. For light blue I used Apple Barrel's "Caribbean." For the dark blue, I mixed Apple Barrel's "Too Blue" with Appel Barrel's "Laguna."

Step 27: Add medium and small light and dark blue dots to the water section

Using your medium and small size dot makers, add light and dark blue dots in the water section created in Step 8. Note, I start with the medium dots and fill in with the small dots. You've now finished the water section! YAY!

Step 28: Add large light green dots to the first row of grass section

Using your large size dot maker, add light green dots to the first row of the grass section identified in Step 8. For the light green, I used Apple Barrel "Limeade."

Step 29: Add large bright green dots to second row of grass section

Using your large dot maker, add bright green dots to the second row in line with the light green dots added in Step 28. For bright green, I used Apple Barrel's "Parakeet."

Step 30: Add small light green dots in the third row of the grass section

Using your small dot maker, add light green dots to the third row in the grass section.

Step 31: Add medium dark green dots to the fourth row of the grass section

Using your medium size dot maker, add dark green dots to the fourth row of the grass section.

Step 32: Add medium bright green dots to the fifth row of the grass section

Using your medium size dot maker, add bright green dots to the fifth row of the grass section, keeping them in line with the dark green medium dots added in Step 31.

Step 33: Add large dark green dots to the sixth row of the grass section

Using your large size dot maker, add dark green large dots to the sixth row of the grass section. You have finished your grass section! YAY!

Step 34: Outline lowest palm tree branch with small bright green dots

Using your small size dot maker, add bright green dots to the lowest palm tree branch outlined in Step 11. I simply followed the line of the outline with small dots.

Step 35: Add medium bright green dots above small dots on first leaf

Using your medium size dot maker, add bright green dots above and following the line of the small green dots added in Step 34. Stay within your leaf outline if possible, and leave room for there to be a pointed end of the leaf.

Step 36: Add medium light green dots above medium bright green dots on first leaf

Using your medium size dot maker, add light green dots above the medium bright green dots added in Step 35. You'll notice that I went outside of the leaf I drew and extended it to cover up one of the sun's dots. Feel free to make adjustments to your outline as you go!

Step 37: Continue to add three rows of medium and small light and bright green dots to your other leaves until entire leaf section is filled in

Using your medium and small sized brushes, continue to outline the remaining leaves with light green and bright green dots. Its helpful to fill in the tree as your adding leaves, notice how my leaves branch out from the center of the tree. For my rock, the second leaf was outlined in a lower row of medium bright green, a middle row of medium light green, and a top row of small light green (pictures 1-3 in this series of photos.) My third leaf had a lower row of small bright green, a middle row of medium bright green and a top row of light bright green (pictures 4-6 in this series.) You'll notice I also used small light green dots to fill in the tree (picture 6.) You've completed your leaf section of the palm tree! YAY!

Step 38: Start the palm tree trunk section with a column of small dark brown dots

Using your small size dot maker, add dark brown dots to column farthest from the sun on the palm tree section outlined in Step 10. For dark brown, I used Apple Barrel's "Nutmeg Brown."

Step 39: Add medium dark brown dots in second column of palm tree trunk section

Using your medium size dot maker, add dark brown dots to the second column of the palm tree trunk section.

Step 40: Add small light brown dots to third column of palm tree trunk section

Using your small size dot maker, add light brown dots to the third column of the palm tree trunk section. For light brown, I mixed Apple Barrel's "Nutmeg Brown" and "White." Note, I added a forth column of small light brown to the trunk side furthest to the sun for balance (picture 2.) Also note how in picture 1 of this series, the medium brown dot in column 2 overlaps the small brown dots in column 1. In picture 2, this error has been fixed by using black paint to create space in between the dots again. This can be done to fix a dot error anywhere on your rock. You're now done with your palm tree trunk! YAY!

Step 41: Review and add dots as you feel called to to fill in the empty spaces

In this step you'll review how your rock looks and fill in the spaces that seem to need more color, particularly in the water section. You may choose to add more of the sun reflection at this time, or simply add more water. In my example you'll notice how the horizon line on the right side looks off, I filled this it in during this step, along with adding more sun colors and blue dots in the entire water section.

Step 42: Seal your rock

After all the paint is dry, it’s time to seal the rock! You can use any method to seal your rock, however, I highly recommend this amazing quick drying non-toxic eco-friendly sealer that my devoted found for me after I complained of the lack green minded sealing options! This is a concrete sealer from a green buildings supply company. I use their sample size, which is only $10 and still have not run out after sealing at least 21 rocks. The second picture below shows how to order the sample size and the link below will take you directly to the product! To use this sealer, I place my rock on top of a piece of wax paper. Using a medium sized brush, I lightly brush on the sealer, starting in the center and spreading to the outer edge of the rock. The product is very watery, so a little goes a long way. I am very careful not to let the sealer drip off the sides and under the rock, as that happened on my first couple of rocks and made a mess! After the first coat, I let it dry, which usually takes less than 5 minutes. Then I apply a second coat, waiting an additional 5 minutes before applying the third and final coat.

Non-toxic gloss rock sealer: https://www.greenbuildingsupply.com/Green-Building-Supply-Penetrating-Gloss-Sealer

CONGRATULATIONS!

Your Beach Sunset Dot Rock is complete!! YAY! Take pictures and share with all of your friends!!

Namaste ~ the divine light in me salutes and honors the divine light in you!

With Love,

The Vulnerable