Orange and pink sky stone, one palm from the left rimOrange, pink, black. Orange on the lower half, pink above; a black palm leans in from the left rim.
Cream moon disc crossed by one pen branch from the rimBlue-black, cream, black. A large cream disc off-center; one pen branch crosses it from the rim.
Dry-brush comet tail running end to end of a dark stoneDark blue, white, yellow. A star near one end, a thinning dry-brush tail running to the other end.
Arched bridge silhouette over glowing waterGold, orange, black. Sky and water share the colors; a black arch spans the widest part of the stone.
Bare tree filling a round setting sunYellow, orange, black. The whole round stone is the sun, darker at the rim; black branches spread across it.
Black cactus pair against a red desert pebbleRed, gold, black. Gold near the bottom, red above; two cacti with raised arms rise from a low black dune.
City skyline along the base of a sunset stonePink, violet, black, yellow. Black blocks of uneven height on the bottom edge, a few yellow pen windows.
Fence posts in black across an orange pebbleOrange, purple, black. Two sky bands, then five uneven posts and two sagging wires along the bottom third.
Five small birds perched where a pen wire dips mid-stoneYellow, pink, black. Two bands; one sagging pen line from rim to rim with five small birds, one apart.
Flock in a V over a striped evening stonePeach, coral, black. Two bands of sky; nine small pen ticks in a V heading for the stone's narrow end.
Giraffe and flat-topped tree at duskYellow, orange, red, black. Three blended bands; the tree's crown spreads under the top rim, the giraffe beside it.
Kite flyer on a hill at sunsetOrange, magenta, black. A black hill follows the stone's humped base; one figure, a pen string, a kite near the top.
Lone pine silhouette on a sunset pebble's rimYellow, red, black. Yellow low, red high; one pine stands on a black strip that follows the bottom edge.
Orange and pink sky stone, one palm from the left rimOrange, pink, black. Orange on the lower half, pink above; a black palm leans in from the left rim.
Windmill silhouette with sails over the stone's topGold, orange, black. Tower from the base; the four sails cross near the top and one tip runs over the edge.
Night skies and moons 12
Aurora ribbons dragged upward from hills on the baseBlack, green, teal, white. Low hills follow the base; wavy ribbons drag upward toward the top rim.
Band of stars slanting across a long stoneBlack, violet, white. A violet smear from one corner to the far corner, white splatter thickest along it.
Big Dipper in seven dots and pen linesNavy, white. Seven swab dots: four for the bowl near one end of an oval, three for the handle to the other.
Cream moon disc crossed by one pen branch from the rimBlue-black, cream, black. A large cream disc off-center; one pen branch crosses it from the rim.
Crescent moon hugging a round stone's curveNavy, white, pale yellow. The crescent follows the left rim; four pen stars in the dark that is left.
Dry-brush comet tail running end to end of a dark stoneDark blue, white, yellow. A star near one end, a thinning dry-brush tail running to the other end.
Moon path in broken dashes down a dark lakeNavy, black, cream. Moon in the top third, a black shore line across the middle, cream dashes below it.
One lit tent under a field of starsNavy, black, orange, white. A small orange triangle glows on the black ground along the base; stars above.
Ringed planet tilted across an oval pebbleBlack, tan, rust, white. The planet sits mid-stone, its ring slanting toward the two narrow ends, dot stars around it.
Sponge-dabbed spiral galaxy on a round black stoneBlack, purple, teal, white. Sponge a loose spiral from the middle of a round stone; white splatter last.
Starry sky ringed by pine tops, looking upNavy, black, white. Black pine tips point inward from the whole rim, as if lying on the forest floor.
Toothbrush-splatter stars on a navy pebbleNavy, white. Flick thinned white off a toothbrush over the whole stone, then add three bigger pen stars.
Mountains and lakes 12
Canyon walls in stacked rust and cream bandsRust, cream, tan, blue. Wavy level bands down both sides, a thin strip of blue river at the very bottom.
Misty pine row along a pale stone's basePale gray, dark green, white. Pine shapes along the bottom, each one fainter than the last; white dry-brush mist.
Mountain mirrored in a lake across the stone's middleBlue, gray, white, green. Peak above a pen line at the waist, the same shape upside down and paler below.
Patchwork fields over one rolling hillGreens, gold, brown. The hill follows the stone's dome; pen hedges divide it into fields of different colors.
Plank jetty narrowing from the bottom rim toward far hillsBlue, brown, gray, white. Planks start at the bottom rim and narrow toward the middle; far hills at the top.
Red canoe alone on a flat blue lakeBlue, red, dark green, white. The canoe sits a little off-center with two white ripples; pines on the far shore.
River winding from the top rim to the bottomGreen, blue, white. A blue S that widens as it comes down, green banks, white pen flecks on the bends.
Single snow peak where the stone comes to a pointGray, white, blue. The stone's point is the summit; white cap with a jagged lower edge, blue sky left as bare stone.
Stone wall and gate across a green slopeGreen, gray, brown, blue. A pen-drawn wall curves over the hill, a five-bar gate in it, sky left bare above.
Switchback road climbing a triangular stoneGreen, gray, white, yellow. A zigzag road from the wide base to the point, a dashed yellow line down its middle.
Tall-stone waterfall from the top rim to a teal poolGray, white, teal, green. A white streak from the top rim to a teal pool at the base, green dabs each side.
Three green hills under a humped top edgeThree greens, pale blue. Overlapping curves that echo the stone's hump, the farthest hill the lightest.
Sea and shore 12
Chalk cliffs with a path along the topWhite, green, blue, gray. White cliff faces down one side of the stone, green tops, sea filling the other side.
Island with one palm, the rim as open seaBlue, sand, green. A small sand oval in the middle of a round stone, one palm, blue right out to the edge.
Pier on stilts walking out from the rimBlue, brown, cream. A brown deck from the left edge to mid-stone, stilts below it, pale sky above.
Sand dunes with grass tufts in the windSand, tan, olive. Two overlapping dune curves; pen grass tufts all leaning toward the same edge.
Shoreline from above on a flat pebbleSand, white, turquoise, navy. Four slanting bands: sand, a wobbly foam line, shallow water, deep water.
Striped beach umbrella as a circle on a sand-colored stoneSand, red, white, blue. A striped circle near the middle of the stone, a blue towel beside it, sand all around.
Tan sea arch down both sides, foam showing in the gapTan, blue, white. A tan arch reaches from the top edge down both sides; water and foam show in the gap.
Three moored boats in a quiet harborBlue, white, red, yellow. Hulls in a row across the middle, each with a mast and a wobbly reflection below.
Tide pool from above with one starfishGray, teal, orange, white. Bare gray stone as the rock; a teal pool in the middle, a starfish and white glints.
Tiny white sail on a far horizon lineBlue, pale blue, white. A straight pen horizon one third up; one small triangle on it and its short reflection.
Underwater reef with sunbeams from the top edgeTeal, yellow, coral, white. Pale beams fan down from the rim; coral shapes and small fish along the base.
Wave curling with the round rim, swab-dab foam on its lipTeal, deep blue, white. The wave curls with the round rim; white swab dabs along the lip and at its foot.
Trees through the seasons 12
Bare tree and its reflection in a puddleGray, black, pale blue. The tree stands on a line across the waist; a shorter wobbly copy hangs below it.
Black pen branches topped in white on a cold gray stoneGray-blue, black, white. Black pen branches on a cold base coat, a white line along the top of each.
Four matching ovals: blossom, leaf, gold and bareBrown and four crown colors. Four matching ovals with the same trunk; blossom, leaf, gold and bare.
Full green crown under the top rim with a pen swingBrown, two greens. A full round crown under the top rim, a pen swing hanging in the space beside the trunk.
Leafy crown wrapping over the top and onto the backBrown, two greens. The trunk stands on the front face; the crown carries over the top edge and down the back.
Old tree with roots wrapping over the edgeBrown, dark brown, green. The trunk fills the middle; roots spread down and continue over the stone's sides.
Spring blossom tree in pink swab dotsBrown, pink, white. Pen trunk and branches from the base; pink and white cotton swab dots fill the crown.
Thinning fall crown, leaf dabs gathering along the baseBrown, orange, red, gold. A thinning crown; leaf dabs drift toward one edge and gather along the base.
Three white birch trunks from top rim to bottomPale blue, white, black. Three white trunks from top rim to bottom, short black pen dashes across each.
Tiered pine on a tall stone, white laid on each tierDark green, white, navy. A tall pine on a tall stone, white on each tier, swab-dot flakes in the sky.
Weeping willow with branches down the stone's sidesBrown, yellow-green, blue. Thin strokes fall from the top and trail over both edges; water along the base.
Wind-bent tree leaning with a slanted stoneOlive, brown, gray. Trunk and crown lean the way the stone slants; pen grass at the base leans too.
How it works
The outline of a stone is already a horizon, a hill or a night sky. These scenery rock painting ideas are 60 landscapes in five groups of 12; each gives the colors, then where the scene sits on the stone.
Read the full guide
Silhouette rock painting ideas
The 12 sunsets set black shapes against a bright sky. Six are marked Easy, among them Lone pine silhouette on a sunset pebble's rim, Black cactus pair against a red desert pebble and Fence posts in black across an orange pebble.
Rock painting ideas with night sky
Twelve more are night skies and moons. Toothbrush-splatter stars on a navy pebble flicks thinned white off a toothbrush; Starry sky ringed by pine tops, looking up points the trees inward from the whole rim.
Questions and answers
How do you paint a sunset on a rock?
Among rock painting ideas, sunset scenes can be the plainest: the six marked Easy are two bands of color with black shapes on top, as in Orange and pink sky stone, one palm from the left rim.
What scenery fits a small rock?
One horizon and one subject. Shoreline from above on a flat pebble is four slanting bands, and Single snow peak where the stone comes to a point uses the stone's own point as the summit.
Is there a tree for each season?
Yes. Four designs take one tree from Spring blossom tree in pink swab dots to Black pen branches topped in white on a cold gray stone, and Four matching ovals: blossom, leaf, gold and bare is a set. Seven other trees share the group.