Materials Needed

Tall or oval rock
Deep blue or turquoise acrylic paint
Light blue acrylic paint
White acrylic paint
Gray acrylic paint (for rocks)
Dark gray or brown acrylic paint (for cliff rocks)
Green acrylic paint (for foliage)
Medium flat brush
Fine detail brush
Clear sealant spray (gloss finish)
Pencil

Step-by-Step Instructions

1

Step 1: Paint the rocky cliff background

Wash and dry your rock. Paint the left and right sides of the rock with dark gray paint to represent the rocky cliff faces. Add texture by painting irregular vertical and diagonal lines with a slightly lighter gray. Leave the center strip unpainted for the waterfall itself.

2

Step 2: Paint the waterfall cascade

Paint the center vertical strip with flowing blue paint. Use downward brushstrokes that follow the direction of falling water. Vary between deep turquoise blue and lighter sky blue. The key is to make the strokes flow downward and slightly curve, suggesting the movement of rushing water.

3

Step 3: Add white water and foam

Using white paint and a fine brush, add vertical streaks of white within the blue waterfall — these represent the foamy white water rushing down. At the base of the waterfall, paint a wide area of swirling white and light blue to represent the splash pool where the water hits the rocks below.

4

Step 4: Add tropical greenery

Paint lush green fern shapes and tropical leaves peeking over the edges of the cliff rocks on both sides. Use dabbing motions with a brush for a dense, leafy look. Add a few darker green shadows between the leaf clusters for depth.

5

Step 5: Add mist and seal

Using very diluted white paint, softly brush a misty haze at the base of the waterfall where the water meets the pool. This suggests the spray that rises from crashing water. Apply a gloss sealant to give the water surfaces a wet, shiny appearance.

Step 6: Add RoxGeo Code

On the bottom or back of your rock, write ROXGEO.COM followed by a slash and your rock’s unique code (e.g. ROXGEO.COM/ABC123). This lets the finder go directly to your rock’s profile page and log their discovery. If the rock is too small for the full address, write #ROX followed by the code without spaces (e.g. #ROXABC123) — it’s short, easy to search on Google, and leads straight to your rock’s journey page. Use a fine-tip permanent marker or acrylic paint pen, and seal it with clear varnish so the code stays readable through rain, sun, and adventure.

Helpful Tips

Downward brushstrokes are the secret to painting convincing flowing water.
White streaks within the blue waterfall suggest speed and power of the falling water.
Gloss sealant on the water areas makes the blue paint look wet and realistically liquid.
Lush tropical greenery on the sides creates a contrast and frames the waterfall beautifully.
A tall, narrow rock works best since waterfalls fall vertically — look for one with height.
For the RoxGeo code on the bottom, use a waterproof permanent marker (like Sharpie) or an acrylic paint pen. Apply 2–3 coats of clear sealant over the code — this keeps it readable through rain, sun, and handling for months.
Writing #ROXCODE (e.g. #ROXABC123) on your rock makes it easy to find via Google search. We actively optimize for this hashtag, so anyone who searches for it will find your rock’s profile page quickly.
The full address ROXGEO.COM/CODE takes the finder directly to your rock’s card, where they can see its full travel history, previous finders, and photos from every stop on its journey.

Paint this rock and track its journey with RoxGeo!

Download RoxGeo Free