Paintbrush and Palette Pendant

I made this pendant for an artist friend of mine. I chose the colors of the palette based on a painting she did. I placed them in the same order ,from top to bottom, as I saw them in her painting. Hope she likes it.

I used steel, brass and, polymer clay.

Spin a nail in a drill press. Use a file to make the profile of a paint brush. Once you have the shape you want hammer it flat. Continue the refine the shape with a file. Just like my steel butterfly pendant.

For the collar of the brush, cut a small piece of brass and wrap it around just above the bristles. Solder it in place. Solder brass wire above and below the collar to make it look more believable.

When I was a kid, one Christmas, I got a paint palette calculator. I’ve longed since lost the calculator but I got a little laugh when I found the image online. I cut and paste it into Microsoft paint and reduced it to 45% it’s original size. I then used a pen, pressing hard, to cut out the silhouette of the palette.

I cut the shape out on my scroll saw and refined the shape with a file. For the inner hole I drilled a hole and used a file to shape it. I’m using 22 gage sheet metal from the Home Improvement store.

Drill a hole at the top of the pendant and paint brush. Suspend the pendant as if it were on a chain to see how it hangs. Use a pencil to mark out the brush. Once you have that marked you can mark out where you’ll place the colors.

Use a center punch to mark the palette and then drill out the holes.

To help keep the polymer clay in place you’ll have to bevel the edges of the holes. Use a ball bur bit to expand the holes on the back. Don’t do it so much that you go though the palette. Just enough to make it a cone shape.

At this point you can use the same bur to make perfect circles at the front of the pendant. I like the uneven shapes so I left them as is.

Cut a piece for the back side of the holes and solder it on. Use a file to clean up the edges and make them even.

Use 400 grit sand paper followed by 1000, 2000, and then polishing compound on a polishing wheel to make the brush and palette shine.

The clay I’m using came from the craft store for $6.00. It hardens in the oven at 230 degrees for 30 minutes. Cut off small pieces of clay and press them into the holes. Use water to wet your finger tips to smooth it out. Make sure you fingers are clean before you move on to the next color.

Bake the clay in the oven as mentioned above.

This particular chain came from the craft store. I think I paid $3 for 6’. Cut a section to your desired length. Use round nose pliers to form clasps and jump rings as shown in the pictures.

Link it all together.