DIY Pendulum Painting Wall Art

One of my favorite things to do is create abstract wall art. It is so fun and it gives me a chance to be creative. Then, you have something to hang on your walls that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. I have done many different DIY wall art projects, but this might be my favorite. Have you ever seen a pendulum painting? Well, I am going to show you how to do one in your driveway.

Gather Painting Supplies

The first thing you will need to do is gather your supplies. First, you are going to need something to paint on, like a canvas. I used two canvases side by side. Second, you are going to need some paint. I used what I had in the garage. I painted my canvases black with chalkboard paint and I used white ceiling paint in the cup. Third, you will need a ladder, a drop cloth, string, and a cup.

Prepare The Cup

Before you set up your painting rig with your ladder, you are going to need to get your cup ready. I used a solo cup. You will need at least one hole in the bottom of the cup and a string to attach it to your ladder. I heated up the end of a wine corker on the stove and used it to melt a hole in the bottom and two holes on the sides at the top. I put painters tape over the hole in the bottom of the cup and tied my string through the holes on the sides to make a handle across the top of the cup.

Set Up The Ladder

Next, set up your ladder with your canvas underneath. You will also want a drop cloth or cardboard or something larger than your canvas because the paint will go over the edges. Once your ladder is up, you will want to tie some string around the top and let it hang to just above your canvas. Once your cup is full of paint, you are going to tie your cup to that string creating a pendulum.

Swing The Cup

After you have filled your cup with paint and attached it to your string, you are going to hold the cup to the side of your canvases. When you are ready, you remove your tape and swing the cup over your canvases. The paint will drip out of the hole in the cup in a pattern across your canvases. You can swing your cup and then stop it when you have completed a pattern or you can swing it multiple times. I swung my cup several times and let all of the paint run out of my cup. I was not going for a perfect pattern. I just wanted to see what I could create. When you are happy with your painting, just stop the cup and untie it from the ladder.

Dry and Seal Your Painting

Definitely let your painting lay flat to dry. There will be more paint in the middle and after all that work, you don’t want it to run. I left my paintings outside for a while and let them dry in the sun. Then, I brought them in and put them on a table to finish drying. It actually took quite a while for them to dry completely. After several days, I sprayed them with a sealer. After my paintings had dried, I had cracks in the white paint. I don’t know if that would have happened had I used a different type of paint, like enamel. I did not want to brush on a sealer because I was worried I might brush off some of the white paint. So, I ordered Mod Podge Spray Acrylic Sealer and sprayed on three coats.

Display

When your painting is dry and sealed, finally you will want to hang it on the wall. I tried hanging my two paintings further apart and it didn’t work. I decided they needed to be hung close together and put them in my guest bathroom for now. I was already considering a makeover in that space and now I have some inspiration to draw from. I’m thinking of a whole new bathroom designed around these paintings. Is that crazy?

If you liked this tutorial, check out some of my other DIY wall art ideas. I have done several different styles and most of the time I let the kids get in on the fun as well. Read Easy DIY Wall Art Idea: How To Make Acrylic Skin Artwork and DIY ART WITH HOUSE PAINT for some more fun inspiration.

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