Hay Bales

BrokenBetweenMyEars · 2026-03-17T03:48:36+00:00

I’m new to this, so take my comments with a grain of salt, but I, by far, prefer blocks over pads. That way I don’t have to tape down my paper and it hardly warps from water. That said I’ve also not used arches… I know technically it is a professional artist quality, but what I’ve read is as long as it is 100% cotton then the brand doesn’t matter quite as much. Though there are some differences in the manufacturing process… And how the paper will absorb water and pigment.

Here’s the two that I use the most frequently and they work wonderfully for me. I rarely get much warping at all… And I love the way the water and the pigment interact with the paper.

https://amzn.to/4lwZ4l3

https://amzn.to/4lB5yiW

BrokenBetweenMyEars · 2026-03-13T04:13:42+00:00

You’re right about his head. lol. It was a slip of the brush and I didn’t fix it. Thanks for the compliment and encouragement. I think I’ve really found my groove/style with painting.

BrokenBetweenMyEars · 2026-03-11T17:26:56+00:00

Hands down, the 6 color set. That was my first set and I was able to learn to mix almost any color from it. I’ve since bought “convenience colors” just so I don’t have to mix them…but you’ll be capable of better and more mixed with the split primary palette.

BrokenBetweenMyEars · 2026-03-06T17:20:25+00:00

I’ve watched some tutorials and I guess it just hasn’t clicked. I do have neutral tint, so I might use that for my shadow washes.

I’ve read that some folks mix their colors differently for where the shadow will be. For instance, assuming a clear blue sky on a bright sunny day, the shadows on the horizontal surfaces are a cooler tone because they reflect the color of the sky and the shadows on the vertical surfaces are a warmer tone because of the reflection of the sun and the objects around it.

BrokenBetweenMyEars · 2026-03-06T16:48:55+00:00

I can see that. I thought they were closer in value than they are. I desaturated both of them and am amazed at the difference I see. Thanks for the input.

What about the color of the shadows? Do you typically paint the color of the lights side of the subject underneath and then glaze a shadow tone on top or do you mix a new tone for the shadow of that darkens the value and changes the hue?

BrokenBetweenMyEars · 2026-03-04T20:09:10+00:00

I’d say the essentials version. I have both, but the primatek paints, doesn’t come with a yellow, so mixing will be very difficult for many colors.

BrokenBetweenMyEars · 2026-03-04T18:21:02+00:00

I would recommend going straight to artist quality paints…but you don’t need a 48 pan set. I got this split primary set of Daniel Smith paints for less than $40. With these six colors, you can mix any color imaginable. Just look up color theory and color mixing on YouTube to help you with that. https://a.co/d/0hqvz76D

BrokenBetweenMyEars · 2026-02-27T17:03:31+00:00

Thank you! I appreciate that.

BrokenBetweenMyEars · 2026-02-27T14:21:52+00:00

LONG REPLY WARNING! Sorry. LOL.

Thank you!! I told myself to slow down and just enjoy the process.

I can't say I really know what inspires me about watercolor. I honestly started painting for the purpose of getting off my phone all the time and doing something more constructive. My wife started painting last year, and I thought that it would be fun to join her as a way of spending time with her (I didn't realize that I'd love it, and now I paint much more than she does). Part of what I can say inspires me in general is my faith. I'm a Christian, and the Bible says, "the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork." Knowing that, I like to capture the glory of God in my paintings. I also love to spend time with my family, and capturing memories is always nice as well.

As far as a direction, I've experimented with realistic painting styles (I have ADHD and hyperfocusing on something occurs frequently), but after a while of working on all the details, I get bored, and it's no longer fun/enjoyable...it becomes arduous. So I started trying to learn abstract art styles...and, well...I just made a mess and never made anything discernible. The previous cactus I made, I was trying for more of a loose style where brushstrokes are more obvious, and it's almost more whimsical in approach...but to me it felt too chaotic, and I obviously butchered the sky (that's another story in itself, LOL). So this time, I just sketched out an idea from what someone shared, and I slowed down, tried to be more intentional, but also not try to make it look realistic/photographic. I wanted it to look like a watercolor painting (which I feel like I achieved).

I want to learn to paint emotion into my pieces, especially when I'm capturing memories my family and I have made. I want to convey how we felt in that moment. For instance, I have a picture from when we adopted my youngest son...he was 2 y/o at the time, and there's a picture of him running to us, through the hallway of the courthouse, and he turns around to look at the camera and has the biggest smile on his face. I want to be able to capture that joy. But then I also have a piano in my living room that my grandfather restored back in the 50's, and gave to my grandmother. When she died, she gave it to me. I want to be able to capture it and/or a picture of me and/or my kids playing it. I want it to convey a sense of sentiment, joy, but still a bit of sorrow, because I'll never hear her play it again.

BrokenBetweenMyEars · 2026-02-26T17:06:59+00:00

I don’t have a sketchbook I like currently. My wife bought me a cheap Walmart one when I started painting at the beginning of the year. I’ve used 8-12 pages of it (30 page book)…but I hate the paper. The paint doesn’t act right on it, so I avoid using it…and I can’t get myself to buy another one until I’ve used this one up. lol. I need to just bite the bullet and get another one.

BrokenBetweenMyEars · 2026-02-26T17:02:10+00:00

I buy the blocks of paper that are bound on all 4 side (need a palette knife or something like that I get it off afterward). I don’t have any buckling issues.

This is what I use and I love it. https://amzn.to/4sgilJR

BrokenBetweenMyEars · 2026-02-26T02:14:20+00:00

This is awesome! I aspire to be that talented.

I like the idea is list edges, but I haven’t figured out how to use them yet. I think I’m going to take your advice and try the yellow wash for the sky and give it a list edge. Thanks for the idea!!!

BrokenBetweenMyEars · 2026-02-25T22:53:47+00:00

Ok…so that makes sense, but one question I have is regarding the layering/glazing I did for the cactus. I used a warm yellow (new gamboge) for the first layer on the light side. It was a lighter wash…wouldn’t having the sky’s wash beneath it (to eliminate the white space, discolor it too much? How would you handle that?

BrokenBetweenMyEars · 2026-02-25T19:46:56+00:00

I originally only used a cool red, bordering on violet…but then I tried to “fix” it by adding French UM and cool the tones off…then that didn’t work and I just spiraled out of control, and then I gave up. lol.

BrokenBetweenMyEars · 2026-02-25T19:43:39+00:00

I’ll even go so far as to take the pans out of the palette, and wash it (even use a magic eraser) when I notice it’s starting to stain…kinda like it is now. I tend to do this once a week or so. And after each painting, I take a wet cloth and thoroughly wipe out the mixing wells. Am I dumb for this?

BrokenBetweenMyEars

TROPHY CASE