Small shops, family-owned stores, and handmade paints worth knowing about
Are you the kind of person who signs up for an art class partly because it gives you an excuse to buy new supplies? No judgment ~ I am absolutely that person, and I teach them.
I cannot recall a single time I’ve walked out of an art store empty-handed. Not once in my 40 years.
I’m still mourning Pearl Arts in New York City, where I used to take the subway from Pratt and somehow convince myself that blowing my grocery money on a new set of Winsor & Newton half pans was a completely rational financial decision. It was not. But also… those pans lasted me years, so maybe it was the most responsible choice I ever made in my twenties? Let’s go with that.
One of my favorite things about teaching is how students start sharing resources with each other ~ a watercolor book someone just finished, an online tutorial they tried, a new brush they’re getting used to. The conversation always turns to supplies eventually, and students always have the best recommendations.
For this post, I wanted to gather up some of my favorite alternatives to the usual one-click default.
And look ~ sometimes I buy from Amazon. I’ve even recommended Amazon links in this publication and on my class supply lists. Life is busy and it can be difficult to change spending habits.
That’s all good. But for those times when you have a little more breathing room, or you’d rather not contribute to a billionaire’s next rocket launch, here are eight suggestions worth knowing about.
*Bookmark this page to come back to!
1. Blick Art Materials dickblick.com
If you’ve been painting for any amount of time, you probably already know Blick. They’ve been around since 1911 and they carry everything ~ watercolors, paper, brushes, inks, you name it. Their online shopping experience is really solid, shipping is fast, and they run great sales. I have a curated Blick cart with all of my recommended supplies that you can add to or edit based on what you need. If you’re lucky enough to live near a physical location, there’s nothing like wandering the aisles of a Blick store on a Saturday afternoon.
2. Jerry’s Artarama jerrysartarama.com
Jerry’s has been in the art supply world for over 50 years, and they are serious about serving artists. Their prices are genuinely competitive (often better than the big box options), and they carry a really well-curated selection of professional-grade paints, papers, and brushes. They also have a handful of physical stores ~ including one right here in Austin, which happens to be one of my favorites. There’s something about walking into a store where the people working there actually paint and can talk to you about the difference between a Kolinsky sable and a synthetic round. That matters.
3. JetPens jetpens.com
Okay, JetPens is technically a stationery store, but hear me out. They started in 2005 importing Japanese pens and have since expanded into this beautifully curated world of art materials, paper, and supplies from Japan and beyond. If you love a thoughtfully designed tool ~ and I mean the kind of pen or brush that makes you want to sit down and create the second you hold it ~ this is your place. Their product guides and reviews are incredibly thorough, too. I’ve fallen down many a JetPens rabbit holes.
4. Case for Making caseformaking.com
This one is special. Case for Making is an art supply shop (started by a watercolor paint maker) in San Francisco’s Outer Sunset neighborhood, founded by Alexis Joseph in 2014. They make their own line of over 100 handmade watercolors in small batches, right there in the shop, plus letterpress paper goods and curated studio supplies. Everything feels considered and covetable ~ the kind of supplies you treat like fine china (or maybe that’s just me). They also offer workshops and have the warmest community of artists and makers around them. You can shop online, but if you’re ever in San Francisco, please go get lost in this tiny, perfect store.
5. Go Direct ~ Individual Brands
Sometimes the best move is to skip the middleman entirely and buy straight from the makers.
A few I love:
~ LDBA (L’Ecole Des Beaux Arts) — ldbabrooklyn.com — Sara Moffat makes handmade watercolors from pure pigment in her studio on Canyon Road in Santa Fe. The medium is gum arabic, honey, and glycerine, and the pigments come from all over the world ~ Italy, France, Germany, India. You can build your own custom palette, and they’ve even collaborated with the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum on an exclusive set. As featured in Oprah Magazine. These paints feel like little works of art themselves.
~ Daniel Smith — danielsmith.com — Known for their enormous color range (over 250 watercolors), including their PrimaTek line made from actual mineral pigments. A favorite among professional watercolorists for good reason.
~ Winsor & Newton — winsornewton.com — The heritage brand. They’ve been making artist-grade watercolors since 1832 in England. Their Professional and Cotman lines are staples in studios everywhere, and buying directly means you get the full range. Find my picks here.
~ Etsy — For handmade paper, handmade paper journals, one-of-a-kind accessories, and unique tools you won’t find anywhere else. Search for handmade paper journals, ceramic or shell (!) pallettes, and cool accessories you didn’t even know you needed 😉
… how cute is this ceramic brush holder
6. The Merri Artist merriartist.com
The Merri Artist is a family-owned art supply store based in McMinnville, Oregon ~ right in the heart of the Willamette Valley. Founded in 2004 by Merri Sayers (who is herself an accomplished artist in multiple mediums), the entire team there is made up of working artists. They carry a really thoughtful selection of supplies from around the world, including Oregon-made brands like M. Graham and Gamblin. It’s the kind of store that feels like it was built by people who actually use what they sell. Fast shipping, friendly service, and free shipping on orders over $90.
7. Sam Flax Atlanta samflaxatlanta.com
This one has a story I love. Sam Flax was a first-generation immigrant who opened his first art supply store in New York City in 1919 ~ during the Depression, he famously told young artists to take what they needed and pay him back when they could. The Atlanta location opened in 1973, and when it was about to close in 2018, two long-time employees ~ Mary-Ellen Long and Sophia Bowman-Albirt ~ stepped up and bought the business to keep the legacy alive. Today it’s woman-owned, employee-owned, locally-owned, and independent. They carry everything from paints and brushes to beautiful decorative papers from around the world, plus custom framing. Named Best Art Supply Store in Atlanta three years running. That’s the kind of origin story that makes me want to buy all my supplies there.
8. Rochester Art Supply / FineArtStore.com fineartstore.com
Rochester Art Supply is a second-generation, family-owned business that’s been serving artists for over 60 years out of Rochester, New York. Their online store at FineArtStore.com is a bit of a hidden gem ~ the entire staff is made up of artists who are deeply familiar with what they carry, and they were pioneers in bringing specialty supplies to the U.S. (they were the first to import Escoda brushes from Spain and the first to offer Henri Roché pastels in this country). They stock an incredible range of watercolors, pastels, oils, handmade papers, and encaustic supplies. The kind of place where someone actually knows what they’re talking about when you call with a question.
And of course ~ there’s nothing like getting lost in your local art store. If you don’t know yours yet, mylocalartstore.com is a great place to start looking.
AND when you do, be sure to ask if there is a student or artist discount 😉
My favorites in Austin are Jerry’s Artarama, Paper + Craft Pantry, and Kinokuniya Bookstore (technically a bookstore, but their stationery and art supply section is so so cute).
I’d love to hear yours ~ drop your favorite local art store in the comments. Bonus points if it’s a place I haven’t been yet, because I absolutely will (and have) planned a trip around a good art store.
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