My New Art Supplies from London

Monday, May 02, 2011

I promised a post on the stuff I bought a few weeks ago in the UK -- and here it is! When I wasn't sketching London, I was busy touring its art supply stores. This time I went to some modern ones,  though I do love the older classic stores like Green & Stone or L. Cornelissen & Son. There's a list of shops online here.

First, a visit to a familiar chain: Cass Art. I LOVE their tagline.
















They even had a watercolor promotion going on to coincide with the "Watercolour" exhibition at the Tate Britain.

Then, I proceeded to London Graphic Centre where I just had to take a picture of their colorful doorway installation, made of pens:

















And finally, a helpful person at the Royal Watercolour Society/Bankside Gallery told me about the veritable warehouse known as Atlantis Art Materials, on Hanbury Street near Brick Lane and Shoreditch High Street, with tons and tons of different kinds of paper, among other supplies:


















 So what did I purchase? Mostly, things that are either less expensive there or can't easily be found in U.S. stores near me.
  • A spiral bound Saunders Waterford artists' watercolor paper field book
  • A spiral bound brown paper sketchbook -- thinking it might work with gouache-y techniques
  • A watercolor travel brush with flat (instead of round) bristles -- loving this!
  • A small Winsor & Newton pocket set (which came with a watercolor postcard book)
  • A Daler-Rowney acrylic paper pad, to try with watercolors
















(Yes, that's one tiny and rather useless travel brush that's included with the set; luckily I have others!)
I also bought some UK art magazines at the Bankside Gallery's little shop -- great for finding out about workshops, classes, etc.

Now I just need to get sketching!

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2 comments

  1. Sounds like a great recipe for a great stay in London: sketching London and visiting art supply stores! Very nice sketches too!

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  2. Thanks, Anna - it was indeed lots of fun.

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