Art supplies – tools of the trade

A professional artists’ studio will contain an amazing array of art equipment and supplies – important tools for the oil and water colour painter include quality brushes in different sizes and thicknesses, easels, palettes, scalpels, cleaning and thinning solvents, canvasses, artist paper, pigments, adhesives and different pencils, pastels and charcoals.
Sculptors, depending on their chosen medium (whether wood, metal or clay) use a variety of artistic implements to assist in the creation of art works. Primarily a sculptor requires an assortment of sculpting knives and scalpels, hammers, chisels, soldering irons, saws and perhaps even chainsaws and other power tools.

Paint brushes and paints are perhaps one of the most important tools for the artist; purchasing brushes and paints of poor quality can affect the quality and longevity of a finished art work. As a general guideline it is better to ensure purchases are based on quality although this usually means choosing the more expensive brands.

Art is a constantly evolving medium and only an artist’s imagination can limit the range of tools and implements used in the creative process. Artists using oil paints, water colours, pastels, charcoal and pencils often strive to produce unusual and abstract textures and paint effects. To this end artists can be extremely resourceful, turning to ordinary household items such as bamboo skewers, butter knives, forks, scourers, sponges, even plastic bags. Sourcing these items artists will search hardware stores, second hand shops, even the local rubbish tip! Sculptors often turn to recycle shops and scrap metal yards in search of different products to incorporate into a sculpture.

All major capital cities have art supply outlets and to a lesser extent art supply shops can be found in smaller regional centres although the range tends to be limited. One of the major art supply retailers is Eckersley’s with nine stores country wide including Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide. A popular Melbourne retailer is Dean’s Art while Premier Art Supplies in Adelaide carry a good range. Also recommended are Oxford Art Supplies and Parkers Fine Art Supplies in Sydney and The Artists Shed in Canberra.

These days buying art supplies on line is increasingly popular, especially for artists located outside major retail centres, and most offer discount lines on their web sites.

Online stores for art and craft supplies are not abundant however Australian sites include the Art Exchange and the Smart Art Shop. Further afield there are plenty of overseas online art suppliers with clients from around the world. It is wise to check delivery charges for online art suppliers as some charge exorbitant delivery costs.