ARAS Guide to Buying Art Supplies
our favourite CANADIAN suppliers:
PLEASE NOTE: All products listed are in stock and available for delivery on the recommended supplier's website as of April 14th, 2020. If items become unavailable due to demand in these uncertain times, we would be happy to recommend alternatives. Please reach out in the comments below. Price changes and delivery are subject to suppliers.
OUR TOP PICKS FOR KIDS
In this list you'll find some of our go-to art supplies for kids and where to buy them.
chenelle stems
We love pipe cleaners! Great for sculptures, collages, textile work and mask making.WHERE WE BUY:
$3.79Pack of 12” x 6mm 100 assorted colours
construction paper
Colourful and with endless possibilities, we love using construction paper for backgrounds, collages, and more.WHERE WE BUY:
$1.999x12 Pack of 48 Assorted
crayola markers
We love Crayola for their vibrant colours and durability, and use them for our drawings and even colouring air-dry clay.WHERE WE BUY:
$5.7910-Pack Broad
crayola model magic
If you have ever taken a class with us then you know how much we love model magic! This air-dry clay is extra soft and sets in 24-hours.WHERE WE BUY:
$5.99
4oz pack
elmer's school glue
This glue is transparent after drying, safe and easy to clean. We like to use it on paper, foam and felt!WHERE WE BUY:
$3.99
150ml
FLUO PLAYCOLOUR TEMPERA STICKS
These incredible tempera paint sticks allow you to paint or draw without using any water, making them incredibly useful and extremely fun! We use them to paint on easel paper, cardboard and even wood.WHERE WE BUY:
$13.29
Pack of 6 Florescent Colours
glue stick
We are a fan of DeSerres glue stick for gluing papers and cardboard as it is resistant but still washable using water, non toxic, and acid-free.WHERE WE BUY:
$3.29
40g non-toxic
googly eyes
A quick and easy way to add some fun personality to any of our projects from puppets to paintings, masks and more!WHERE WE BUY:
$5.79
100 assorted black eyes in sizes 7mm, 10mm, 12mm and 15mm
mungyo mini artist oil pastels
These oil pastels are perfect for little hands while offering good quality with high density, fine pigments. We love using them for drawing, collage work and incorporating their unqiue resistance with paint like watercolours.WHERE WE BUY:
$2.99
Set of 12
plastic droppers
We love these pipettes that allow you to apply the perfect amount of paint or dye to your projects with a simple squeeze.WHERE WE BUY:
$5.99
Set of 5
sargent art jumbo brushes
These jumbo brushes with colourful handles are great for little artists to explore their painting skills and creativity.WHERE WE BUY:
$5.09
Set of 4
sargent art liquid watercolour
These washable watercolours are concentrated liquids that provide deep colour strength straight from the bottle. Transparent colours and washes can be achieved by diluting with up to four parts water, and we love how easy they are to use.WHERE WE BUY:
$6.35
Per 8oz colour bottle
sargent art modeling clay set
There are hours of endless fun and possibilities available with this art-time clay set. This clay is easy to mold, non-hardening and non-toxic.WHERE WE BUY:
$3.77
Set of 4 3oz per colour
SHARPIE FINE POINT
A staple in any kit, we love using sharpies for drawing, collage work as well as outlining our paintings.WHERE WE BUY:
$1.79
Per marker
Strathmore watercolour paper
As you can tell from our Hub lessons, we are a huge fan of watercolour paper and not just for watercolour painting!WHERE WE BUY:
$7.89
Cold press, 9" x 12", 140lbs, 12 sheets
Tri-art tEMPERA PAINT
Available in a wide variety of colours, we'd recommend picking up your primary colours as well as black and white, these non-toxic tempera paints are made in Canada.WHERE WE BUY:
$3.97
Per 500ml bottle
OUR TOP PICKS FOR adults
Below you will find some our favourite art supplies and where to buy them.
canson bristol vellum
This pad has a textured vellum surface, bright white and acid free. We love using it for pen & ink, marker, pencil and coloured pencil.WHERE WE BUY:
$11.69
9" x 12" 100 lbs, 25-sheet pad (available in other sizes)
curry's value series - 2 pack
We like to use these canvas 2-packs for practice and technique development. They are constructed using sturdy wood frames with a thicker profile than most other student value ranges available, and primed with acrylic gesso.WHERE WE BUY:
$4.95 - $38.95
Packs range from 4" x 4" to 24" x 30"
DEMCO ECONOMY GESSO
We like this gesso for canvas, paper, fabric and wood! It can be used to prep before applying oils, acrylics, tempera, and more. Once dry, the gesso remains semi-flexible and will not yellow.WHERE WE BUY:
$5.99 - $24.95
Available from 237ml to 3.6 litres
FLUID WATERCOLOUR BLOCK
For the serious watercolour painter, this block comes with 15 sheets of 140 lbs watercolour paper. Fluid papers are produced at slow speeds for precise control, resulting in a stronger, more premium-quality paper.WHERE WE BUY:
$17.29
9" x 12" cold press pad (available in many other sizes)
GWARTZMANS TRAVEL WATERCOLOUR SET
A great little watercolour set with 24 half pans of paint perfect for carrying around and for those starting out. Comes with a waterbrush, a sponge, and clipable palette.WHERE WE BUY:
$21.75
for 24 half-pan set (also available in 36 half-pan set)
MUNGYO PASTELS OR CHARCOAL SETS
Mungyo Gallery Soft Pastels and Compressed Charcoal are made using only the finest and softest raw materials available. They are perfect for sketching and drawing to create wonderfully complex images.WHERE WE BUY:
$7.95
for 12-set (also available in other sizes)
Sakura pigma pro set
From super fine hairlines to big, bold strokes, the new Pigma Professional Brush series offers the ultimate in versatility. Great for cartooning and illustration!WHERE WE BUY:
$14.99
Set of 3 (fine, medium & bold tip)
Spectra AD™ Markers
These alcohol-based twin tip markers have a brush nib on one end and a chisel nib on the other! They have brilliant and blendable colours that we think are perfect for illustration and cartooning on a budget.WHERE WE BUY:
$31.99
6 basic colour set
STaedtler lumograph drawing pencils
This set perfectly addresses all of your sketching needs, and includes all the essentials (6b to b; hb, f, h, 2h, 3h & 4h).WHERE WE BUY:
$21.99
For 12-set (6-set also available)
STUDIOWORKS canvas panels
These sturdy, 3mm thick boards are covered with 280gsm pure cotton canvas. Primed and ready for acrylics, oils, or paint markers! We love using them to experiment with new techniques or quick projects.WHERE WE BUY:
$1.79
For 9" x 12" (available in many other sizes)
STUDIOWORKS NYLON BRUSH SET
This pack of assorted brushes is great for students and beginners painters alike. Experiment with the different sizes to create your perfect painting.WHERE WE BUY:
$9.99
Pack of 10 - Round #000, 00, 0, 1, 3, 5 Flat #2. 6. 10.
Winsor & Newton Galeria Acrylics set
We like this set because it is perfect for beginners and professionals alike. It offers strong brush-stroke retention and colour mix-ability. It contains the essentials: Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Medium Hue, Cadmium Red Hue, Permanent Rose, Ultramarine, Cerulean Blue Hue, Phthalo Green, Yellow Ochre, Raw Umber and Titanium White.WHERE WE BUY:
$27.99
Set of 10 - 20ml
ARAS STUDENT DISCOUNTS
Use promo code roadarts15 at checkout for your Avenue Road Arts School student discount at Deserres!
Comments 4
Hi! This is very helpful. Do you have any recommendations for colouring pencils (pencil crayons( for kids?
Hey Kath!
Staples sells the classic Crayola pencil crayons for kids. But if you were after a slightly higher quality set for your little one, you could start out with Staedtler’s pencil crayons from somewhere like Above Ground Art Supplies for a very reasonable price (https://store.abovegroundartsupplies.com/products/staedtler-triangular-colored-pencil—set-of-24-65177.html). Hope that helps!
This is a terrific list. I’m sure a lot of folks are going to want to know how they can get their materials in time for the first class. What are the delivery schedules like at these suppliers?
Hey Bob!
We’re glad you found it helpful. Delivery times vary by suppliers. For instance, Aboveground has on their site about a 10-business day turnaround for orders. Deserres is 10-15 days. Currys is up to 4 weeks. Gwartzman’s has a minimum 7 business days for orders. We’d recommend checking their sites often or giving them a call before you order.
Good luck shopping!