So, you’re looking for that one item you that you Need to complete the piece you’re working on but you can’t find it in any of the stores nearby. Sound familiar? Happens to everyone, I suspect, no matter how well-prepared. Sadly, not everyone is lucky enough to live near a ‘real’ art supply store.  I currently don’t have any nearby, and certainly miss the convenience. In the absence of an awesome local art supply store, we have to take our art supply quest online. To help with this, I’ve rounded up a few online stores that are worth checking out:

• Jerry’s Artarama (www.jerrysartarama.com)

Jerry’s is my go-to online art supply store. I wrote a more in-depth review earlier, which can be found here.  What I love about Jerry’s: reasonable shipping fees and low free shipping minimum; everything I’ve ever ordered from them has been packed very well and arrived undamaged; they carry a wide selection of items including categories that can be hard to find elsewhere (like encaustic supplies!), they have a large variety of items under their own brands, which are less expensive but still high quality. They do have one of the higher shipping charges if you’re below Jerry’s free shipping minimum, so it’s probably worth either adding a little extra to your order to meet the minimum or trying a different site for small orders.

• Blick Art Materials (www.dickblick.com)

Blick (formerly Dick Blick) is a well-known art supply store that also carries a wide range of supplies. In particular, they carry a lot of ceramics and sculpture supplies as well as printmaking supplies, all of which are often difficult to find. Their free shipping minimum is higher than Jerry’s, but art supplies add up quickly, so it’s still not too difficult to meet. In addition, their shipping charges are a little confusing, with what appears to be a ‘per-item’ charge rather than a tiered ‘order total’ charge like many other places. If you’re only buying a few less expensive items, however, you might want to look elsewhere. Having said that, if you’re only buying one item, Blick seems to have the lowest shipping cost.

• Utrecht Art Supplies (www.utrechtart.com)

Utrecht is another well-known art supply store which, like Blick and Jerry’s, also has physical locations if you’re lucky enough to live near one. It’s a solid choice, though I personally don’t like the online storefront as well as the previous two. I just find it harder to navigate and harder to look at for any length of time. Their free shipping minimum is currently the same as Blick’s and they have flat rate shipping below that amount at a price that seems in line with other online retailers.

• Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff (www.cheapjoes.com)

This is a site that I have never personally purchased from, but might be worth a look. They’re selection is somewhat limited and their prices are very slightly lower than the other sites I mentioned above. It’s decent for painting and drawing supplies but doesn’t carry much for artists working in other mediums. Their free shipping minimum is very high—unless you’re purchasing a Lot or studio furniture or something, you’re probably not going to meet it. They do offer flat rate shipping below that though, and it appears to be quite reasonable. Blick still has the lowest shipping if you’re only purchasing one item though. If any of you have tried Cheap Joe’s, I’d be interested to hear what you think.

• Mister Art (www.misterart.com)

Mister Art is another site I’ve never personally tried. They do carry a variety of items that fall more under what I would consider ‘craft’ rather than ‘art’ supplies but overall they seem to have a decent selection. Some of the major brands, such as Gamblin, seem to be missing from their inventory, so this site might be a bit hit-or-miss, depending on what you’re looking for. Shipping is…pretty pricey. Their free shipping minimum is the highest of all the sites I’ve listed and below that amount they have a tiered shipping cost based on total order amount rather than the flat rate shipping the other sites offer. They offer considerably better pricing if you join their “VIP Club” for an annual fee (currently $25). I’m not a fan of this type of program but if you intend to purchase regularly and often from them, it may be worth the fee.

What art supply websites do you use? Or are you fortunate enough to have a great local art supply store? Are there any items you just can’t find anywhere? Tell me in the comments!