It can be difficult these days to find decent art supplies at good prices. It seems like the selection of artist-quality art supplies in the major craft stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby is always getting smaller, with the focus shifting to cheaper student-quality or craft/hobby supplies. In some ways, it’s understandable—the stores have to carry what sells. But quality is important!

Several years back, I tried out some professional, artist-quality paint brushes. Wow! I had been using decent but still student-quality brushes. The difference was definitely noticeable in the way they handled and their resilience. I was hooked! I’m definitely convinced now about the benefit of using those more expensive, higher quality art materials.

So, since it was getting difficult to find the higher quality in the stores within a reasonable distance (there aren’t really any ‘true’ art supply stores near where I live currently) , I moved my search online. My favorite of the online stores that I’ve found so far is Jerry’s Artarama. They have a wide selection of products covering a wide range of quality. There’s something for everyone. They also have a number of brands that appear to be exclusive to them. Now, frequently ‘store brand’ art supplies are of… questionable quality. I haven’t found that to be the case with Jerry’s. I’ve used a number of their own brand products and have been pleasantly surprised at the quality, especially considering their very reasonable prices.

The shipping at Jerry’s isn’t too expensive and their free shipping minimum purchase is quite reasonable (currently $35). I’ve also always been impressed with the way my orders have been packaged—I’ve never had anything arrive damaged, and I’ve ordered some pretty fragile items. I can’t really comment on their customer service though, as I’ve never had any need to contact them about an order. Their website has a very useful blog, art contests and a variety of free art lesson videos. So, next time you are searching for quality art supplies at reasonable prices, give Jerry’s Artarama a try.

Have you tried Jerry’s Artarama? What are your favorite sources for art supplies?