Budding Artists, This Self-Taught Artist Spills On Where To Get Art Supplies

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Advaita tells us how she got started with painting. Eager to break free from a rut, she started exploring painting as a hobby in late 2019. She sought solace in the soothing washes of watercolour, then progressed to gouache paints and is currently developing her skills with acrylics on canvas.

She also sells her original artworks. You can check out her page @artbyadva on Instagram, where she documents her painting process.

Ever since the pandemic hit, she started researching pan-India stores that would deliver art products to her doorstep. Given her foray into various mediums, she has a few reliable online stores that she shops from, whenever she's running low. 

Advaita shares her top picks on where to shop for art supplies online below. To have a look at Advaita's own beautiful artwork, visit her Instagram page and DM her for more information on custom works or purchasing her work.

HTC Online (Hindustan Trading Company)

A decades-old Chennai-based brand that started out as a modest stationery shop, HTC online is known to stock an incredible range of art supplies- both local and international brands. From graphite pencils and art easels, to brush sets, sketchbooks, khadi watercolour papers, diverse painting mediums (gouache, acrylics, oil, you name it) and even fixatives and other auxiliaries, you will find everything under the sun here. I especially like the diversity in price range here; you will find a number of economy brands (brushes as low as Rs 40) and student-grade supplies that are perfect for beginners, to high-end brands for professional artists. Another thing I love is their repurposed, sustainable packaging and prompt delivery pan India.

Tip: Check out their Instagram page for frequent artist takeovers and store updates.

Sitaram Stationers

This is yet another Delhi-based art supply store that delivers pan India. They’re especially known for their wide-ranging Neva Palette (affordable quality Russian paint brand) products, one of the few stores here in India (that I know of) that carries an amazing variety of both watercolour and gouache paint products from this brand. If you’re someone who’s always looking to experiment with various paint mediums, you will find a lot of niche products here, including metallic gouache, neon paints, pastel palettes, glow-in-dark paints and powder colours. I also like that they carry an open stock for several products, which means you can buy individual pieces or a single color of paint that you’re running low on, without having to purchase the entire set.

Tip: They stock their own in-house brand at great prices, and also feature great deals and festive sales from time to time

Artloungein

Art Lounge

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This is a great online store to shop for premium art supplies and brands. They feature an impressive range of art products and mixed media tools and mediums across brands. Besides the usual suspects, they also carry an incredible range of Chinese calligraphy equipment, gift sets, as well as some niche products such as silk and ceramic painting tools.

Tip: Check out their in-house brand, artessentials, for economical yet quality art products

Itsy Bitsy Craft Store

Itsy Bitsy

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This super diverse hobby art and craft store has numerous outlets across India and they also deliver online. Their craft supplies section is especially worth checking out. They carry several innovative products for those looking to branch out to various forms of art; try their resin moulds and pigments, alcohol inks, glitter, chalk paints, scrapbooking equipment and DIY home decor products.

Anupam Superstore

This Mumbai-based chain store is known for its incredible variety and an in-person visit is highly recommended for an optimal shopping experience, but they also have a fledgling online component that allows you to place orders via Whatsapp (they do pan-India delivery). From stationery sundries to student-grade and professional/branded art supplies, Anupam has it all.

Tip: Their in-house brand’s (Anupam) sketchbooks and min canvases are quite budget-friendly and are highly recommended for beginner artists.

Creative Hands

Creative Hands

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This is the best place to shop for exclusive/newly launched Brustro Official brand products, which is gaining popularity with several artists across India. Get all your Brustro products - from watercolour pads and soft pastel mediums, to a variety of paper sets, gouache, acrylic and oil sets, metallic sets and excellent quality (yet affordable) brush sets - all on this one site. Besides their in-house brand, Creativehandsmaterials also features a range of premium brand products like Sennelier, Winsor & Newton and Daniel Smith.

Pro-Tip

Some other e-commerce stores for art supplies include Mango art stationery, KDS Art Store, artzo.in