Cheap art supplies don’t have to be lesser quality. Often, simply watching for sales and networking can result on discounted prices on art supplies. For artists who make a living from their art, cheap art supplies can help them to produce more work and generate more income. Here are my top tips for where to buy cheap art supplies.
Networking to Buy Cheap Art Supplies
Being a member of an artists group or gallery can give you access to cheap art supplies. Many art supply stores offer discounts to members of certain artists groups. This practice is beneficial to art supply sellers because it can provide many new customers. As well, it gives artists access to cheap art supplies.
Many ‘bricks and mortar’ and online galleries offer discounts on art supplies for artist members. ‘Bricks and mortar’ galleries often offer discounted framing services for exhibitions. Online galleries might provide discounts on art supplies at an online seller. As well, many art schools have relationships with art suppliers to give students discounts. Ask the gallery owner or check the online membership benefits to find out about art supply discounts.
Alternatively, if you are a member of an artist group, it is worth asking local art supply vendors if they would be interested in providing a discount to the group. This can mean cheap art supplies for artists as well as lots of new business for the vendor.
Buy Cheap Art Supplies on Sale
Sales in the art supply business are often dramatic, with price cuts of 50% and even more. A great way to keep track of art supply sales is to register for email updates and newsletters from your favorite art supply seller. That way you will be the first to know about sales. Cheap art supplies often sell out quickly.
Buy Cheap Art Supplies from Independent Sellers
You can find cheap art supplies at a whole range of places which are outside the mainstream – for instance, EBay, thrift stores, garage sales and even auctions. For instance, I once found a brilliant drafting board at a charity shop. It saved me several hundred dollars over the cost of a new drafting board from an art supply store.
Buy Cheap Art Supplies by Buying Student Grade Paints
Most art supply stores offer two grades of paint – ‘artist’ and ‘student. The student grade is often significantly cheaper. If you use lots of art supplies, student grade is an easy way to spend less. The quality of student grade art supplies varies. Student grade tends to be lesser quality than artist grade; yet I have found certain pigments in student grade which I prefer to artist grade.
Student grade pigments are especially useful if you need lots of art supplies for practice. Another idea is to buy mostly student grade art supplies, supplemented with a few key higher quality pigments.
If you know where to look, you can find cheap art supplies which won’t sacrifice the quality of your production. Check out the link below for one of my favorite sources for cheap art supplies.
