In the U.S. I did not find it difficult to find places to buy watercolor supplies, especially online. National chains Blick, Cheap Joe’s, and Jerry’s Artarama are common and do a lot of online business, and regional specialty stores like St Louis Art Supply or Wet Paint Art in St. Paul, MN are also good enough to be worth ordering from even if you live far away.
In Canada, I have found it difficult to source the good stuff. There are fewer giant chain art stores and those that exist carry smaller selections at higher prices. However, I have poked around carefully and found some specific sources for the specific brands, colors, etc. that I like. Here are some of the more promising art stores that ship nationally.
General Art Supplies
My methodology for choosing stores to showcase on this list was to search for Canadian art stores online and test the ones that came up by looking for some of my favorite, hardest-to-source art supplies: Da Vinci paint, Holbein soft tape, and Saunders paper. I also looked for selection among major watercolor paint brands (DS, WN, SH), Lamy fountain pens, and Moleskine sketchbooks. I did not list stores that have a “just ok” selection (subtweeting DeSerres).
These are arranged roughly from west to east.
| Store Name | In Person Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Opus | BC – Vancouver metro area, Victoria, Kelowna | I believe the house watercolor brand is made by Da Vinci. |
| Delta Art | AB – Edmonton | Reasonably priced Arches and Holbein Soft Tape. |
| The Paint Spot | AB – Edmonton | They have some rare colors, such as SH Aureolin. Also Holbein Soft Tape. |
| Wyndham Art Supplies | ON – Guelph | Has Holbein Soft Tape |
| Gwartzman’s | ON – Toronto | One of my all time favorite in person art stores! Also great online. Unusual items include Roman Szmal and 5ml tubes of DS and HO (most stores carry only 15ml). |
| Above Ground | ON – Toronto | They carry Da Vinci, but the prices at Studio Six are better. |
| Studio Six | Online only (ships from ON) | They carry Da Vinci and Holbein Soft Tape. |
| Endeavours & ThinkPlay | NB – Fredericton | Great prices on Saunders pads and MaimeriBlu; 5ml DS; great customer service. Highly recommended for online shopping. |
Note that some great international stores ship to Canada, too, including Jackson’s (UK), Artemiranda (Spain), Rosemary brushes (UK) and Art Toolkit (USA). Generally shipping is high, but shipping is also high within Canada.
Specialty
These Canadian stores make/carry specific items.
| Store Name | In Person Location | What do they carry? |
|---|---|---|
| Stoneground Paint Co. | SK – Regina | Handmade watercolor paint |
| Beam Paints | ON – Manitoulin Island (also found in many stores) | Handmade watercolor paint |
| Humbeck Studios | Online only (ships from NS) | Handmade watercolor paint |
| Wonder Pens | ON – Toronto | Fountain pens, stationery |
| Papeterie Nueva Era | QC – Montréal | Fountain pens, stationery |
| Stylo | QC – Montréal | Fountain pens, stationery |
| Sugarhouse Ceramic Co. | NS – Kentville | My favorite handmade ceramic palettes |
| Wonder Forest | Online only (ships from ON) | 100% cotton paper pads and sketchbooks |
Canadians, where do you like to get your art supplies? What have I missed?