For the Love of Materials: Our Guide to the UK's Best Art Suppliers

Gemma Gittins
Jun 17
3 min read

Updated: Jun 18

Whether you’re a professional artist, an Ardington student, or a weekend hobbyist, we all share one passion: collecting art materials!

Over the years I have heard many recommendations for the best UK based art suppliers, and I thought it would be helpful to share the most popular with you all.

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General Art Supplies

Cass Art: The UK's leading art retailer. They focus on making professional brands accessible to students and hobbyists. Best For: Great bundle deals.

Jackson’s Art Supplies: Widely considered the best for professional artists (and by far the most recommended by our tutors!) They stock an enormous range of brands and have their own range of high-quality materials too. Best For: Great discounts and sales.

GreatArt: Known as the UK’s ‘Art Superstore’ they have over 50,000 products available. Best For: Bulk supplies, large canvases, and studio equipment.

Ken Bromley Art Supplies: A family-run business famous for its excellent catalogue and customer service. Best For: New or niche brands.

ARTdiscount: Specialising in high-end artist materials at significantly reduced prices (often 40-70% off RRP). Best For: Buying professional-grade paint sets and paper in bulk.

Pens, Pencils, & Ink

Scribblers: The number one destination in the UK for traditional calligraphy supplies. Best For: Pointed pen nibs, specialty inks (like iron gall), and oblique pen holders.

Blots Pens: A great choice for calligraphy and drawing materials. Best For: Their range of pens and Finetec metallic watercolours.

Cult Pens: Whilst not a traditional art shop, they are home to the world’s largest range of pens, apparently! Best For: Technical pens, fountain pens, and Rhodia / Clairefontaine paper.

Pencils4Artists: Tailored specifically for pencil artists and illustrators. Best For: Their range of comparison sets which include a few pencils from different manufacturers, allowing you to ‘test drive’ multiple brands before committing to an expensive full tin.

Brushes & Tools

Rosemary & Co: A Yorkshire-based, family-owned manufacturer of handmade artist brushes. Best For: Kolinsky Sable and synthetic ranges.

Pro Arte: A British specialist in synthetic brushes. Best For: The ‘Prolene’ range is a staple for its durability and shape retention.

Illumination, Gilding, & Traditional Colourmen

L. Cornelissen & Son: A beautiful, historic shop in London specialising in traditional materials. Best For: Genuine shell gold, rare dry pigments, and agate burnishers.

Wrights of Lymm: One of the UK’s oldest gilding merchants selling various metal leaf along with specialist adhesives and sizes. Best For: Huge range of gold, silver, and copper leaf.

A J Ludlow Colours: A Royston-based manufacturer producing professional-grade, paints that aim to revive the traditional, single-grade standard for artists. Best For: Handcrafted, single-pigment watercolours.

Pure Pigments: The Colour Makers House: Based in Cumbria, this working traditional pigment workshop produces handmade colours using pre-industrial techniques. Best For: Mineral pigments.

Paper & Vellum

Shepherds: Specialists in fine papers, bookbinding materials, and genuine vellum and parchment. Best For: Any project that requires archival-quality.

Two Rivers Paper: One of the last traditional commercial paper mills in the UK. Best For: Handmade rag paper specifically sized for watercolour and calligraphy.

Seawhite of Brighton: Often cited as a great supplier of affordable paper. Best For: Bookbinding and mixed media projects.

Paper Tree Nook: Beautiful and unusual decorative wrapping and craft paper sheets from the UK and around the world. Best For: Unique papers for craft projects.

Textiles, Fabric, & Fibre Arts

The Handweavers Studio: A specialist hub for weavers, spinners, and dyers. Best For: Unusual yarns, fibres (including silk and flax), and weaving equipment.

Whaley’s Ltd: A historic textile mill specialising in ‘Prepared for Dyeing’ fabrics. Best For: Buying bulk cotton, silk, and linen at trade prices.

Merchant & Mills: A boutique supplier based in Rye, focused on high-quality fabrics. Best For: European linens and sustainable fabrics.

Cloud Craft: A unique collection of needlework and embroidery supplies.

Best For: 100% wool felt made in Europe