An artful approach to the city of London

Posted by Joe Sheer on October 11th, 2017

With so many art galleries and exhibitions of cutting edge artistic flair around the city, it’s no wonder that London boasts some of the best arts and crafts shops in Europe. Anyone looking for specific materials or tools, could do worse than booking into one of the London budget hotels and spending the weekend touring the city’s top art and craft shops for the best paints, tools, pencils and other artistic supplies. Creative arts of this nature help people develop their visual capabilities while also giving them the opportunity to express their ideas and feelings. Craft projects are also a great way to establish a creative bond with your children and encourage them in their own forms of self-expression. Whether you feel more comfortable working with wood, metal, clay or glass, there is a craft that will unleash your creative side.

The Shaftesbury London is conveniently situated for many stores that supply art materials, including Cass Art in Kensington and the London Graphic Centre in Covent Garden. Cass Art have a number of branches scattered around the city, all of them focused on selling the best quality arts materials at affordable prices. With over 20,000 products within their stores and highly qualified staff on hand to advise shoppers, it’s easy to find exactly the right materials for your latest project. Cass Art has been around for over 25 years and really know their stuff.

Established in 1973, the London Graphic Centre is one of the leading suppliers in the UK. Students can enjoy a 15% discount on all their purchases, while anyone making bulk orders will also enjoy good value for money. Their main store in Convent Garden offers a wealth of materials and tools to choose from and you’ll find your imagination running wild as you browse their well-stocked shelves. From stretched canvasses to oil paints, paper to glue, there is something to stimulate the artist in everyone. Spend some time browsing through their stock which covers two floors of their flagship store and includes model-making supplies, framing, pens, pencils and the widest range of Freitag bags and accessories in the city. Freitag is a big name in recycled products, including sleeves and pouches that will protect your creations and designs.

If these stores aren’t enough to inspire you, then you can always pop along to one of the city’s main art galleries to see how the professionals do it. The Tate Modern has one of the largest and most innovative art collections in the world, while the National Portrait Gallery is famous for its portraiture. Once the creative juices are flowing, head over to L. Cornelissen & Son where you’ll find a wide array of gums, resins and canvasses as well as art equipment. One of the oldest shops in London, L. Cornelissen & Son has an old-school feel to it, having been around since 1855. This charming, legendary store packs an incredible range of art supplies into its shelves

For those more inspired by the contemporary artworks at the Saatchi Gallery than the more traditional portraits, Cowling & Wilcox Ltd is the shop to head to. Alongside extensive stationery supplies, this store also stocks new and exotic materials from suppliers all over the world. The store opened in during the Swinging Sixties and has not stopped expanding since, becoming an internationally acclaimed name in the art world. Needlecraft enthusiasts will find it easy to waste hours at the London Bead Shop with its enormous range of colourful beads and embroidery threads. The staff have an extensive knowledge of their products and their various uses. Alongside the display of high-quality beads, you’ll also find gemstones and chains, from which you can create some inspiring jewellery and other great art projects.

Do you want to create a masterpiece using the best fine-art materials available? Then head on to Atlantis Art Materials which is dedicated to fine art materials and is considered one of the best suppliers in Europe. Once your painting is complete, pop along to the Southbank Art Company where you can get your finished artwork framed according to your needs and tastes. You don’t need to book an appointment to get your painting framed – you can just pop in and have their well-trained, artistic employees assist and advice you. Make sure you leave at least half an hour for your framing process and the production procedure takes around two to three weeks depending on how busy they are.

Interior designers will love the Design Centre at Chelsea Harbour which is jam-packed with great design products with an extensive, state of the art collection of fabrics, floorings, coverings and wall finishings. If you’re revamping your home and looking for the latest styles and fabrics to complete the look, then this should be your first port of call. For avid model makers, there is no better place to shop than the 4D Modelshop near Aldgate East. Not only do they have a wide range of products to choose from, they also offer some useful services, including 3D printing which produces a three-dimensional object from a digital image by adding on numerous layers until the object is complete.

One final place to visit on your trip to London is the Cockpit Arts centre – an award-winning enterprise that supports local craftspeople and also offers educational tours and creative away days aimed at inspiring up-and-coming artists and those with a passion for craft.