Gouache Hunting in 7 Iconic Art Supplies Stores in London

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Spending hours in art stores just for the atmosphere… That's my favourite past-time. London is filled with so many interesting art stores. So I decided to take 2 days off and go on a gouache hunting mission, in some of the most iconic art stores in London.
Out of 7 famous art supplies stores in London, which one is the best art store? How are they different from each other? Which one will have the biggest selections of gouache?
If you too could spend hours and hours in art supplies stores, join me as I go and explore 7 of the most well known art stores in London.
Unfortunately, Jackson was not included in my exploration, but that is only an excuse to come back to London again, isn't it?!
My Etsy store:
pawshire.etsy.com
MY GOUACHE SUPPLIES SHOPPING LIST
www.pawshire.com/resources/ar...
SHOPS MAP
www.thatch.co/guide/2jtx3osg1...
TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Introduction
01:01 - Green & Stone
04:00 - L. Cornelissen & Son
07:30 - Coffee break
08:08 - Russell and Chapple
11:08 - London Graphic Center
14:28 - Atlantis
17:05 - Cass Art Islington
19:44 - Stuart R. Stevenson
LOCATION
London
ᗢ SOCIAL
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Facebook @pawshire
Twitter @pawshire
♫ MUSIC
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☆ MY SHOP
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[@pawshire]

"Island" is pronounced "Eye-land" but why "Islington" is pronounced "Eass-lington"? 😆All the stores are in this Map - www.thatch.co/guide/2jtx3osg1olow

Because London is 2000 years old and naming hasn't been consistent.

[@bluelobsterart]

Cat ownership is definitely a key criterion for shop quality.

[@pawshire]

Absolutely

[@franny3995]

You should have gone Jackson’s Art supplies they have a lot different gouache brands.

[@pawshire]

I wish I knew this! I will go soon for sure, thank you for the recommendation!

[@GuyArab]

@@pawshire Yes Jackson’s are good. They also sell PanPastels, which I doubt the others do. FULHAM SHOP Jackson's Art Supplies Arch 66 Station Approach London SW6 3UH Putney Bridge Tube Station (District Line)

[@gertietheduck]

@@GuyArab I was surprised she didn't visit Jackson's too considering it's probably the most KZbin-artist-famous shop worldwide! They actually have two shops in London - there is one in Dalston as well as the Fulham one.

@@gertietheduck Jackson's is probably the biggest UK store, with Cass Art and Great Art London coming behind. My favourites to visit are Cass Art and Bromley Art (it's small but surprisingly well equipped). Jackson's for online shopping =)

[@gertietheduck]

@in terms of size, as a London store Jackson's is surprisingly not that huge (I live in London and Jackson's flagship store is my local art shop), but their warehouse (which is not in London, but is where they deal with online orders) is for sure the largest!

[@Spambrah]

Cornelissen was my fav- it's so tucked in and has a lot of options for painting fine art, which makes me very happy. Russell & Chapple was my next fav, because it looks like the place where you would go to for the exact supplies you are after for making your own paintings on canvas. Thanks for sharing your london journey! Here in Western Australia, there arent any art stores like those in this video!

[@pawshire]

When a city has so many different art supplies stores, you just feel spoiled! Thank you for coming by! 💕

[@rachelscott7348]

You have missed one of the beautiful things about L. Cornelissen & Son, its where artests like Turner purchased their pigments!

[@pawshire]

Haaaa! That's so cool! ❤️

[@sprinkledsunshine]

Came here for the art shops but I love your editing! It's so cute and personalised ✨

[@pawshire]

Ooh it's so great that you enjoyed! I did have a bit of fun on my own editing this 😆

[@patriciarae2133]

Lived as a lover of London, art supplies and cats I could not love this more! Every time I visit London from Canada visiting the art stores is my top priority. I’ve been to many of the ones you mentioned and count Cornellisen’s, the Islington Cass Art, and the London graphic centre amongst my faves. I also love AP Fitzpatrick for their great selection of Kremer watercolour sets. Thanks so much for the wonderful video!

[@jekalambert9412]

As an American, I loved your tour of the various art supply shops but I was totally surprised that Jackson's Art Supplies was not included in your tour. Jackson's has a huge website with lots of everything. I bet it would have been a great place for a variety of gouache brands.

[@pawshire]

Yes, so many people mentioned Jackson! I will be back in London this summer so definitely will check it out 😊

I feel like Jackson's is nicer to visit online than in person.

[@the.color.studio]

You were meant to be a content creator! I always look forward to watching your videos. I would love to see more videos about your art, it's so beautiful. Sketchbook tours, or process videos would be so fun to see. Can't wait for the next one!

[@pawshire]

Aaah thank you so much I still have a lot to improve, but I'm enjoying the learning process! And definitely those videos are coming soon, I hope you will enjoy them!

[@Alchemetica]

This is the second of your videos I have viewed and I love them. Yes, as I too are into art. Undergraduate degree major was visual art and post grad degree again visual art major including film. I collect more art supplies than I ever need. I have subscribed as the number one thing that sealed the deal is being a cat lover. All the best from Australia.

[@pawshire]

Thank you so much ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

[@ellendeman8417]

I am going to london soon, and my hotel is just around the corner of Cornelissen.🙈 I am goin to spend some time there for sure.BTW, love your art!

[@fabd8067]

I enjoyed your tour of some of London art shops, thx for sharing; 🙏🏻 although I was surprised not to see either Jackson’s or Choosing Keeping ~ which I believe is a unique lil art shop ~ one I’d love to visit myself one day! 🎨💚🖍️🩵🖌️🩷

[@pawshire]

I'm going there this summer for a sequel! 😂

[@fabd8067]

@@pawshire ok great, looking forward to hear all about them both! 👏🏻👏🏻

[@julielondon4759]

Very fun and helpful!❤

[@lilyannepaints]

I loved the tour! Thank you!

[@catherinebrown9119]

Thank you so much for this collection of Art shops!

[@sineadsmyth846]

The postcard watercolour paper is very common. Hahnemule has some beautiful ones ❤

[@pawshire]

I never knew 😆

[@gustavfn1]

This is very interesting!

[@jamesmainajimmssthe1]

Just lovely 😊

[@Finchwing]

ohh gosh what a lovely watch, I love an art shop crawl! I live in London and have been to a bunch of these but there are some that I'd never heard of, def gonna try hit those up!

[@pawshire]

It was really fun! haha

[@SleepyCatCottage]

Hello fellow artist. You are so lucky to be in London with these fabulous art shops. While living in London some 20 years ago i loved going to several of the shops you toured. Green and Stone was an easy walk from my flat so i went there often. I loved their pencils and still have a good number in my stash...i stocked up before returning to the states! Thank you for the tour. Your narrative and English were excellent. Thanks for this video as it felt like i was back in London. Good luck finding gouche...i mostly have used Winsor and Newton.

[@pawshire]

I made finding gouache my new life mission 😆

[@DrawYourBliss]

That was so interesting ! I'm going to London next month and I'm even more excited now ! I'm so suprised you didn't go to Jackson's art ! If their shop in person is as good as online, they have every gouache brand and color you can imagine !

[@pawshire]

There're so(ooo) many art stores in London, I wish I had more time 😊I will visit this shop the next time I go for sure! Thank you for coming by!

[@painterlypotts]

If you do go back to London, try Choosing Keeping! They don't have a huge variety of gouache but they have some brands that you won't find in a lot of other big art stores :) Even if the prices make me cry a little. Or a lottle.

[@pawshire]

Thank you for the recommendation! I will try next summer for sure. And yes, prices I London... 😂

[@karonyful]

Thanks for taking us along and finishing the date off with bubble tea :)

[@pawshire]

Perfect way to end a failed trip to an art store T-T

[@Katniss_cosmos]

it was TONS OF FUN to watch, i loooove visiting art supplies shops and cafes, and art galleries so this video was totally my cup of tea. thank you sooooo much 🥰

[@pawshire]

I'm glad it's your cup of tea! It's my cup of tea too! 😆🍵

[@user-er3cz4sn1o]

Great Art is my favourite London art shop, often overlooked but they do gauche and also ship. Its worth checking them out.

[@pawshire]

They will no longer be overlooked this summer 😬🌞

[@davidsharp7916]

This was a very useful and informative video. I am a self taught artist and visit London frequently. I usually visit Cass Art in Islington which is definitely one of the best, but I will be checking out a few of the others in the future. The London Graphic Centre will be high up on my list. Whilst you are visiting Cass Art Islington, I would also like to recommend an art cafe called the Candid Cafe, Torrens Street and The Candid Arts Trust exhibition space next to the cafe. They are just around the corner from the Angel Underground station and only a 10 minute walk from Cass Art.

[@mell5111]

Thank you for this fun video. I live in San Diego California and have only visited London once. You did such a good job😊

[@pawshire]

Thank you! I'm glad you found it fun

[@hemjoo]

So happy with your video. Derived loads of viacious enjoyment from your visits to all the art supplies shops! Live in asia and when i visit any european city, i include in my itinerary a visit to at least one such shop. Was supposed to visit UK but the pandmic hit... i can browse in such a shop for hours! Cass Art seems to be like Rougier & Plé in France 😊

[@pawshire]

I can't express well enough how excited I am to go back to Japan and explore as many art stores as I could! Thank you so much for coming by, I'm glad you enjoyed it! 💕

[@mariaeugeniagarzacaceres]

Wood rubber and clear stamps 🙏 🙏

[@trashtbyghosts]

yr sooo cool

[@brenrich3250]

problem with Gouache is that fluid acrylic is actually considered to be a type of it, so art supply shops when considering there range stock it instead, cause it sells better. Even folk art acrylic that is opaque is an option.

[@pawshire]

Oh, I never knew about this, will look into it!

[@alexistriskey4955]

If you go to acrylic gouache go to Jackson’s art shop they got both acrylic and gouache

[@pawshire]

Yes!

[@dilipsamarasinghe778]

My favourite is Cornliessen.

[@pawshire]

It sure is a classic!

You should have bought a pastel set rather than pastels as units. The set is always much cheaper and will give you a fairly balanced selection. Later, as you use them, you can buy more to meet your needs or replace the ones that wear out. I absolutely ADORE Sennelier oil pastels. If you can, buy a blender (Sennelier has them & they look like a translucid pastel, Derwent has a set of two, more durable marker looking ones).

[@pawshire]

Oooh! I see, thank you! ❤️ 😊

@@pawshire You're welcome! 🤗

[@Eovielle]

I'm missing the "Great Art" shop in this list (49 Kingsland Rd, London E2 8AG). But thank you for sharing this list! I definitely will check out some of the stores you visited :)

[@pawshire]

I did miss many stores! But that is only an excuse for more videos about art stores in London, I reckon 😆

[@Eovielle]

Yis, can't wait for the next art shop crawl!@@pawshire

[@RockyRoadCreationsbyDiana]

Shops must have cats. I liked the last one and Atlantis. Do you have a video of what you bought?

[@pawshire]

No unfortunately! But I will film one in the future :)

[@SpottedJournal]

I'm totally obsessed with art and stationery stores. There were some here I've not heard of and I'm eager to visit. I've been to Cass art in Islington, it's a wonderful space and I could spend hours in there. Are you a quick shopper or can you also take ages in a shop?

[@pawshire]

Very slooooooow shopper 🐌If I could, I'd camp in the shop haha

[@SpottedJournal]

@@pawshire 😆

[@shannabarr8624]

Cat shop wins, for sure!! >^.^

[@GuyArab]

That was a great idea to take us around the London art supply stores. As indicated elsewhere, you missed a good one in Jackson’s at Putney Bridge, right under the station. Quirky shop it is too. One little bit of help with pronunciation, Islington is pronounced Iz-lington, not Eyelington. English is a daft language at times!

[@pawshire]

Oh no, not again 😂 ! I thought I sounded so British saying "Eyelington"

[@gardeniainbloom812]

lol aww. Never mind I can see how you made that mistake. It was cute anyway.@@pawshire

[@gaylord8393]

I think the lack of gouache in stores is because it’s a fairly new paint medium especially in contrast to their older counterparts 😊

[@bluelobsterart]

Gouache was invented in the 16th century though.

[@pawshire]

@@bluelobsterart Maybe it's not old enough?

[@gaylord8393]

@@bluelobsterart yes, true!! but it wasn’t the same medium as we consider it today :) it was actually a method - where artists applied oil paint over another medium to achieve the nice matt finish you get with gouache! in the uk, (i’ve never been anywhere else so i’m not too sure about other places) gouache is still a new influx into stores, we have a really old art shop near where i live and they’ve only just started stocking it for the uni students :)

[@DrawYourBliss]

As a french person it's so weird for me to know that gouache is not mainstream at all in othere countries ! I'm 31 and gouache/tempera was the basic in school from 3 to 15 (we just don't have art class anymore at this age). You can find student grade gouache litteraly everywhere even at supermarket ! For artist grade, it's in every art shop ! Not many brands of course but there's not that many brand anyway and most stores are true to a few brands even in other medium here.

[@gaylord8393]

@@DrawYourBliss Here i’m england, with growing up all we used were the shitty acrylic paints that you get in like a pound shop or those watercolour tins you’d give to kids !! and this was all the way into studying art higher as that’s all the schools could afford if you couldn’t afford your own

[@OrioleBeagle]

Have you tried M Graham Gouache or the new Daniel Smith Gouache?

[@pawshire]

Not yet, but I will soon! 🐻

[@0Apes0]

You missed choosing keeping 😢

[@pawshire]

I'm putting this on my list for this summer! ❤️

[@0Apes0]

@@pawshire you’ll love it! Not gouache but very unique watercolours. And they are the only place you can find nicker poster paint in the uk

[@tompaste387]

WHAT! You didn't visit Jacksons or Winsor & Newton, sad

[@pawshire]

Right? But I'm going this summer for sure 💪😸

[@tompaste387]

@@pawshireThanks for sharing. Love browsing art stores, recently went to Nice, South of France. So many amazing art stores there too

[@pawshire]

Nice to know! Will check those out soon! 💕

[@christianbond1561]

I think your English is fine I wondered which shop you found the most gouache supplies,

[@pawshire]

I found the most gouache supplies at Atlantis. They had a large selection of colours for these 2 brands, Daler-Rowney and Winsor & Newton. I'm not a fan of the latter, but Daler-Rowney has many amazing colours, especially for grey and beige shades, which was refreshing. I bought some and really love this brand now!

[@letym2271]

"Frustrated gouache artist" haha i get you, finding good gouache in my city is a pain in the butt too (and not to say overpriced), they only have the primary colors, white and black and importing paints is a pain in the butt with their stupid exaggerated regulations.

[@pawshire]

Regulations for painting?? 😂 I could imagine why with all the chemicals but still, where is it? If you like gouache too, Japan is THE paradise for gouache (a video coming up soon 😬)

[@sueallen952]

Would have been nice to see what you bought

[@pawshire]

I will do that for my future art stores videos! To be honest, I didn't know if people would be interested, so I just didn't film the haul ^^ thank you for coming by!

[@eileengoldenberg270]

Not Jackson’s?

[@pawshire]

Soon? 🤐🤫

[@gertietheduck]

“Great for: gentrified area”. Except that said gentrification is pushing both the locals and artists out…?

[@pawshire]

Yes you're right. I used the word gentrified to describe the vibe that usually comes with it, without thinking about the implications. I personally found that in several different gentrified areas I've been to in Europe, creatives and local artisans are able attract a wider audience to the area thanks to gentrification that helps revive the area. But that of course does come at a cost for the locals. I'll make sure to describe more precisely in the future!

[@gertietheduck]

@@pawshire here in London what seems to happen is: local artists move into a cheap or abandoned site (in my neighbourhood for example there is an old industrial site that has been converted into artists' studios by local artists)... and bring a creative buzz to the area. Shortly after, developers notice that buzz and start courting strapped councils (the past decade+ of austerity means they are often desperate for money) to sell land to develop mostly luxury flats in the area. Often landmark social housing, and services are torn down to make way for such buildings. In my area they are currently advertising a new luxury flat development using the "buzzing creative community" as a local attraction to prospective buyers, literally on their advertising materials - when ironically the luxury flat complex is actually being built on the site of former artists' studios that have been razed to the ground to make way for it. Meanwhile, not far, a very famous social housing building complex that houses hundreds of families faces demolition and the families are being threatened with relocation away from the community they were born or grew up in. Prices will go up. People won't be able to afford their rents and will have to leave. The area will become identical to every other area this has happened to. My community is thankfully resisting the most pernicious aspects of this and has had some victories in the past few years (notably a local Latin market and community has survived and won against developers of a shopping centre & luxury flat development) ! My old neighbourhood wasn't so lucky and now looks both unrecognisable and exactly like so many other neighbourhoods.

[@gertietheduck]

also there must be quite a lot of money laundering going on re those luxury flats. Who is buying them? Certainly not the locals who need housing... PS - sorry for the massive ramble/venting :D - it makes my blood boil!

[@pawshire]

@@gertietheduck No problem at all! You made an important point :)

[@FS-mc3cs]

LOVE your video!🥰 So great.🧡 However...... People... AVOID - L. Cornelissen & Son - The most unfriendly - rude staff - and unnecessarily-expensive. (shudder) I went there a few times and every time... a nasty unwelcomed experience. 💯% AWFUL Place!

[@pawshire]

Oh that's too bad! I had a decent experience there. Maybe the weather put them in a bad mood? 😅