Blick Art Materials

I absolutely love this store. The customer service is amazing and the people there know what they are talking about. I am not an artist in terms of painting or drawing and so on but I am a photographer and they have photographers covered too! I was able to find matts, backing, mounting tools, framing materials, EVERYTHING. I love a place that is one stop shopping! Prices are reasonable when compared to Amazon. And their selection is MASSIVE. I cannot imagine an artist of any kind walking in and not finding what they need. Honestly, just browsing the store makes me wish I had other artsy talents just so I can buy the paints and brushes and canvases and other lovely things that call out to create.

It’s convenient to get to in Dublin and grab some art supplies. The prices probably aren’t the best you’re going to find if you comparison shop at the nearby craft stores (Hobby Lobby and Michaels are right there as well). And of course if you can drive further or use the internet you’ll probably find stuff a lot cheaper. Staff can be hit or miss, sometimes they are helpful, sometimes (a third of the time) you get one who has a surprisingly pissy attitude for someone lazily ringing up items in an art supply store.

Too expensive.
While I shopped often at this store in my college art career, I rarely shop here now. As an art teacher, I spend much of my time price comparing art supplies between stores and online prices. While Blicks has a great in-​store selection, many of the products I need for my classroom are not available in-​store only online. A good example of this is tempera cakes, which Blicks only sells online.
I find Blick a fun place to walk around and think about what I could be making, or think about gifts. It is not a very practical place to buy bulk supplies or supplies for an art classroom. Honestly, the prices are ridiculous compared to other places you can shop in Columbus or online.
I would recommend parents or teachers shop for art supplies at United arts and Education, or Star Beacon products. You can get great prices on art supplies there. Blicks is mostly for the artist who does not care what they have to spend they just need the product now. That worked for me in college but I am a smarter shopper now… price compare people, price compare!

I am not an artist… not even close. But I’m throwing an art event at CCAD, and I needed some supplies. Unilocal pointed me toward Blick, and as much as I hate Sawmill Road, I have to admit this place is worth it.
Blick is an artist’s heaven! Every aisle is packed with goodies, and nothing was overpriced. They sell their own store brand version of most products, and these are a steal. I can’t even begin to describe all the things here, nor can I compare Blick to any other store. I’m just an amateur, but this place helped me cross off everything on my list.
One interesting thing to note, though, is the customer service. After reading previous reviews, I was really expecting something amazing, but these folks were incredibly nonchalant and never offered to help me.

Went in here to look for some archival bags which they had but unfortunately not the size I needed. But they were very helpful saying that maybe they had the size I needed online (they didn’t but WTH!)
Where they now have me as a loyal customer is mat board cutting. I picked out the big sheet from the bins where they have just about any you could ever imagine using, told them what size I needed, waited about 5minutes and TAH DAH! They gave me the cut boards and the leftovers and here comes the great part.
Paid for the board and only a $ 1 for each cut after the first two free cuts. I didn’t have to try and cut them myself and risk messing up plus if I need more cuts all I have to do is bring in the leftover big sheet and they’ll cut again. HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!!! And a 10% discount on top of it all with the member program (sign up if you think you will be in there more than once, it’s free) I left a happy artist!

Blick’s Art, without a doubt, fires up my right-​brain thinking. Just walking aisle to aisle and seeing the menagerie of supplies for painting, sketching, drawing, framing, and all things artistic can be found at Blick’s.
My shopping? It’s for general use materials. Straight-​edge rulers and such come in all colors, materials, lengths and such. Some clear, other metal, other wood. And there’s the T-​square, long and short. Erasures are here, too. Yeah,… I’m a bit old school and keep a mechanical pencil in my carry-​with date book. Making sure there’s a good erasure with it is cool for me. Gum erasures are here.
The most recent visit was for colored pencils. It’s an odd buy but the assortment of pencil sets is vast. I walked away with a nice 24-​pencil set in a metal box… and scooped up a pencil sharpener that captures the shavings in an attached container. Sweet!
I’ve found poster board and construction paper at Blick’s. And I always enjoy a good browse through the painter’s area. The easels and canvas, oils, water colors… again, the right-​brain goes ablaze when I’m in Blick’s. Then… it’s back to MS EXCEL at the office and a left-​brain buzz. GO BLICK’S!!!

The best art store around for art supplies.

The service here is amazing.
I walked into Blick to browse their selection. A staff member approached me but I didn’t want her help so I told her I was just browsing. To my surprise, she didn’t walk away. Instead she stood there for a moment, appearing to think about her next move, and then persisted to try again. I told her I just wanted peruse the paint supplies so she inquired about what kind of painting I do (at this point I’m rolling my eyes, wishing she would leave me alone). I finally opened up and told her that I’m still learning and don’t have any idea what I’m doing and she informed me that she also taught herself and then gave me a host of pointers. She showed me a book of canvas sheets that I could practice on, which I had never heard of and was really excited about. She also gave me info about brushes and differences in types of paint. I felt so horrible that I tried to shoo her away. She was amazing.
When I finally finished searching the store, I went to check out and tell the manager about my experience. Turns out that the manager was amazing too. We talked about school and where were both from and she signed me up with the the preferred customer card (which is free to teachers and students). The next time I returned (about a month later), the manager remembered my name and was really nice.
I HIGHLY recommend this place. You can buy a lot more than art supplies here… try it out!

Okay, the first time I walked into this store, I was desperate for items that I was looking for. I had not considered going here before. I don’t draw. I don’t paint. I don’t sculpt. At first, the store was a bit overwhelming. It’s huge inside with all sorts of art materials. I quickly became impressed that by looking at the stock, even with my lack of artistic knowledge, that I could tell the store has some great quality stuff.
I must have looked really lost, too. As staff members would walk by me, every one of them would take a moment to ask if I was okay and finding what I was looking for. Feeling a bit out of my element, I would pretend to be fine and tell them I was good. The more I got my bearings in the store, the more I started looking like I knew what I was doing. I found some great things to use for my art — photography. The store is not really oriented for photography, but they have some great supplies that one can use, good quality items.
The staff have been great! They have been patient with me and helping answer questions that I have had. And since I am back in college again, they told me about their rewards program and the discount it provides. Service has been great here.

On the plus side, this store is huge and has a great selection. The prices aren’t too bad either. I also got to use my student discount which helped immensely.
Downside, the staff wasn’t much help. I was entering my freshman year of college at the time and was completely clueless on most of the items on my list. When I asked a worker for help on finding something, she half heartedly looked for about 5 minutes and then left. My mom and I had to guess our way through the list of supplies. We ended up being in the store for two hours.

I have not been too thrilled with Blick lately. It seems that they’re no longer carrying blue drafting pencils, which is immensely disappointing. BOO. Still, they almost always have everything else I’m looking for, whether it’s sketchbooks, drawing pencils, replacement erasers, or paper.
While ordering online would be my best option in the future (using the store locator tool on their website reveals that the closest store to my future home in Montana is in either Washington state or Oregon… bleh), there’s nothing quite like walking into this shop. It’s not a hole-​in-​the-​wall, which I would honestly prefer, but it’s intimate and it definitely caters to those who are artistic in nature.
I’m a stetch/​pencil artist, and I like having a wide array of pencils to choose from so I can achieve a certain look and mood. It’s so hard to find 7B-​9B pencils here in the States. I have no idea why. Blick, bless them, carries Derwent brand pencils, and I’m never going back. They also have Strathmore papers of every sort.
They can be pretty spendy. I mean, let’s face it, we’re talking about professional quality products. None of that is going to be cheap. If you have their member discount card, that’s some money off your bill, but if you get their little promotional cards in the mail, you’ll know about sales they’re having and therefore save even more money.
Don’t be put off by the staff’s «attitude.» Artists are a weird group — I have personal experience in that area — and then you have morons who pretend they know all and in reality don’t know crap (as Stac pointed out with the expensive brush vs. cheap brush thing). Try putting up with that all day, every day. It’s almost worse than Walmart. The staff know their stuff too, so if they recommend something, go with it. I might’ve had to spend more money as a result, but it’s so incredibly worth it in the end because I know I got the best.
Blick also offers art classes and workshops. They have little handouts with program information that you can take with you.

Ok, first thing is first. I am a college grad (aka– completely in debt) and have NO money to be spending on frivolous art supplies that end up sitting in a drawer only to be forgotten about and collect dust. So I look for bargains where ever I can. The prices at a professional artist supply store are high when compared to the craft store around the corner. But you have to keep in mind– it is a PROFESSIONAL artist’s supply store. This is not a store to take the kiddies to to buy finger paint (although they have that too). This is a store, sorry –THE stores to go to in the Columbus area if you want to get all the supplies your art project needs.
That is what is amazing to me about Blick. Their prices can seem high– but you get what you pay for. I liken it to painting a room in your house. Would you break out your kid’s finger paints to change the color in your bedroom? NO! You would do the sensible thing and go down to Lowes or Home Depot and buy one gallon of primer AND one gallon of satin paint. So don’t be cheap about your art supplies, get the best.
The staff here may seem rude (I will explain that in a min) but they really know their stuff. They know the best products for the job you describe to them. The key is that they CAN’T read your mind, they give advise based on what you tell them you need. So, if they recommend a higher costing brush– it is because it is the best tool for your job. They do not work on commission. They DO have to put up with some weird customers. They also can get frustrated after they invest 15 min to explain why that brush they recommended is the best for the job and the customer picks the lowest costing brush and then comes back in and complains the brush they bought didn’t get the job done (well, DUH!)! So, give them some slack and if you are going to go with the cheap stuff, don’t ask the staff for their opinion (No, I do not work here, I just had a friend who did and witnessed a lot of rude customers).
In conclusion, I do like this store (the only Blick store in all of OHIO). I like the fact that the staff are VERY knowledgeable. The store has tons of supplies in stock to fill your needs and to inspire your next art project. Plus– they have some great little gifts too! Even if you are not an artist, their selection of weird keychains, SMASH! products, Munnyworld DIY vinyl figures by KidRobot, fisheye and Diana cameras, Umbra products and MORE! should have you regularly stopping in just to check things out.

Great selection of art supplies, but there are some areas that they are lacking in, especially when it comes to crafting.
The prices are pretty good, but be on the look out and know what you’re buying. They list «every day» prices next to their lower list price, but it is not always accurate. There are some products which have a listed «every day» price that makes Blick’s prices seem ridiculously low, when in reality you can get some of the items cheaper than either price elsewhere. Good examples of this include their line of Copic materials and sequential art papers.
The employees are friendly and helpful. Most of them know the store like the back of their hand and will gladly help you find whatever it is you need. They will also be honest if they do not have something and suggest other stores that do.
The store is clean, well lit, and has very nice single-​stall bathrooms.
Definitely stop by if you can, but set a very strict budget first or you might end up spending more than you bargained for!

This is a great supply store. I usually end up buying gifts here, too, because they have so many interesting and unique gifts at the front of the store. It’s cool just to tool around in this place!

Think of this store as the Sephora of the art supply stores. Meaning this: you go in for one specific item, and the next thing you know… yikes! Suddenly everything you see is a necessity, and you absolutely have to have it.
As far as actual high end art supply stores go, it’s pretty much Blick or Utrecht. Utrecht is super inconvenient if you’re driving, so I pretty much come here.
What I buy here:
1)Polymer Clay. I have a love affair with Premo! and Sculpey, and they carry an EXTENSIVE variety here. The price can’t be beat either, 1.99 for a block! It’s even cheaper if you have a student discount card. This may sound weird but I have had a problem in the past with blocks of Sculpey that have been less than fresh, rather dry and crumbly. I have never had this problem with blocks of polymer clay I have purchased at Blick, and now this is the only place I will even purchase it.
2)Sharpies! The selection just rocks. Every color, every tip shape, tip size, just every single Sharpie you could possibly want.
3)Pastels, colored pencils, and charcoals. Again, fantastic variety. You will find what you need for sure.
Other things I’ve found here that were exactly what I needed: spray adhesive, galvanized wire, brush cleaner, fine tip pens for scrapbooking, and all sorts of clay and metalwork objects that I used for polymer clay beadmaking.
If you’re a student or instructor, you can sign up for a preferred customer card for free! I believe it’s something like $ 10-​$ 20 otherwise. This card gets you 10% your purchase every time you shop there. I’ve also gotten coupons in the mail.
This store basically just rocks. I can’t come up with anything bad to say about it, except that it just makes me spend money.

I really appreciate Dick Blick and wish these stores populated more than the infectious Hobby Lobbys that are EVERYWHERE.
Dick’s is like an art student’s dream world. Ask and ye shall receive some good deals, and just about anything your heart could want.
I have bought supplies from here ranging to oil paints, screen printing supplies, canvas, ceramics glazes, and they even sell a line of spray paints with different nozzles and tips for the enthusiastic graffiti artist.
I’m shocked just about every time I am in need of something bizarre and different I require for a project, because Dick’s delivers every time. It might not be as cheap as I were hoping, but they carry it.
They have become a God Send for me when Columbus Clay is closed and I need some Amaco glaze. My GOD, they even carry pyrometric cones for my kiln! Hallelujah!
However, I’ve never had any luck with asking questions at the front desk. It’s usually just easier for me to try and find stuff myself, so I don’t have to stand there five minute and deal with blank stares. (Either ya know, or ya don’t know.)
I will also admit they have some wicked sales on primed and ready canvas here. During some of their 60−80% off sales I’ll walk out with around four or five canvases in all different sizes. They have Hobby Lobby beat as far as size and range, AND price.
Their sketch book aisle is great, and has everything from cheap newsprint sketch pads to high end leather bound books.
You’re the best, Dick Blicks. Keep up with the sales, and I’ll keep draggin’ my artsy-​fartsy behind in.

Another place I enter only rarely because of Extreme Wantingness To Spend Moola. Lots of neat supplies for a variety of arts. Not the best place for my type ‘o craftiness (bookmaking), but Space Is Limited (and not that many people are bookmakers) I also like the kid crafts and little paper goodies they have out front to lure people it. Works on me. :)

I finally made it to Dick Blick today, but apparently now it’s called just Blick. Probably the result of some seriously uptight people complaining to management about all the dirty thoughts they were having, and how that affected their eternal soul. Another strange thing, I complimented the cashier on the music they were playing, and she said that they had a lot of complaints about it, and that someone had walked out just moments before in protest. Weird. They were playing stuff like Heartless Bastards and Nirvana stuff from the Bleach album. And it was barely audible. I dunno. The burbs creep me out anyway.
It was well worth the trip though. I was so excited about the huge selection that I bought everything that I wanted. Well, everything I needed today. Normally I’d just buy some molding compound, then come back a month later for some liquid plastic to finish the project. Not today, my friends. Today I win. I’ll go to Utrecht for pens and paper, but it’s [Dick] Blick for everything else.

It can be a bit intimidating for folks without much artistic experience to visit art supply shops like Dick Blick. But don’t be apprehensive about this art supply superstore. It’s very approachable, and the employees are very friendly and non-​hovery. And if you don’t know anything about art supplies, you can pick up a neat looking notebook or calendar here.
The selection is unparalleled in Columbus. I go there for screen printing supplies mostly. Other than online, this is the only extensive stock in C-​bus. Their selection of canvases is also impressive.
It’s a little out of the way (all the way up on Sawmill), but Dick Blick is worth a trip for its variety alone. If you feel stuck piecing together art supplies from multiple stores, check this shop out.

Best. Diet. Ever.
As an art supply addict, I never seem to find myself leaving empty handed. In fact, I usually have more bags than I can carry and barely enough on the card left over for food for the week.
Not only do I end up eating only incredibly healthy and simple foods, but I always forget that I was hungry in the first place. Hand me enough art supplies and I’ll forget to eat, sleep, or shower for a week.
Needless to say… this store is heaven. They’re huge, they have an incredible selection, and they don’t charge an arm and a leg. I absolutely adore all their surfaces to paint on. I never realized until recently how much I liked painting on wood.
I highly suggest exploring their paper types in the back. The selection is constantly changing and is always the most gorgeous thing ever.
Dick Blick is NOT Joanne fabrics. The supplies sold here are actually high quality stuff. They have everything from airbrush supplies to book binding supplies to anything else you can think of. The variability is a delight.
The salespeople are all artists themselves. They’re fun, alternative, and actually know what they’re talking about. I spent an hour, once, talking to one of them about textures of pastels. The last time I was in there we spent a very long time going through every mechanical pencil to find the ones that were weighted perfectly for my hands. (We found them, they’re amazing.)
If you’re there and you’re not used to buying high end supplies, trust their experience. I have yet to have had one of them lead me astray.
Say hi to the door for me. It’s a talker.