Artist & Craftsman Supply

If you don’t know it’s there it might be a bit hard to find: around the corner from the main street, in the basement (with parking in a lot across the street). It’s a fun place to browse: they’ve got ¾serious artist stuff, ¼ amusing silliness (there’s some stuff for kids too, both serious and silly). If I need a cheap tube of real cadmium or a stretched canvas this is where I go. Glad they offer a student discount, although their prices are already a great deal. I’m off in a dif state for art school and I really wish A&C was still near me. I make a point of grabbing supplies here whenever I’m back in Seattle.

In stores like this I can get lost.
In fact I would love to live in one with the opportunity to try everything and go nuts doing art!
They have a huge selection of Colors, Brushes, Pencils, Papers, Canvas, Glitter, Glues, … definitely too much to count!
The employees are all pretty friendly and veeeery relaxed, everything is fairly easy-​going and everyone is always trying to help you to find the things you’re looking for.
They even let you cut your paper at their big desk!
I like this store and will be back many times :)

After reading several reviews, I was a bit disappointed to discover the only two things I needed (an electric sharpener and a double-​ended clay sculptor) were not here.
That said, when I need to come back for paints, mediums, cleaners and ohhhhmygosh mega canvas/​paper/​primed selections. I will most definitely come here. They also carry both Prismacolors (which I already own) and Polycolors, which I ended up buying a few to try since they’re oil based instead of wax. I was also pleased to see they carried the hard to find tinted art papers, so I picked up a few pads of those while I was at it. Their pricing is reasonable and they appear to have some sales going on for the holidays too.

Great arts and crafts store. Has a large selection of spray paints, canvas boards, and other art supplies. This place is dog friendly and larger than it looks from outside. Friendly and helpful staff.

Excellent selection of art and crafts materials for children and adults. The store has become my go-​to place for art supplies for kids. Affordable, high quality items that meet the needs of beginners, serious students, and on up to professional artists. Also, the support from staff is always excellent.

As someone who had no idea how to shop at an art store, it was a great experience shopping here.
I didn’t know where to look for the things I needed, so I asked a guy behind the counter for help and he walked me through the store to help me find every item on my list. He was even able to help cut a piece of foam board down for me for 50 cents a cut before taking me to the register to check out.
They had a parking lot, which was great for convenience.
If I needed art supplies again, I would come back.

This store is fantastic. I am addicted. I go in here very often and the staff is always helpful, always knowledgable, and I feel confident about all the purchases I make here. Prices are stellar. Amazing selection of items. It’s like a candy store. I recommend this art store over Blick every time. Thanks guys!

Great stuff, not cheap but good quality on most of the products. The staff comes and goes I would not get hung up on them, go for the unusual inventory and inspiration of a thousand different mediums in one space.

Wow, they have everything imaginable in a totally cool and funky store. Their prices are great, their selection and quality of their products are superb, and their staff really knows their stuff and seems totally happy to come over and walk you through any questions you may have. Lots of the potential intimidation of coming into an art store with this much selection is instantly defused by the friendly and knowledgeable folks who are themselves artists and crafts-​people! The free parking in what appears to be a paid parking lot across the street is pretty handy too. Heart!

I’m a little put off by my latest trip to Artist & Craftsman Supply. I’ve been coming here for years, and their selection of materials has always been amazing. During all of my past visits, the customer service has been excellent, as well.
Unfortunately, on today’s visit, I felt very patronized by one of the staff members. When I asked where I could find paperboard, he gave a snooty look (as if I had asked a stupid question) and listed off all of the various types of deluxe paperboard they have. Great. I said I didn’t need anything fancy, and went to go peruse their options (which are numerous).
He passive-​aggressively questioned my choice of paper when I brought it up to the register, and when I explained that I decided my craft project didn’t require anything heavier than the paper I had chosen, he said «OH.» with (pretty obvious) distaste. When he handed me my receipt, he didn’t even look at me when he said «Good luck with your CRAFT project.» Sheesh, sorry for changing my mind about what paper I wanted!
I don’t consider myself a particularly easily-​offended person, but I felt that this sales associate was unnecessarily snobby to me. I left feeling puzzled and condescended to. I’m sure this experience was an anomaly, though — in general, this is a wonderful store with a fantastic selection, and I highly recommend it for all types of projects.

Great prices, great variety! Awesome eccentric décor! Everything I love in an art shop. I was approached by an employee who asked if I needed help, then dropped what he was doing to get some spray paint for me. I had never used spray paint before and he was helpful in helping me choose which type to get for my project.
The employee at the register also taught me the best way to use it. Without prompting! Very helpful.
I’d like to do all my art shopping here. It’s awesome.

This place is wonderful! Not only do they have a great selection of materials, they have fabulous customer service. Their staff is warm, friendly, and helpful without exception.
I’m an artist, mother, and teaching artist, and they consistently have everything I need. I’ve been coming here for about 15 years and they have only gotten better. I cannot more highly recommend this store.

Wow. Extremely comprehensive art supply store. Very helpful staff.

This place has EVERYTHING. The downside is that you’ll go in looking for one thing and come out having acquired several new hobbies. It’s a big, sprawling store but it’s very well organized, I was able to find what I knew I was looking for right away. I also got some helpful advice from people who seem to know their arts.

I accidentally came in here about ten minutes before closing one day, and the staff was as friendly as ever! They have a giant selection and excellent prices. Make sure to ask a staff member if you cannot find something, because it will make your trip much faster. If you’re bringing a large purse or backpack, they will have you check it at the front, which is easy.

The staff seems really nice and friendly and you can find anything that your right brain desires. I almost walked in on an art class that had a nude model, but the teacher was really friendly and explained the different art classes that they have. I’ll definitely be back if I ever need other art materials.

1. I was greeted very nicely even though it was very close to closing time!
2. Someone was there to help me and answer ever damn question, no matter how stupid, that I had to ask.
3. They let me stay past closing to cut something because I did not have the proper equipment to do it myself, nor did I have the money to purchase said equipment.
4. EVERYONE who worked there was friendly!
5. I got honest opinions on the best way to construct what I was making.
6. Very fair pricing.
THANK YOU!

I may be biased, but I love this store!
The employees are very friendly and super helpful. I love that they offer a student discount with ID! The selection of items has expanded in the four years that I’ve visited, and I am pleased to see not only a wide range of fine (and affordable) art supplies, but also a fun range of craft supplies as well as a cute selection of eco-​friendly kids toys and little gifts.
I love wandering around just to see what’s new or discover another corner of the store. I’ve been spoilt because I live so close and will definitely come visit should I ever move away.

I’m pretty lucky that there are so many great art supply stores in Seattle. Recently, I explored the Artist & Craftsman Supply Store in the U District and was totally wowed.
This being my first visit, I wasn’t sure where I could park for free (I know, I’m cheap) so I parked a couple blocks away. That was completely unnecessary, because across the street from A&C is a paid parking lot, but that you can park in for up to a couple hours for free while shopping at A&C.
Mmmm, I would say that for pens, pencils and paper, A&C is superior to both Blick and Daniel Smith (though neither of those two stores are slouches on this particular consideration).
I just could not get over the vast, vast, vast selection of paper, including comic book cover sheets, manga art boards, tuppence sketch bond, Normandy erasable, newsprint, vellum, Paris paper, plate surface, canvas, marker, tracing, toned tan, pastel, sulphite construction, and on and on. Kinda like a glimpse into heaven.
Prices are reasonable too.

This store has an excellent selection and great prices. The employees are approachable and knowledgeable. I went in a few months ago to get some block printing supplies and an employee was very friendly and pointed me in the right direction with recommendations of what to get. This is now the only art store I go to because I know the prices are reasonable and the staff can answer my questions.
I love the personality of the store– in the back there is a little black light gallery, and all the floors and shopping carts are brightly painted. It’s an art store, and that is clear when you go in, unlike more sanitized looking places like Blick. It has a fun quirkiness to it, and that gets me in an inspired mood. They also have a little art station with various paints and pastels so you can create something while you’re in the store.
I love that they sometimes offer free workshops.