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David Perry

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I was in whs yesterday amd found they had a bit of a clearance sale on. Big pads of watercolour paper half price. Not the best paper, but not bad for playing with. Less than a fiver. Erasers, pencils etc etc all discounted. I bought a few things I needed. Anyway, thought I'd tell you David
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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Good idea - wish I'd done the same now, but given it's been bucketing down out here all day, I've not been to WHS or anywhere else..
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Alan Green

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I get my sketchpads online from The Works - 12 A3 sketchpads for £20 last time I ordered them. Free delivery on orders £25 or over so I got a handful of A5 pads too

Michael Robinson

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Crumbs Syd, keep your hair on! I bet you have never looked in places like WHS or the Works! You can pick up some good things if you know what you are looking for. Not everyone has lots of money to spend like you! There, I feel better now too!
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Alan Green

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As it happens, the stationers I use for office supplies has a large art section - W&N, Derwent and some other brands, and a buy-one-get-a-second-half-price on canvasses. It's also a bit cheaper than my local art shop so I get my pencils and pastels there.

David Perry

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Goodness Syd, a tad vitriolic! WH Smiths sells many brands and happened to have a clearance sale, whatever that is. They had Inktense pencils at half price...pity I didnt really have any justification at all... Their paper is cheap, as I said not the best but for scratching ideas on and testing colours... They also had putty rubbers at a good price and i DID need one more of those. I also use KB and J's but if a shop sells what I want when I want it at a better price than somewhere else, I'm afraid they get my business. Don't get me wrong, I don't chase around in the race to the bottom, but I will take a bargain when I see one. If I need an assistants help then I shop wisely...which is exactly why I walked away from a few items at WH Smith. I'll go to the 'real' shops where I can get advice. Anti rant over D
our Lady2

Jim Morris

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Well, tomorrow I'm off to The Works to spend my gift vouchers. Apart from a wide range of art materials, there are plenty good priced books to be had. I'm looking forward to it. These stores help many young artists with not much money get started and stock oils, acrylic and watercolour materials and all sorts of brushes pens and pencils. Their 300 gsm watercolour paper is fine for me generally.

Michael Robinson

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Well Syd, I think you must be getting an advertising fee from KB and Jackson's lol. I agree that you get what you pay for but you can pick up some bargains if you are prepared to look for them.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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On the whole - Syd has a good point. Like his pencils..... WHS et al do stock some cheap and cheerful stuff for the beginners' market: but I tend to agree that beginners should buy the best they can afford, on the whole: otherwise they'll struggle more than they need to. I did pick up a few good drawing pads from WHS some time ago, and that's what I'd do again if I got into town and paid a visit (assuming they still have it). Their pencils were OK, basically - but not good enough to be recommendable; and brushes - they did have some Daler Rowney nylon ones, now I think of it, and there's nothing wrong with those. Just discriminate - and if you can actually FIND an art shop, go there. Otherwise - it's Jacksons or KB for me, who have never let me down on quality or price. And if anyone thinks I'm showing favouritism, I would throw in Grantham's Art Discount - a VERY good store, with a range of products that can be hard to find elsewhere, Great Art/Gerstaecker, and - while I have some problems with it - the SAA. Let's hear it for T N Lawrence, too.