A sketchbook workshop in Singapore for the shy and hesitant artist and artist-at-heart. Join our little creative gathering on Nov. 21, 2-5 pm. Click here for more details. See you there!
Four years in Singapore and I still feel a little lost, not knowing who to ask or where to go when I need to find stuff. Recently, I’ve started going back to painting and I love working with large scale canvases. In my search for quality supplies, it was recommended that I head over to Straits Art. And if one were truly serious about his or her craft, then this is the place for you.
To begin with, I belive they’re the only one who carries Golden in Singapore. It’s a premium brand of paint which comes in runny, high-flow variety. I instantly fell in love with their teal and magenta shades, not to mention the viscosity once it flows over the canvas.
One key and highly notable advantage Straits Art has over any art store I’ve come across is the incredible competence and knowledge of the staff. No query was left hanging or unanswered, and they are familiar with all their products.
They are well-versed, fun to talk to, and very generous with their time. They even have open samples lying around for testing consistencies.
Straits Art is tiny compared to its competitor BUT the shop is brimming and packed from top to bottom with only artist-quality supplies — none of the student-grade art materials and paints one would normally see in an ordinary bookstore or other art stores.
I managed to find what I was looking for: a 1 meter linen canvas panel. Here it is in my studio propped on the easel I purchased from Straits Art, one which can support a massive 2-meter panel which I plan to do later on:
Moreover, they also carry a good range of Prismacolor pencils (I’ve seen work using these pencils and the result were illustrations in bold, smooth colors!),
a dreamy shelf of buttery Sennelier oil pastels,
and Schminke! 🙂
They also have a good selection of top quality brand sketchbooks artist’s boxes and portable easels (?),
brushes (look at the detail on that weathered box!),
more brushes (LOVE),
and these disembodied heads looking toward the heavens.
Another thing I took home were two new nibs which I fished out from this box that calligraphers can only dream of:
You can go through every nib and test each one as you please. It was only when I got home that I realized the nib I chose was a gem. Look at the tiny, artful detail:
I enjoy coming to Straits Art because of the people — I can’t remember if they’ve been around since 1946 or 1948. Either way, they’ve been around for a pretty long time and their curation of brans is to trusted. They are truly passionate about what they do and what they sell. and I noticed that they do not impose anything on you. Best of all, you have their undivided attention as a customer and will have to wait your turn if they are attending to someone else before you.
For those looking for sincere conversation about art and care about the lifespan of their work, visit Straits Art, located at 420 North Bridge Road.
🙂
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