The Art Shops

Did you know we have over 300 books available to buy on our website? 🎨

One of our favourites is Addictive – An Artist's Sketchbook by Adebanji Alade Artist. It’s packed with dynamic sketches inspired by the sights and sounds of London. Adebanji’s work isn’t just quick sketches—it’s polished, with an improvisational feel that makes his urban scenes burst with life. If you’re into capturing the essence of city life, this book offers real insight into his creative process and is a great source of inspiration for any artist.

👉Swipe to see some pages from the book!

Head over to our website to check it out, along with our full collection!

Have you ever wondered which medium best suits your style? Swipe to see a comparison of watercolours, acrylics, pastels, and oil paints. Each medium offers a unique experience:

🌊Watercolours: Known for their fluidity and translucence—great for light washes and ethereal effects.

🖌️Acrylics: Fast-drying and versatile, acrylics offer bold colours and work well for both fine detail and expressive strokes.

✏️Pastels: Perfect for vibrant colour blending and soft textures, ideal for dynamic drawings.

🎨Oils: Slow-drying and richly pigmented, oil paint allows for deep, detailed layering and a range of textures.

Scribble Zone is on tomorrow! NOW
FORTNIGHTLY! Looking for more arty volunteers! Do you like sharing skills, working with young people, meeting people and building up your own skills? SCRIBBLE ZONE is an art group for teens.
We would love to meet you if you fancy helping to run this club. We have places on our committee too.
Time? We start at 4pm and finish 5.30.
WHEN? FORTNIGHTLY.
WHERE?
Northallerton Library DOWNSTAIRS.
HOW MUCH IS IT?
£3
WHAT AGE?
11YRS AND UP.
What do we do?
Tomorrow it's pencil techniques. A masterclass. Tips on shading, using light and shade with contrast.
Come along to find out what it's like.
Meet professional artists.
It's fun and welcoming.
We use high quality materials and give advice on how to use them.

We're excited to continue featuring Watercolourist Richard Gawthorpe until mid-September. Don't miss his final Meet the Artist session on September 14th, 11am - 4pm! Come say hello to Richard and check out his amazing illustration work before his exhibition ends.

With the summer holidays coming to an end, it’s the perfect time to get yourself ready for the new term. Whether you’re heading back to school, college, or your art class, we’ve got all the art supplies you need to get started!

Here’s what we’re loving right now 🎨🖌️

🎨Winsor & Newton Sketching Set: Great for those quick sketches and ideas.

🎨Winsor & Newton Galeria Acrylic Set: Vibrant colours and high quality, perfect for any project.

🎨Conté à Paris Pastel Set: Beautiful, rich pastels that add a real pop to your work.

🎨Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolours: Ideal for students and hobbyists, super portable and easy to use.

🎨Winsor & Newton Soft Pastels: Gorgeous, soft pastels that blend like a dream.

🎨 Rosa Watercolours: Vibrant watercolour set, compact and perfect to slip into your bag.

🎨 The Art Shops Oil Brushes: Long handled and versatile, perfect for your oil paintings.

Not close by? No problem! You can order through our website or pop into our Ilkley or Northallerton shops.

Introducing ROSA Gallery, the premium watercolour paint set known for its vibrant colours and high graded pigments. Perfect for all your watercolour projects, and exclusively made in Ukraine.

Did you know? The colour ultramarine, one of the most important pigments used by artists, was originally made from lapis lazuli, a semi-precious stone mined only in Afghanistan. During the Renaissance, this pigment was more precious and expensive than gold, making its vibrant blue highly sought after for the robes of the Virgin Mary and other significant figures in art.

Exciting News! The NEW Canson Art Book has arrived. Perfect for sketches, notes, and planning your next masterpiece. Available now in-store and online.

Saunders Waterford A5 Portrait & Landscape: Ideal for watercolour portraits or landscapes with its excellent water absorption and fine texture.

Montval 20 x 20 & A5 Landscape: A versatile square format or landscape that's great for mixed media, from acrylics to watercolors.

Mixed Media A4 or A5 Portrait & Landscape: The go-to for artists who mix paint, collage, and more in a landscape format.

C A Grain Portrait A5: Features a distinctive grain, enhancing every stroke whether in pencil, ink, or wash.

From beginner to pro, explore our diverse range of acrylic paints! Whether you're just starting out, painting as a hobby, working on your skills, or painting like Hockney, we have the perfect acrylics for every stage of your painting. Swipe through to see our top picks:

1. Daler Rowney Graduate Acrylic - Ideal if you're just starting out and want to experiment. A great entry-level option to get creative without the pressure.

2. Daler Rowney System3 Acrylic Paint - Offers a fantastic range of colours and versatile water-based formulas made from high-quality pigments. These paints are lightfast, permanent, and available in opaque and semi-opaque options. They are flexible, quick-drying, and suitable for multiple indoor and outdoor applications, making them a favourite among hobbyists and developing artists.

3. Winsor & Newton Professional Acrylic - Perfect for those who feel confident and require richer, more sophisticated acrylic paint. Our Professional Acrylic range is meticulously checked for opacity, tested for viscosity to ensure outstanding texture and consistency, and inspected for specific gravity to guarantee impeccable quality.

Remember, even professional artists often use a blend of student and professional quality paints, commonly using student paints as an undercoat—ensuring nothing goes to waste as you transition up.

Plus, discover exclusive selections like Daler Rowney Cryla*, Golden Acrylic*, Winsor & Newton Galeria, and Wallace Seymour Acrylic* ( * available only at our Ilkley shop). You can also order these and more through our website or at our Northallerton shop.

We're featuring Dotty Earl, a talented UK-based artist known for her vibrant and contemporary creations that will undoubtedly brighten your day! Dotty's work spans across stunning originals, limited edition prints, and greetings cards, each piece bursting with colour and joy!

Message us to let us know if you'd like to be featured 😊 🖌

🎨 Art Tip Tuesday! Struggling with perspective in your drawings? Start by practicing one-point perspective. Draw a horizon line and choose a single vanishing point to create depth in your sketches.

🎨 August is here and we have a fantastic lineup at the gallery! Watercolourist Richard Gawthorpe will be with us until September, where he will be doing a 'Meet the Artist' session from 11am - 4pm on August 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st, and September 14th. Pop in and say hello to Richard and have a look at his fantastic illustration pieces!

If you're all about vibrant, lasting colour in your artwork, these Caran d'Ache Luminance pencils are perfect. They’re high graded for light fastness—which means your art stays bright and resists fading over time. The lead is also very smooth, making blending and layering easy to do. Plus, they’re made with some of the best pigments out there, right in the Caran d'Ache Geneva workshops.

They even come in a foam-lined box to keep them safe and sound. Whether you’re a pro artist or just love to draw, these pencils make every piece pop and last a lifetime.

Check out this set of 100 here: theartshops.co.uk/caran-dache-luminance-pencil-set-of-100-26386-p.asp

🎨 Has anyone tried out the Daler-Rowney System 3 Fluid Acrylic? 🎨

We’re absolutely loving the versatility and vibrant colours of this amazing acrylic paint! Perfect for pouring, dripping, and all liquid art techniques, the System 3 Fluid Acrylic offers:

Highly Intense Pigment Load: Maintains depth of colour and vibrancy.

Great Coverage: Ideal for murals and large surface areas.

Versatile Applications: Use with brush, knife, or for pouring on various surfaces like canvas, paper, textiles, wood, and stone.

We have them available in 29.5ml, it’s perfect for artists of all levels. Plus, the bottles are reusable and refillable, making them eco-friendly!

🖌️ Made in England, this high-quality acrylic is a must-have for any artist’s toolkit.

Share your creations and experiences with System 3 Fluid Acrylic in the comments below! 🌟

This month we have Tony Dexter featuring in out gallery at The Art Shops, Ilkley. Tony is a Wharfedale-based artist renowned for his bold, contemporary paintings. From marine scenes to detailed nature studies, each piece invites you to view the world from a fresh perspective.

🗓️ Exhibition Details:

Venue: The Art Shops Gallery, Ilkley
Date: Throughout July
Tony's work, ranging from Filey Coble boats to serene woodlands, is all about emotional engagement and a fresh perspective.

For more on Tony's art, visit his website: www.ilikethat.me.

End of the first day here at Patchings Art Centre! And the rain didn’t hold us back 😃. Looking forward to tomorrow!

Hopefully see some of you here 👍

Check out our vibrant window displays at our Ilkley and Northallerton shops!

Some of our window displays the past month 😍

🏳️‍🌈 Ilkley Shop, Celebrating Pride!
Our Ilkley shop windows are adorned with beautiful Pride flags to celebrate Ilkley Pride last month!

🌈 Northallerton Shop featuring bright colours and Caran D'Ache Sets!
Our Northallerton shop features bright colours and the finest Caran D'Ache sets. Perfect for artists who love rich, vibrant hues.

Did you know that Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting, the Mona Lisa, is renowned not just for her enigmatic smile but also for a unique painting technique called sfumato?

Sfumato is an Italian word meaning "to evaporate like smoke." This technique involves blending colours and tones seamlessly without visible transitions or borders, creating a soft, blurred effect. Da Vinci used it to give the Mona Lisa her lifelike, almost ethereal appearance.

🎨 Join Us at Patchings Art Festival 2024! 🎨

We’re thrilled to announce that The Art Shops will be at the Patchings Art Centre Art Festival 2024! 🥳 This amazing event is a celebration of creativity, bringing together artists, art lovers, and enthusiasts from all over.

📅 Date: 11th, 12th & 13th of July
📍 Location: Patchings Art Centre, Nottinghamshire

Come and visit our stalls!

We'll be featuring products Daler Rowney, Canson, Arches, Rosa Watercolours, Stifflex Pads and new to us this year, Caran D'Ache!

🎨 Explore our latest collection of art supplies and materials
👩‍🎨 Meet our featured artists and watch live demonstrations
🖌️ Participate in exciting workshops and activities

Get your tickets now: shorturl.at/EF1sX

Keep an eye out tomorrow for an announcement 👀

✨ See you at Patchings Art Festival 2024! ✨

✏️ Drawing is one of the most immediate and direct of all mediums. With summer here, it's the perfect time to get outside and let your creativity flow. Whether you’re sketching intricate designs or painting vibrant scenes, having the right tools can make all the difference... Here's what we're using:

🖊️ Sakura Pigma Micron Design Set
Includes 3 fineliners: 005 (0.2 mm), 01 (0.25 mm), and 03 (0.35 mm)

📒 Royal Talens Red Hardback Sketchbook
Durable red hardback cover to protect your artwork

🎨 Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolour Sketchers' Pocket Box
Compact and portable, perfect for artists on the go

Summer is the perfect time to sketch on the go, capturing the beauty around you with precision fineliners, sturdy sketchbooks, or vibrant watercolours. These products will help you explore and develop new ideas with ease.

✨ Save now on a huge selection of top-quality art supplies. ✨ Visit our website through the link in our bio to shop these and more!

"Art is the only way to run away without leaving home." – Twyla Tharp

Let your creativity take you to new worlds, all from the comfort of your own space. Whether you’re sketching, painting, or crafting, art offers a wonderful escape and a beautiful way to express yourself.

What’s your favorite art form? Share with us in the comments! 🎨🖌️

☀🙌We stock a large range of artists' easels designed to cater to various painting techniques and situations. Whether you’re working on a masterpiece in the studio, creating detailed works on a table, or enjoying plein air painting in the sunshine, we have the perfect easel for you.

Our range includes:

Large Studio Easels: Ideal for big projects and providing stable support for your work.

Table Easels: Perfect for smaller scale work and convenient for tight spaces.

Field Easels: Lightweight and portable, perfect for plein air painters who love to capture the beauty of the outdoors.

Experience the joy of painting under the sun with the right easel for your needs. Visit our website through the link in our bio to explore our collection!

Does anyone else make good use of this?

Colour wheels are a really handy guide to help you navigate around the all of the many different mixing woes.

Understand Primary Colours: The three primary colours – red, blue, and yellow – are the foundation. You can’t mix these from other colours, but you can mix them to create all other hues.

Create Secondary Colours: Mix two primary colours to create secondary colours. For example, red + blue = purple, blue + yellow = green, and yellow + red = orange.

Explore Tertiary Colours: Combine a primary colour with a neighbouring secondary colour to get tertiary colours. For instance, mix blue with green to get blue-green.

Find Complementary Colours: Colours opposite each other on the wheel are complementary and create vibrant contrasts. For example, red and green, blue and orange, or yellow and purple.

Mix Analogous Colours: Colours next to each other on the wheel blend harmoniously. Use these for a cohesive and calming effect in your art.

Using the colour wheel can help you achieve perfect harmony and balance in your artwork. Experiment and have fun mixing!

🌈 Colour wheels are available for purchase on our website! 🌈

🎨 Handy Art Tip: Perfect Your Brush Strokes! 🎨

Achieve smoother, more controlled brush strokes in your paintings with these easy tips:

Choose the Right Brush: Select a brush that suits your painting style and medium. Round brushes are great for detail work, while flat brushes are perfect for broad strokes and filling in large areas.

Control Your Pressure: Light pressure creates thinner, more delicate lines, while heavier pressure produces broader, more defined strokes.

Load Your Brush Properly: Avoid overloading your brush with paint. Dip just the tip of the brush in the paint and gently tap off any excess on the palette.

Practice Consistency: Practice making consistent strokes on scrap paper or canvas. This helps build muscle memory and improves your control.

With these tips, you’ll create beautiful, fluid brush strokes that enhance your artwork!

Renowned for their unparalleled quality and performance, Poloychromos pencils are the perfect pencil!

✨ Superior Pigments: Enjoy colours of unsurpassed light-fastness and brilliance.

🖌️ Thick Leads: Featuring 3.8mm impregnated leads for smooth and intense colour laydown.

💧 Water Resistance: Create vibrant art that stands the test of time.

🚫 Smudgeproof: Keep your artwork pristine with smudgeproof technology.

With a spectrum of 120 colours, Polychromos pencils offer limitless possibilities for your work.

🌟 Available now online or in our shops at The Art Shops 🌟

Anyone else guilty of the 'I'll organise my art space eventually' mindset? 🎨✨ Yup, that's us too! Weeks later and our creative corner still looks like a beautiful mess! 😅 Who else can relate to the eternal struggle of tidying up their workspace?

🌟 Art Tip of the Day: Keep your paintbrushes in top shape! After painting, clean your brushes with warm soapy water to remove paint residue. For deeper cleaning, especially for oil-based paints, dip the brushes in a solvent and then use a brush conditioner to restore their softness. This not only extends their lifespan but also ensures your strokes are smooth every time you paint. 🖌️

See what we recommend 👇

This weekend, five Ilkley artists are opening their studios and invite everyone into their working environments.

The five studios will be open between 10am and 4pm today and tomorrow.

Read more at ilkleychat.co.uk/post/five-ilkley-artists-prepare-to-open-their-studios

Help Ilkley Arts raise money for Refugee Action and Ilkley Arts itself, by designing a postcard based on the theme of Passage for their annual Postcard auction, which takes place over the weekend of 7th -9th June.
Completed cards can be dropped off and by Friday 31st May at the latest. Thank you.