You Don’t Need to Wait for Black Friday to Get Great Deals on Art Supplies

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Black Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving when many US retailers offer deep discounts on their wares, marks the start of the holiday shopping season. This year, it falls on November 26, but stores are already posting holiday bargains and early Black Friday sales.

This year, shoppers face the added challenge of figuring out when to hit that order confirmation button: more deals will emerge as we inch closer to December—you could, for instance, wait to see if that discounted Cricut machine you’ve been eyeing will drop even further in price—but the current chaos that is the global supply chain means shipping delays could push deliveries well into 2022. In any case, there’s no better time to at least start browsing than now. We could all use a little art therapy, so pick up some quality artists’ tools for your studio mates, loved ones, and yourself.

As always, ARTnews will be scouting the best deals on art and craft supplies, from drawing tools to cameras. We will be updating this page throughout the weeks leading up to Black Friday and over Black Friday weekend, so check in with us often. A word of advice: Move fast, as many of these products will sell out quickly. (All prices current at time of publication.)

AMAZON

Amazon was truly an early bird this shopping season, kicking off special deals in October (you read that right) that will stretch through November 10. You can get deals up to 25 to 40% off on products from coveted brands like Apple and Sony, but savings on art supplies are also to be had. (Don’t forget that Amazon Prime members get free shipping! If you are not already a member, you can pick up a free 30-day trial of Prime here.) Here are some deals we’ve already spotted:

Save 32% on Cricut Explore Air 2, a die-cutting whiz that can turn materials from vellum to fabric into professional-looking designs. And it comes in the dreamiest mint or blue!
Purchase: Cricut Explore Air 2, $169 on Amazon

Take 33% off Aquash water brush pens, which feature a pretty generous transparent reservoir, durable nylon brushes, and an essentially leak-proof design. Hate washing brushes? These babies are dishwasher safe.
Purchase: Pentel Arts Aquash Water Brushes, $14.97 for a three-pack on Amazon.

Get $10 off a Primary Palette set of 9 Tombow water-based dual brush pens, designed with a flexible brush tip and a hard bullet tip. You also get one blending brush to help you achieve watercolor effects.
Purchase: Tombow Dual Brush Pen Art Markers, Primary Palette, $18.89 on Amazon.

And take a whopping 59% off this set of Tombow dual brush pens in shades of gray, useful for everything from quick landscape studies to finished works. You’ll be surprised at how often you reach for them.
Purchase: Tombow Dual Brush Pen Art Markers, Grayscale Palette, $11.89 on Amazon.

Save $125 on a Cleartex MegaMat chair mat, and save your floors while rolling around your studio. Measuring 46 by 53 inches, this extra-large, heavy-duty mat provides maximum protection for wood and carpeting.
Purchase: Floortex Cleartex MegaMat Polycarbonate Chair Mat, $254.23 on Amazon.

Take 30% off Pacon’s tracing paper, ideal for drawing, layering, and of course, precise tracing. It won’t tear as you work and presents a surface that’s smooth without being slick.
Purchase: UCreate Tracing Pad, $7.76 on Amazon.

Get $7 off Strathmore’s 400 Series Smooth Surface Bristol pad. The super smooth, two-ply sheets are great for pen-and-ink and dry-media drawing (though artists who work with colored pencils prefer this paper in a slightly toothier vellum finish), and it is particularly good for students, as the paper tolerates vigorous erasing. This is a great deal on a generously sized 14-by-17-inch pad of 15 sheets. Acid free and made in the USA.
Purchase: Strathmore 400 Series Bristol, $14.90 on Amazon.

B&H

For cameras, computers, and peripheral devices, look no further than B&H, which is posting daily flash deals and holiday specials on its website. You can find some of their handpicked deals here.

BLICK ART MATERIALS

If you are lucky enough to live near a Blick, the art supply store is having an in-store-only holiday sale from now through December 24. Otherwise, do not despair! Blick is always an excellent place to shop for the holidays, as its regular prices often beat—or at least match—other vendors’ sale prices. Online shoppers should also check Blick’s website for daily promo codes. Plus, web orders over $45 get free shipping—just keep in mind those possible delays. (The store does offer express shipping, so you can stress less if you’re a late shopper.) Here are some supplies with price tags we love:

Load up on Prismacolor colored pencils, which are in our eyes the best all-around water-resistant colored pencils you can get (in sets up to 150 pencils!). You can get themed tins from a 24-pencil set specifically for shading and highlighting to a 12-pencil set for botanicals. Or, because these pencils are also sold individually, you can build a custom palette by packing a pencil box with your own selections.
Purchase: Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils and Sets, $1.35—$99.74 on Dick Blick

Jazz up your holiday and 2022 cards with Derwent’s metallic watercolor pan set, which features shimmery, jewel-toned pigments. Launched just last year as a more versatile alternative to the brand’s non-water-soluble metallic pencils, these stunning paints are highly lightfast and layer beautifully to create surprisingly opaque, pearlescent washes. Packaged for the artist on the go, the set includes 12 sparkly colors, a sponge, and a mini water brush, all packed in a travel palette with five mixing wells. Replacement paint pans are also available.
Purchase: Derwent Metallic Watercolor Pan Set, $20.99

Thinking about making your own holiday cards or gifts this year? Set up a mini print shop in your abode with Jacquard’s all-inclusive silkscreening kit. You get a 10-by-14-inch pre-stretched aluminum silk screen—big enough for shirt designs—a 9-inch squeegee, photo emulsion, sensitizer, and three acetate sheets. Plus, enjoy four jars of Jacquard’s screenprinting inks, which are archival, lightfast, and provide excellent coverage. This user-friendly kit also comes with an easy-to-follow instruction guide, and is suitable for kids 12 and up. (Adult supervision is recommended).
Purchase: Jacquard Screen Printing Kit, $58.63

Made in Japan and originally designed for manga artists, Copic alcohol markers are prized by professionals for their unbeatable quality. They are also extremely expensive. A lower-cost alternative to Copic’s Classic and Sketch lines, the Copic Ciao uses the same top-quality alcohol ink as its sister products, but contains less of it. (Like all Copic markers, however, it is refillable.) Similar to the Sketch, the Ciao features a brush tip at one end and a broad chisel tip at the other, perfect for a range of mark making. Designed with a circular barrel that’s smaller than the Classic or Sketch’s, plus a vented cap to prevent choking, Ciaos are an excellent high-end pick for children. Choose from sets up to 72 colors, or buy them individually!
Purchase: Copic Ciao Double-Ended Markers and Sets, $3.90—$280.80

If you are looking for an upgrade to your drawing paper, try Legion’s Stonehenge pads, which feature 90-pound sheets of artist-grade, acid-free, one-hundred-percent-cotton rag. This heavyweight paper can handle mediums from graphite and charcoal to ink and watercolor. It is available as single sheets, but we love this spiral-bound pad, which makes working on the go a true pleasure. Papers are protected by stiff and durable covers, and the pads come in useful sizes from a 7-by-7-inch square to a 6-by-15-inch rectangle ideal for landscapes or fashion illustrations.
Purchase: Legion Stonehenge Spiral pads, $14.16—$27.77

WALMART

The second part of Walmart’s 2021 Black Friday Deals for Days event starts 11/10 at 7 pm EST online and 11/12 at 5 am local in stores, and you should look here for deals on LEGO toys for creative kids. Walmart+ members get exclusive early access to online Black Friday deals. Sign up now at walmartplus.com and shop every Black Friday deal four hours before everyone else.

FULLY

This company, which specializes in sustainably manufactured ergonomic furniture, is offering 15% off its entire inventory through the end of November. Though Fully markets its wares as office furniture, many items in its catalog are equally useful in the studio. Save on the Jaswig children’s desk, perfect as a first work or art table, or consider splurging on the avant-garde Capisco chair, which you can customize with a foot ring to make a drafting stool. This is the time to buy, as Fully rarely does sales.

MICHAELS

Don’t miss the items on this art and craft supply company’s weekly ad. Pro tip: download the store’s app to easily browse newly released offers.