Artist's Loft Art Supplies: Cheap Introduction to Art

If you have walked around a Michael's, you have probably seen the Artist's Loft brand with the blue logo. Normally, these are located in the more inexpensive section of the store and they have A LOT of supplies. Rulers, paper, paint, brushes, and canvas pads just to name a few things that they offer. But have you ever wondered if their brand is worth buying into? After I've spent several years using some of their products, I can say:

Yes....depending on what you're trying to use.

Let me preface by saying you can create art with so many materials and supplies. Have you seen Howard Lee's videos of him using a burnt-out matchstick to create one half of a drawing???? If you haven't, please check him out: $0 vs $300 Pencils Drawing Challenge!. The point is, you can use anything from Crayola to Sennelier to create art. It just depends on your art style, budget, and what your art goals are.

So, what are the pros and cons of Artist's Loft art supplies?

Pros:

-Their catalogue is HUGE! Like I said before, if you are looking for acrylic paints, pencils, canvas pads, markers, graphite sets, and artist tables, you will find something that meets your needs. Honestly, I think you can build up your entire studio with Artist's Loft supplies and materials.

-You can experiment without breaking the bank. If you ever wanted to try a brush head type or watercolors without committing, Artist's Loft can help you figure out what you like. You can easily get a set of nice brushes for less than $10 to help figure out your preference in brushes. If you want to try soft pastels, they have 12, 24, and 48 sets available from $12 to $33 for you to experiment. Speaking of prices.....

-Everything is at least 10-20% cheaper than the lower to mid-rated brands. The money I saved from buying their rulers, palette knives, and blending stumps allowed me to buy higher-quality acrylic paint or oil pastels. A ruler is a ruler (although some would disagree). I can get away with a cheap ruler or protractor so I can put more money into my medium of choice.

Cons:

-Not all materials and supplies are made equal. You can most likely get away with a cheap ruler set combo, a bag, or a portfolio bag. However, I would steer away from the acrylic paints or pencils if you already have experience in your medium of choice and know what you want. I could feel the cheapness in their quality compared to low to mid-end products. For example, the pencils didn't move as smoothly as Winsor & Newton pencils and were a bit more brittle. That's not to say they're unusable, but you can tell the difference.

-Lack of accessibility depending on your location. Honestly, I've only seen them at Michael's and online on Amazon. Websites like Blick don't carry them, but they have so many other brands that it probably isn't worth it for them.

Final Assessment:

Artist's Loft has been good to me for what I've been using their brand for. I've saved money on canvas pads, paper, erasers, rulers, and brushes when I wasn't sure if I really needed them. Plus if I need something cheap and quick, I can just go down the street to Michael's and grab what I need. As a summary, here is the TL;DR of my review.

You should use the Artist's Loft brand if:

-You are on a budget

-You are not familiar with a particular medium, paper, or utensil, and want to experiment

-You want to host a beginner class and want to provide some art supplies

-You are an experienced artist and know exactly what you're getting yourself into

You should NOT use the Artist's Loft brand if:

-You already have a favorite brand for everything that you use

-You want a more professional, high-quality medium to use for your projects

-You think cheap products are below you (don't be that person 😤)

Let me know if you tried this brand before and what your thoughts are! I have provided a link below to their site.

Artist’s Loft - Affordable Art Supplies for Every Creator – Official Website

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