I went back today to take advantage of the huge Blick sale. Wow great prices! Being a newbie, I really didn't know where to start but had a list from my art teacher with the colors and types of paints to get. One of the staff (an asian woman- didnt' get her name) was so nice to help me find the exact colors I needed and patiently explained the sales and discount pricing for the huge aisle of liquitex acrylic paints. Then when I got to the counter (albeit really overwhelmed by too many choices) Jayy was at the counter and smiled and was a calm beacon to my shopping anxiety and confusion - with only like 20? minutes left until closing time! She painstakingly helped me look at each of the colors my art teacher wanted me to get and helped me choose two paint sets that I could afford that met my criteria for both watercolor and for acrylics. Jayy sat there patiently scanning and calculating all the different permutations of paints and even gave me advice about what colors to get now vs maybe later when I save more money up! She even helped me maximize my discount and coupons. WOW. Jayy was so knowledgeable about the colors and types of paints I needed and this AMAZING experience was why I was SO GLAD I went iN PERSON to the store! thank you thank you Jayy for making my shopping experience so much less stressful!!! read more

All ready for a new art project. My favorite place to go. Ben was so helpful and getting me the best item to use. The art work on the walls are so inspiring. I think I can find everything under the sun there with so mush selection and at a great value too. read more

See all

I stopped in today looking for something that appeared to be out of stock. Jay was so helpful, checked their inventory and in their stock to see if she could find it. Unfortunately it wasn't in stock, however she took the time to call their other location and asked someone to put it on hold for me. I also ended up finding a couple of other treasures at this location, for a lower price than I was able to find them online. Thank you Jay for your help! There are so many cool things to check out here, I will definitely be back! read more

I was so impressed by the friendliness customer service of the staff at this location! I came in looking for a gift for a friend, and couldn't find an item that was listed in the website. Jay found me wandering the aisles and asked if I could be helped. She asked about what I came in for, my friend's interests, checked other store catalogs, offered to have items shipped. She had dozens of recommendations and a clear depth of knowledge of all sorts of mediums and inventory within the store. My vision was understood, and I left with a gift in my hand that I felt satisfied with! Thank you Jay and Ben and Chelsea for making it such a pleasant shopping experience! read more

Have always had really enjoyable experience at this store and today was no different. I had a wonderful conversation with team member Ben where he answered my many questions and shared his experience and extremely helpful tips on oil painting and the supplies that I would need to help achieve the type of effects I was looking for. The rest of my party were also able to get their questions answered and easily find what they were looking for. Compared to other art stores, really appreciate how approachable and supportive the staff are. It's a fun place to browse with plenty of materials to inspire you for your next project. The store typically always has great promotions on their art supplies which makes it an excellent value for the money. Parking can be a little bit of a challenge depending on the time and day that you visit (Sunday afternoons have always been a little easier in my opinion). read more

Just wanted to shout out everyone there who had great hospitality! The service was amazing the minute I walked into the door, I was recognized, welcomed and asked if I needed help finding anything. They found what I needed immediately through their wide selection of arts and craft materials. My sales person was amazing ! 8741 :) thank you all. I value small business and welcoming businesses so I wanted to shout you out read more

Really helpful and welcoming staff. Well stocked store. So much inspiration everywhere! The location is a bit rough for parking, but it's worth a visit if you can find a good spot nearby. read more

Always a terrific experience at this store! One of the staff members, Brendan kindly helped me with multi-media and sanded paper, and large individual sizes..I wouldn't have found this awesome selection so greatly appreciated his expertise. read more

This is my go to art shop in the neighbor. I wish it was a bigger shop but the selection is pretty decent. The best part of this location is their helpful and friendly staff. read more

Strange that the management would review that camera footage, lie about its content and post here. I think this is indicative of the kind of service you will find here. If you are characterizing the blank stare from your employee as 'greeting', I wish you the best of luck as a retail manager. Decent selection. High prices. Friendly but useless staff. I entered with a baby in stroller, pressed the entry button, there were three employees standing nearby and they just stared at me. Note that the entry button does nothing. read more

Art supply stores have always been a safe space for me, and this Blick is no different. It's definitely not the biggest space compared to the store in Oakland or the one on Market, but for most people I think their stock suffices. They have plenty of dry mediums like pencils and charcoals, paints and brushes, and a ton of paper. The staff is also very helpful in making recommendations for your projects- I recently needed help with some watercolor and mixed media projects, and they were able to make sure I could get some new paint and paper within my budget. Overall, if you don't need anything too specialized, this Blick will get the job done! read more

The staff here was friendly (big greeting when I came in - where does this happen anymore?), knowledgeable, and extremely helpful. It really makes a difference when staff seem like they genuinely enjoy being there. I'll be back, for sure - thank you! read more

The manager must not like her job. She was rude and impatient. Maybe just a bad day, but this is a customer service driven business.

I visited this store yesterday to buy paint for an art project. While I was in the acrylics section, I noticed a staff member, who uses they/them pronouns, quickly approach, pretending to be 'looking for something.' However, it seemed like they were observing me to see if I was a thief. When I went to pay, the cashier, who appeared to be Chinese, had no issue assisting the customer in front of me (who happened to be white) with his checkout but seemed to have an issue with me. Instead of helping me directly, she waited for the they/them staff member to come over, and together they inspected my money to see if it was real. The staff member then completed my checkout. The whole experience felt like I was being profiled because I am not white. I would not recommend going to this store. The staff are unfriendly and seem to profile customers who aren't white. Additionally, the prices in-store are higher than on their website. Unfortunately, I had an emergency with my project and needed to shop locally, but I recommend avoiding this store if possible. Online, the same paint costs $3.22, but in-store, I paid almost $5. read more

The first time I went the manager gave me a different size poster than I asked for when I went back the manager mistakenly charged me three times the actual price of the product. I indicated that I wished to pay the actual price and they apologized and refunded me. Other than that the service was very good and the people seem nice. read more

I called the store to see if they had a panel I needed and they did. The employee offered to hold it behind the counter as it was the last one on stock. A few minutes later she called me back to let me know that the panel had a tiny scratch and she was worried that it might affect my art project. I went to the store and the scratch was totally acceptable and would be invisible once I painted over it. I was impressed with her concern and that she took the time to call me back. She was also helpful when I was purchasing some watercolor brushes. I give this store and employee an excellent rating for caring customer service, professionalism and courtesy. Thank you so much! read more

Wasn't sure what to expect with my first time visiting this Blick location, given the reviews from earlier this year. I shouldn't have been concerned. Excellent customer service - from when I called the day before to place an item on hold (this was the ONLY store that had rubber carving blocks in stock locally) to the minute I set foot inside the store and was warmly welcomed by all staff. I only wished I had more time to browse through the store. Will definitely be back! read more

Well stocked, well-organized store. The employees are super helpful too! I hope they never close - they're my favorite store in all of SF!

Kate one of the sales associate was extremely helpful... For a person will Little to almost no knowledge about art..She's there to help and suggest I was looking for an Item that I could copy (out of a Coffee Coaster) and transfer it to a cloth ( Malo Hawaiian Skirt) I was totally clueless... She ask Question and little by little she began to understand what I was trying to make(Its hard on my part as i don't even know how to explain it In the End she told me to get this and that copy and cut it then showed me a washable paint... Hope it make sense..since I'm very clueless...I got the Idea on what I'm want to do read more

Blick Art Materials - Coaster Hula Transfer to the Pink board then paint it to a Malo (Hawaiian Skirt) Hope you guys can see the finish Product... - Art Supplies Near Me - San Francisco, California

A Big Shout OUT to the friendly knowledgeable efficient staff at the Blick store on Van Ness in San Francisco. Thank You everyone there for your assistance every time I enter your store. signed, Grateful (Kurt Schwartzmann) read more

I came from fresno CA to visit blicks art store in San francisco the lady cashier was rude to me she look at mean look I have austim and adhd she made me upset and nervous thinking I'm stealing I spend $230 next time I'm not going this store thank you kind lady for helping me with the copics markers . read more

Jack changed my art game-highly recommend. Very helpful and made me feel comfortable asking all my questions.

I worked with Jack. He was very helpful and found what I needed with no delay. I was extremely thankful. I was in and out of that large store in no time. He knew where things were and was polite and listened to my requests well. I want to give him a big shout out! THANK YOU JACK. read more

This is a great store. If they don't have what I want, they order it very quickly. EI especially appreciate their customer service representative, Jack. If you have any technical questions, Jack always helps me out. read more

They have a lot of stuff in here, just not everything we needed for a one time only stenciling project. As luck would have it, we non artists were helped by someone who who was working his first day. He gallantly was trying to locate what we wanted and even went the extra mile to look up inventory at his store and others in the Bay Area. Mind you we are not art people and only had a rudimentary idea of what we needed and no idea of a suitable substitute. Eventually another employee offered some suggestions but the new employee really went out of his way to help. I appreciate that. read more

I went into Blick on Van Ness today looking for shoji paper and non-toxic, natural paste. I was assisted by the super-helpful and knowledgeable Jack, found exactly what I needed, and received warm and courteous service with a smile! Retail as it oughtta be everywhere. read more

Jack and Jenny were so helpful! It was honestly so nice to be able to go into the store and ask them questions. Jenny gave me tons of advice on materials I haven't used before, and Jack showed me a few different pens to make sure I got the best price for the project I was working on. Jenny encouraged all my questions and Jack held the door on my way out so I could easily carry the frame I got read more

Extremely uncomfortable experience at this Blick. Didn't even bother catching this employee's name cause we just wanted to buy what we needed and leave. This thinner guy with blue eyes, stubby facial hair, wearing all black, rings on multiple fingers and tattoos all over does not understand the meaning of customer service. I don't know or care what happened previously this week but he was ranting about an incident that took place in the store the entire time, kept making snide remarks and swearing because he was angry about the incident and keeping me waiting while he finished rant. He kept talking about "methheads" that shoplifted and that he should "have f***ed them up" cause they attacked his manager when confronted but only "strangled one of them" and how the cops questioned him for it. I understand you're frustrated but that's an internal issue. You don't need to project it to your customers, make them uncomfortable and hold them up using vulgar language that just need to purchase something. He also kept pushing my girlfriend to talk about her hair in an uncomfortable way and what specific blue it was when she didn't want to talk to him. He previously acted rude toward her when I wasn't looking too but then tries that? He also acted like he was doing her a favor with getting a discount when she scanned my card after he previously refused to accept my Blick card. I think the other employee knew she had to keep an eye on this guy but I am disappointed she didn't say anything when he was visibly making things uncomfortable for everyone. How this guy still has a job is beyond me. Super unprofessional and I expected better from Blick. read more

I'm giving in and writing a warning about my neighborhood art store that I used to look forward to shopping at. And do mean shop. I have spent a lot of money at this art supply store. I have had the worst experiences in this Van Ness Blick store I've ever had in any retail store. There is an employee here who should NOT be working in retail or with the public. He's been so rude and disrespectful to me on so many occasions I don't know where to begin. I understand retail and the public can be challenging. But his bad attitude is beyond the pale. I've heard him bad-mouthing the customer that just left in front of the customers that are in the store, several times. He goes out of his way to be disrespectful to me. One time he even said I was "lurking"?!! Lurking? Really? You work in an art supply store and you've never seen people SHOP?? Artists of all levels like to go to art supply stores for inspiration and perusing the aisles is part of that. I've seen him treat other customers horribly. He swears and makes inappropriate remarks about people. He's so negative and inappropriate I'm surprised that management doesn't do something. The last time I went in there he was busy helping another customer but makes this big point to stop helping that customer, come over to where I was, and lock up the copic markers- WHILE I was looking at them! I was standing in front of the case - AND I was being helped by a salesperson! He's seen me in there many times buying copic markers. I buy! I DONT steal! I've been in here hundreds of times and 95% of the time I purchase. Do you think I would come in here and build rapport with the staff if I were stealing? Or was he just looking for another opportunity to be mean-spirited. It was humiliating. I'm 100 percent sure he enjoyed every minute of it. The sad thing is all the other employees there are super nice. But they never say a word to this guy. And I know they see his bad behavior. I'll never go back there. He wears a lot of rings and has lots of tattoos . My advice, if you do go in here, steer clear of this substandard simpleton. Or even better Don't shop at the Van Ness store. PS my friend works at a small restaurant around the corner that he frequents and told me he goes in there and treats everyone like crap too. No shock there... read more

No greeting, just blank stares once you walk in. They had everything I needed for my class but they don't have it in stock at this store and as a matter of fact they hardly get stock in. The people don't ask if you need help but they are very knowledgeable about the store and supplies. read more

A beautiful store. Reading all the compliments about the customer service is helpful; the unfriendly and grumpy treatment I got at check-out today is clearly not the norm - maybe someone was just having a bad day. I didn't leave with a good feeling, but I'll definitely give it another shot. read more

Nice art supply store, good location, good variety, good prices.

Everyone in the store was so helpful and knowledgeable and the cashier helped me carry 50lbs of clay to my car, over a block away! I didn't catch his name but I'm very grateful, thank you so much! read more

This is my go-to location for orders and pick ups! The staff always goes above and beyond with recommendations and personal service. Even days like today when I was in a rush to get in and out the team worked efficiently to meet my needs. Highly recommend for the great staff that works there :) read more

Great experience at Blick! Thanks so much to Jack, who offered a bunch of helpful solutions and is very knowledgable about various brands/art supplies. Will be back! read more

I went to Blick on Van Ness today looking for large canvases and Jack was great. He even helped me load them into my car.

I had dropped my car off for a wheel alignment and and wanted to see what type of items Blick Art sold. I was greeted on the way in and asked if I needed anything; I responder I was just looking around. I was followed and observed a far from a 30's ish white male with tattoos the whole time I was there from the time I got in and until the time I paid for my items at the register. He even followed me to the register I had no idea why and it made me very nervous. The lady at the counter an Asian woman also in the 30's rang me up and I believe was the manager; she also looked at me strange either she was suspicious or she also felt uncomfortable with the other employee male. I asked her earlier if they had sold hand held sewing machines and she seemed but be unset at my question and said no and walked off. Prior to paying for items at the register another employee and the Asian woman the manager had a dispute over an issue with shipment of a product for a customer. I would have thought they could have talked about it in private instead of in front of customers. I know San Francisco has a lot of retail theft; I myself worked at Walgreens for 12 years as a customer service associate and I think this is one of the worst experiences I have had in a retail store the 29 years I have lived in San Francisco. I wish Blick Art good luck with generating revenue at this location. I would not recommend this location to anyone I know. The store was clean and organized and the products looked top notched but the interactions with the staff would send anyone wanting to shop at a rival business or even online shopping. Reading other post it seems the 30's ish white male with tattoos had also negative interactions with prior customers. I am tempted to return the items I have bought even though it was less than $20; I rather buy online or another art store. Thank you for reading and I hope your experience is different. read more

Fantastic selection of watercolor paints and supplies, courteous staff! Parking off of Van Ness was not a problem.

I've always had a great experience with this store. They are timley and efficient with store pickup orders and very friendly to interact with. The associate Jack is friendly and helps me with any questions I have. A good store all around. read more

This is a nice & friendly place with very reasonable prices. It is where we always buy Moleskine notebooks & calendars. The online shopping is also excellent. read more