I have been a model for life drawing for quite some time now.....I mean, it is just me nuding up at…read morehome because the load of washing hasn't finished and I have run out of clean jocks, but the general idea is the same....sort of?! Duthy Street Art has most anything a budding artist would need from canvases and charcoal to various styles of paint and papers designed to meet your specific requirements. There are a couple of stores around that have a better and more diverse selection, but this is a pretty decent store if you are around the area.

Duthy Street Art supplies is a classic looking art shop that has such amazingly friendly service…read morethat it makes me want to make friends with the girl at the counter. They pride themselves on 'old fashioned service' and it really comes through with staff being artists themselves and passionate about what they do. I was lucky enough to get a full size easel for my birthday which was sourced from this shop and the person that got it for me (who has no idea about art or what to buy) came home with a giant grin on his face and relayed to me all the specs and possibilities of the easel he ended up buying me. It is a really good one. When I went in there earlier today searching for supplies for my upcoming Visual Art uni year, I had a big chat with the girl about art, supplies and study. It was extremely comforting and supportive and great being in an atmosphere with others so passionate about art. They have a great supply of good quality paints, pastels, mediums, pencils, easels, sketchbooks and canvasses. Great for advice and a good little quaint old fashioned shop.

This is my first port of call when I need to restock on art and craft supplies as they really are…read morethe cheapest, have the biggest range and have two stores to choose from..this one and one at Harbourtown at the airport. A friend of mine once purchased a whole carton of decorative picture stands from this store at a even further discounted price, she paid $2 a stand, whereas elsewhere they were going for about $7 each. A few months ago I purchased five cartons of ten slightly bigger than A4 size canvases for a project I was doing and it was the equivalent of paying $3 each...bargain! Now these products and prices are not always available but keep and eye out for specials and grab them...if you need it that is and support your inner Picasso!

I LOVE this shop so much! My imagination runs wild here and I create at least 20 masterpieces…read morebefore I've even left the store. They stock a massive range of art materials including my favourite paint. They don't have all the top end supplies, nor do they make canvases to order (I recommend Pimlott Framing for that), so there are times one might want to visit the likes of Premier Art supplies or Eckersleys for some specialised items. There are a range of craft and gift items to bring out those creative juices for everyone. There is also off street parking and the staff is helpful and will help cart big boxes of canvases to your car (so I've discovered! And also help squeeze them into said car). They also promote local art classes and happenings via a noticeboard in store. My tip is to visit and let your imagination soar!

Central Art Supplies is an independednt business housed within Adelaide Central School of Art…read more Entry is via the laneway just before you get to the school if heading from the parade. It's proprietor is Greg Hanisch and he is a most amicable chap. If you have been there three or four times he will more than likely remember your name. If you are looking for budget supplies it is probably not the perfect place, as Central Art Supplies primarily caters to the proffessional artist and the serious art student. Quality is of main concern here, and although they do stock some student brands, such as Van Gogh oils and acrylics, their specialty is really at the high end, for instance, the Michael Harding hand ground oil paints, which although amazing, can be a bit on the pricey side. Greg is extremely knowledgeable and of great assistance. If you have any queries as to the properties or use of materials he is certainly the man to ask and will often be of much more assistance than one could find at Eckersleys or other big retailers. Unstreached canvas, calipers for sculpture and various interesting painting mediums are on sale here, which can be tricky to find elsewhere. They also have on sale some fine hand crafted easels and offer canvas streaching services.

The Dance FX stores carry the largest range of dance wear and accessories in Adelaide. They cater…read morefor all different dance styles and their products range from outfits, to shoes, to hats, motifs and crystals. I love stores which cater for one particular sport/hobby because it is so handy for those people who enjoy those things. So all dancers out there should definitely have heard of Dance FX by now, and should definitely go in there for whatever needs they have.

The Plaster Fun House on Unley Road possess a large chunk of my childhood (same to the nearby Fairy…read moreShop) and although they have moved premises, I spent many a friend's birthday sitting on the little plastic chairs and trying to emulate the display pieces of my chosen plaster mould. Oddly enough, I found myself back here as an adult, sitting on the same little chairs sipping on a juice box and covering myself in paint and found the experience just as fantastic as it was when I was smaller. For $10 you can pick one of the basic moulds to paint AND get a packet of twisties and a juice box. Amazing really. The Plaster Fun House was an amazing experience and allowed my friend and I to wile away an hour or to whilst singing along to the Peter Coombe pumping from the stereo. The kids and parents sitting around my friend and I, appeared to seriously enjoy their time. Kids took a lot of time seriously pondering their choice and then spent a long time in silence carefully painting away and thinking of the most unusual colour combinations possible. The Plaster Fun House is well worth the stop on Unley Road, no matter your age, bonus points for the Peter Coombe.

I don't care who you are, this is an awesome place to go…read more SUPPOSED to be for kids, but me and my friend see it as our guilty pleasure as we sit there on the small tables painstakingly painting small plaster models whilst having our adult conversations and PAINTING THEM BETTER THAN ANY STUPID KIDS IN THE SHOP. Because we're adults. Add some glitter? sure! add some stupid glasses and a fuzzy haired hat? Why not?! Get a softdrink and a packet of chips whilst you talk. Affordable and fun, great for kids and no one will tell if you shed your accountant exterior for some naieve painting fun.