When I am feeling artistic, there is nothing I like better than making a huge mess with a bunch of…read morebrightly coloured soft pastels. I have been through a few different brands. My favourite is Winsor & Newton but they are not always easy to find. Lucky me for, Eckersley's always has them in stock and a really decent selection of colours too plus a range of paper stocks in different colours and textures. Being a I designer by trade, I have bought so much stuff from here! If they do not have Pantone swatch books in store, they are happy to order one in for you, although they do not have a huge range. They certainly have enough to get you started though. the markers and pens are good quality and again, enough to get you started.

Like most aspiring artists who tend to think about art as opposed to actually making art, I'm a…read morenotorious hoarder of art supplies. Having scoured Brisbane and beyond looking for art equipment, I can confidently say Eckersley's in the city has the widest range for painting, pastels and drawing. Their supplies are limited for sculptors and ceramicists but this tends to be a niche market anyway with their own suppliers. Their craft section is surprisingly decent with a beautiful range of handcrafted paper. I ended up buying my wedding invitation paper here and attending one of their cheap card making workshops for inspiration. The workshop facilitator was friendly and full of practical advice. While these workshops are not for experts, they're good fun for the casual hobbyist or the lazy, aspiring artist.

Great products and customer service. They were very prompt on emails and with dispatched my order…read morein a timely matter. Would order again.

I get the heebie geebies when I go into Oxlades Art Centre. I can almost guarantee that if I leave…read moreempty handed (a rarity), I will at least leave Oxlades with the curiosity and inspiration to propel myself into some mysterious artistic tangent that I've stumbled upon while being there. Trawling their three small aisles full of art bounty, I am constantly surprised at what I find in there. You've got a truckload of different pens, pencils, charcoal, graphite, crayons, chalk and paints in there to choose from of course. These are art store staples. On the note of painting: painters will be interested to know that Oxlades sell a big range of canvas (just enquire at the desk rather than whipping out the pocket knife and going for it yourself). Back to browsing. It becomes more interesting when you move into sculpting territory. They've got bulk wax, plaster, resin, and all sorts of sculpting things that I don't know the name or nature of. There's also a wide range of supplies available to print makers and those into etching. Glorious art stuffs be mine! If you become inspired by some unidentifiable medium or material, ask the staff at the counter. They are extremely knowledgable and helpful. They also have a small book collection on different art practices if you want to just sit down with a book and teach yourself through wild experimentations. Go on: I dare you to go in there and get curious. Start playing!

Tucked away within the Queensland College of Arts, you'll be forgiven for walking past Oxlades two…read moreor three times before noticing it. This specialist art shop is open to the public although QCA staff and students receive a 10% discount. They carry a wide range of fine art products from oil paints to charcoals and a variety of canvases, drawing paper and sketch books. They also carry multiple brands of the same product to cater for the emerging artist who may not want to pay a premium for professional products while they're still training. Although they don't stock much in terms of craft products and they have a limited range of instructional art books, Oxlades is well worth a sticky beak for the hobby artist.

Oxlades Art Centre at QCA sells a good variety of art supplies, but the stock isn't stellar…read more Because it's such a tiny store and more catered for on campus emergency supplies, i.e. when a student is in dire need for new brushes, or they've run out of a certain paint colour, they can just duck downstairs and head back to class. But if you're shopping as an outsider, which I was, I found the stock and service a little underwhelming. I was after a specific type of paper for an art project I was working on and the staff member either didn't know what I was on about, or didn't know whether or not they stocked it. That said, they did have a great variety of inks (if that's what you're after...I know I was!) and weren't bothered that I spent a bit of time there trying to figure out exactly what blue (they sold many tints and shades) I needed. I wouldn't recommend coming here if you're after an art supplies store with a giant range, but if you're in the area and dying for a tube of paint or a can of fixative, by all means duck in and have a browse.