The League's Fine Art Supply Store — Local services in New York

I am new to everything watercolor and read that the League was the place to shop for quality supplies. Mr. James Russell, who manages the shop, spent a lot of time showing me the difference between various brushes - Kolinsky vs. synthetics, and I ended up purchasing a high end sable and moderately priced synthetic. I had many questions; he didn't have to spend as much time with me as he did. I was from out of town and looking to invest in a few quality tools and walked out the door with a small bundle of supplies for my short stay in NYC. I was glad that Mr. Russell suggested enrolling in a water color class when I got back home. I saw Mr. Russell's suggestion as a source of inspiration, as opposed to another customer in a previous post who took offense at the suggestion that he might benefit from expanding his artistic endeavors through continuing education. The shop is located in the lobby of an esteemed art institution! The people who work there are artists who want to encourage participation in the arts! This should not come as a shock to anyone. I am in the medical profession and welcomed the advice of a professional artist. The shop is small and you are not going to be bombarded with rows of miscellaneous or novelty art paraphernalia. On the contrary, you will find varying tiers of art essentials. Student and professional grade products line the shelves - the same products recommended by instructors. If you have questions and feel intimidated about products, the people there are lovely and want to help you find tools that suit your needs. I had a great experience and hope you will too. Thank you,...

The ASL Supply Store is ​simply ​great​!​ It has a good selection of the basics all artists need - pencils, paper, paints, mediums, grounds (oil and acrylic), brushes, sculpture tools, and much more. ​ ​ But most importantly, the items are very reasonably priced. One of my favorite recent discoveries there is the KUM pencil sharpener, that sells for about $4.50 at the League Store, and about $8. elsewhere. It's certainly worth $8., but I love that I can get this two step process sharpener​ -​ that works perfectly for both mechanical lead pencils as well as wooden ones, and even includes extra blades​ - so inexpensively that I can afford to buy some for my artist friends too.​

The help is very good, and the diversity of supplies in a rather small space is amazing. The League smocks are handy, and the plaster casts of the features (eyes, nose, lips and ears, based on Michaelangelo's David sculpture) are well made and very reasonably priced (about $30.)

I can't say enough good things for the League store. It is really a boon for artists in the city, not just students at the League (I am a former student, like almost...

This is a pretty small art supply store in the art school. Go inside and it’s ahead on the left. They manage to cram a very respectable amount of supplies in there, though. And the people who worked there were friendly and knowledgeable about their products. I bought a small 3-pack of 5x7” Gessobords, and I thought they were a decent price at $8 and change. If I lived in the city, I would definitely shop here as needed. I asked them if they carried any Rosemary Brushes, and I appreciated that they let me know where I could find them. They noted that only suppliers with a special pricing agreement with them could offer them at a decent price...I think that’s nice that they’re cost-conscious. Some art shops act like money is no object, and that’s not a realistic situation for most artists. I also took a moment to go upstairs to see the art gallery for the school on the 2nd floor. It was fun and I probably only spent about 10...