Art Shed Online: Competitive Art Supplies for Australian Artists

Art Shed Online is one of Australia's most popular online art supply retailers, serving Australian artists with a broad range of professional and student materials at competitive prices since 2008. Operating as an online-only retailer, the company has built its reputation on accessible pricing, fast delivery across Australia, and a product range that covers the most important needs of artists working in traditional media.

The online-only model allows Art Shed Online to offer prices that are competitive with the major art supply chains while maintaining a range that covers the most important professional and student materials. For Australian artists who live outside the major cities and who do not have convenient access to specialist art supply retailers, Art Shed Online provides a practical and affordable way to access professional art materials.

The Product Range

The Art Shed Online product range covers the full range of media that Australian artists work in, from oil paint and watercolour through acrylic, drawing media, and canvas. The range covers both professional-grade materials from leading international manufacturers and more accessible student-grade options.

Watercolour is one of the strongest categories, reflecting the popularity of watercolour among Australian artists and the particular appeal of the medium for painting the Australian landscape. The watercolour range covers paints from manufacturers including Winsor and Newton, Daniel Smith, Schmincke, and other leading brands, alongside a comprehensive selection of watercolour papers from Arches, Fabriano, and other leading mills.

Oil paint is another area of strength, with a selection from manufacturers including Winsor and Newton, Gamblin, and other brands that are well-distributed in Australia. The oil paint range covers both professional-grade paints for serious painters and student-grade options for those who are learning.

Acrylic is one of the most popular categories, reflecting the medium's popularity among Australian artists who appreciate its versatility and fast drying time. The acrylic range covers both standard viscosity and heavy body formulations from leading manufacturers.

Canvas and boards are covered with a comprehensive range of stretched canvases, canvas boards, and other painting surfaces in a range of sizes and formats. The canvas range is particularly popular with artists who need to buy surfaces in quantity.

The Australian Art Context

Australia has a rich and distinctive artistic tradition, shaped by the country's extraordinary natural environment, its Indigenous cultural heritage, and the specific social and cultural history that has influenced Australian art. The Australian landscape, from the dramatic coastlines and rainforests of the east coast through the vast red deserts of the interior, has been a central subject for Australian artists throughout the history of the country's art.

The plein air painting tradition is particularly strong in Australia, with many Australian artists working outdoors directly from observation in the tradition established by the Heidelberg School painters of the late nineteenth century. Art Shed Online's range of plein air supplies, including travel watercolour sets, pochade boxes, and other portable painting equipment, reflects this tradition and the ongoing popularity of outdoor painting among Australian artists.

The Competitive Pricing

The competitive pricing is the most important characteristic of Art Shed Online, and it is what most clearly distinguishes the company from other Australian art supply retailers. The online-only model allows the company to offer prices that are consistently lower than those of retailers with physical stores, and the company's buying relationships with major manufacturers allow it to pass on volume discounts to customers.

The competitive pricing is particularly valuable in Australia, where the cost of professional art materials can be significantly higher than in the UK or the United States due to import costs and the relatively small size of the Australian market. Art Shed Online's competitive pricing helps to reduce this cost differential, making professional-grade materials more accessible to Australian artists.

The Fast Australian Delivery

The fast Australian delivery is another important characteristic of Art Shed Online, with orders typically arriving within two to five business days of being placed. The fast delivery is particularly valuable for artists who need materials urgently, and the reliability of the delivery service is consistently praised by customers.

The delivery service covers all of Australia, including regional and remote areas, making Art Shed Online a genuinely national resource rather than just a service for artists in major cities. For artists in regional and remote Australia who do not have convenient access to specialist art supply retailers, the ability to order professional materials online and have them delivered quickly is genuinely valuable.

The Bottom Line

Art Shed Online is a reliable and competitively priced Australian online art supply retailer that provides artists across Australia with access to a broad range of professional and student materials at prices that are consistently lower than those of retailers with physical stores. For Australian artists who want to reduce their materials costs without compromising on quality, and who value fast, reliable delivery, Art Shed Online is one of the most practical and accessible options available.