For the class that I am teaching I chose the following colors as must buys: Titanium White, Mars Black, Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna, Cadmium Yellow Medium (CP)*, Cadmium Red Medium (CP)*, Ultramarine Blue, Chromium Green Oxide, and Quinacridrone Violet (aka Deep Violet-Liquitex). With these colors we make the brightest combinations that will be closest to the images I have picked for the class. I also listed optional colors that the class could buy: Phthalo Blue, Permanent Light Green, Naples Yellow, Titan Buff (aka Unbleached Titanium-Liquitex), Veridian Green, Cadmium Orange (CP)*, Raw Umber and Brilliant Blue** (**Liquitex only).
* CP means that the color actually has Cadmium in it, where as the same color listed with HUE does not have cadmium. The CP colors combine to make brighter colors, whereas the HUE colors make the paint more dull.
I used the following companies for my price checks, all of which are either have a storefront in the Houston area or online ones that I have had years of experience ordering with. They are as follows: DickBlick.com, Jerry's Art-a-Rama, Texas Art Supply, Art Supply on Main, Hobby Lobby and Michael's Arts & Crafts.
Not all of the stores carry both Liquitex and Golden paints, so N/A is denoted in my chart below.
In my chart you will also find that I priced canvas boards, Liquitex basic brushes, Master's Brush Cleaner & Preserver, a Masterson Sta-Wet Palette Seal Box, and a Martin Angelina Table Top easel or it's equivilant.
There is something else you should know about each of these companies, some companies know their products better than others. I rate Art Supply on Main, a mom and pop store, as the most knowledgeable and open about not only the paints, but how to mix them, how to make an equivilant color in other brands, but will also let you know what competitions are coming up, and what the current trends are in the cotton (for canvas and paper products) and paint industry for pricing. I have never had to ask for help at Art Supply. It is almost immediately volunteered every time I walk in. Art Supply on Main also offers year round discounts to students. They also almost always have a sale going on for supplies. Art Supply on Main also plays host to the Visual Art Alliance of Houston meetings. Art Supply on Main carries the complete display of Golden products and some others, but not Liquitex. They are conveniently located in the Montrose area. They are not open on Sundays. Because they are mom and pop business, their prices for Golden products are manufacturer suggested retail prices, but as I said before, they almost always have a sale going on.
Jerry's art-a-rama is a friendly, well-organized chain store and I have heard that they will work with groups such as HAC, the facebook Houston Artists Collective to give discounts to its over 900 members, but I have not had the chance to ask. Their store is well organized and has a complete display of both Golden and Liquitex products, they may even have the most store-front display of paint brands, but I've never checked that, I'm just going on memory here. Their knowledge is above average on their products, and they will take the time to answer your questions, however they have few employees so you will likely have to walk to the counter to get help. They too, almost always have a sale going on. Their biggest con is that they are an hour and half drive away from me up near Tomball. They are however, open all week, so if I have a lot of paint to buy on a Sunday, then the drive is worth it. They have the best prices in town for Golden Acrylics.
Texas Art Supply, like Jerry's is a chain store. I focused on the one in Montrose, but I have been to their other locations as well many times. Knowledge of their products is hit and miss depending upon the associate that you get. Like Jerry's, if the store is not busy, they will ask you if you need help, but usually I have to ask at customer service, even though there a lot of employees. They only offer a student discount in August and September. I don't know of any sales going on at their stores other than the student sale as listed previously. The carry a complete selection of Liquitex products and several others but not Golden. They do have the best prices in town for Liquitex products. They are open all week.
Hobby Lobby is a big box store. Knowlegde of their products is very average. They do not carry a lot of paint brands but they do carry almost all of the Liquitex paints. Their prices are above MSRP by about 30 cents. They are closed on Sundays, but I can find them in all areas of Houston, so if I am in a real pinch for one tube of Liquitex right now and I have a coupon, I'll go. You can find their coupons in the newspaper, or online at their website.
Like Hobby Lobby, Michael's Arts & Crafts is a big box store. They carry an incomplete selection of Golden Paints (don't expect to find Quinacridrone Violet or Naples Yellow) but a full selection of Liquitex products. Their associates' knowledge of their paint products is non-existent. In the six years that I have visited their store in Pearland, I have only been asked if I needed help twice. More often than not, I end up helping customers I run across figure out which paints and brushes they want for a project, as I frequently see the deer in the head lights look when I go down those aisles and I cannot resist turning those blinders off. To get help, you have to walk back up to the front of the store or ask at the framing department near by, in which I frequently see someone behind the counter staring out into space. Though Michael's frequently has coupons in the newspaper and online, their prices are about 32 cents above MSRP. They are open all week.
DickBlick.com does not have a store-front in Texas. They list all of the knowledge they know about their products on their website which is average. However, they have the cheapest prices for both the entire selections of Golden and have the same prices for Liquitex paints as Texas Art Supply. So if you know what you want ahead of time, don't have any questions, and are willing to wait for it to be delivered to you, this is the most affordable choice depending on what you choose for shipping costs.
Below is a chart that shows the results of my findings for January 13-14, 2012. (By the way, Art Supply on Main informed me that prices for cotton products and paints all over the industry will be going up come February, so get your shopping done now!) These prices are the everyday prices listed, and do not include on-going sales, tax or shipping charges.
Where it says "Brilliant Blue price liste" that is the INVESTMENT COST for those optional colors.
I had already done Brilliant Blue for Liquitex paints with the Golden Optional Paints.
The Green Marks the Lowest Price, The Red Marks Highest Price, especially if it is ABOVE MSRP!
Y'all enjoy now!
~S
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