Last updated: April 2026
Leeds is a genuinely brilliant city for artists. Leeds Arts University is one of the oldest and most respected specialist arts institutions in the country, the Henry Moore Institute is world class, and the city has a creative energy that’s entirely its own — distinct from London, distinct from Manchester, rooted in Yorkshire’s particular brand of getting on with things without making a fuss about it.
That creative culture is reflected in the art shops too. Leeds has a range that punches well above its weight, including one shop that’s been trading since before the First World War. I’ve spent 16 years in the UK art supplies industry and here’s my honest guide to the best places to buy art supplies in Leeds right now.
Before we get into the shops — if you want to compare prices on specific materials before heading out, our live deals page tracks the best online prices from major UK retailers updated throughout the week. And if you’re looking at watercolour paint deals specifically, we track those live too.
1. Dinsdales — Headingley
6-8 Chapel Place, Headingley, Leeds, LS6 3HY
Tel: 0113 278 1700 | [email protected]
Dinsdales has been trading since 1883. Let that land for a second. The shop was established when Gladstone was Prime Minister and has been serving Leeds artists through two World Wars, the rise and fall of the high street, the internet age and everything else that’s happened in between. That kind of longevity doesn’t happen by accident — it happens because a place is genuinely useful to the people it serves.
Tucked in Headingley — which doesn’t have many arts-focused shops, making Dinsdales all the more valuable to the area — the shop is exactly what you want a local art supplies store to be. Traditional, knowledgeable, stocking the materials working artists actually need. The emphasis is on quality fine art materials rather than the broader craft market, which tells you something about who their customer is and what they prioritise.
If you’re at Leeds Arts University or any of the other art courses in the city, Dinsdales should be on your regular rotation. This is a proper art shop with over 140 years of heritage behind it and every reason to still be here in another 140.
Who it’s best for: Serious artists and art students who want a proper specialist supplier with real depth of knowledge and stock.
2. Broad Canvas — Leeds
Broad Canvas has been serving artists in Leeds for almost 50 years — another stalwart of the Leeds art supplies scene that’s clearly doing something right given how long it’s been trading. Their online shop stocks an extensive range of art materials covering painting, drawing, printmaking and more, with a genuine commitment to quality across both professional and student grade supplies.
What I like about Broad Canvas is the breadth. They carry top brands from both UK and international manufacturers — Winsor & Newton, Daler-Rowney, Derwent, Faber-Castell alongside some of the more specialist professional ranges. The team includes specialists in painting, ceramics, oil paints, drawing and photography, which means when you ask for advice you’re talking to someone who actually uses the materials.
They offer 10% off your first online order on orders over £50 for members which is worth noting if you’re planning a larger purchase. Worth checking their current stock online before visiting to make sure they have what you need.
Who it’s best for: Artists at all levels who want a broad range of professional quality materials with genuine expertise behind the counter.
3. Fred Aldous — Leeds
Fred Aldous is the Manchester original but they have a significant Leeds presence and they absolutely deserve their place on this list. If you’ve never been into a Fred Aldous, prepare yourself — the front of the shop is a slightly overwhelming colourful collection of cards, gifts and creative knick-knacks that makes it easy to miss the serious art shop hiding behind it all.
Go downstairs. That’s where the real stock lives. Acrylics, watercolours, papers, brushes, palettes, canvases, craft supplies, modelling materials, haberdashery — it’s genuinely one of the most eclectic and comprehensive shops in the region. New stock arrives constantly and they do brilliant collaborations with artists and makers that keep the range feeling fresh and contemporary.
The mix of fine art and craft supplies makes Fred Aldous particularly useful for artists who work across multiple disciplines or who want to experiment with materials outside their usual practice. It’s the kind of shop you go into with a specific list and come out having found three things you didn’t know you needed.
Who it’s best for: Artists who like to explore and experiment. Particularly good for mixed media, craft alongside fine art, and anyone who enjoys the serendipity of browsing a well-stocked independent shop.
4. Scrap Creative Reuse Arts Project — Leeds
This one is a bit different and deliberately so. Scrap Creative Reuse Arts Project is a Leeds-based organisation that collects unwanted materials from businesses and makes them available to artists, schools, community groups and anyone else who wants to create something. The result is a constantly changing, completely unpredictable collection of materials at prices that make any conventional art shop look expensive.
For artists who work in mixed media, collage, installation or any practice that benefits from unusual textures and unexpected materials, Scrap is genuinely invaluable. You never quite know what you’ll find — off-cuts, end of line stock, industrial materials, fabrics, papers, packaging — but the creative possibilities are enormous and the ethos behind it is hard to argue with. Waste materials turned into artistic raw ingredients is a genuinely good idea.
It’s also worth knowing about from a sustainability perspective. Every purchase supports a social enterprise that keeps materials out of landfill and keeps them in the hands of creative people. That’s the kind of thing worth supporting.
Who it’s best for: Mixed media artists, collage makers, educators, community artists and anyone whose practice benefits from unexpected materials at very low cost. Also brilliant for anyone looking to reduce the environmental impact of their art materials purchases.
5. The Craft Centre and Design Gallery — City Centre
City Art Centre, The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 3AA
The Craft Centre and Design Gallery in the heart of Leeds city centre is technically more of a gallery and retail space for contemporary craft than a traditional art supplies shop — but it earns its place here because it serves a function that’s genuinely important for working artists and one that the conventional art shops don’t provide.
This is where you go to see how contemporary makers present and sell their work. Ceramics, textiles, jewellery, glass, print — all from working UK artists and craftspeople. For artists who are thinking about selling their own work, studying how these makers price, present and merchandise their pieces is legitimately useful research. And for artists who work in craft disciplines, seeing what’s being made at a high level in the field is creatively nourishing.
Speaking of selling your work — if you’re a Leeds-based artist thinking about how to get your work in front of buyers online, we have a whole guide on how to sell your art online that covers everything from choosing the right platform to building an audience.
Who it’s best for: Artists at any stage who want to see high quality craft and contemporary art sold directly by its makers. Genuinely educational for anyone considering selling their own work.
→ Visit the Craft Centre and Design Gallery
6. Hobbycraft — Leeds
Crown Point Retail Park, Leeds, LS10 1ET
Mon–Fri: 9am–8pm | Sat: 9am–7pm | Sun: 10am–4pm
Hobbycraft isn’t the most glamorous entry on any art supplies list but it’s consistently useful and that counts for a lot. The Leeds Crown Point store is a large format craft superstore with a solid range of art materials — canvases, paints, brushes, drawing supplies, papers — alongside the wider craft offering covering everything from yarn to model making.
For beginners starting out with painting, for bulk purchases of basics at sensible prices, and for anyone who wants to browse without any pressure, Hobbycraft delivers. The Crown Point Retail Park location makes parking easy, the extended weekday hours until 8pm mean you can actually get there after work, and the range is broad enough that you’ll usually find what you’re looking for.
We track Hobbycraft discount codes on DAS — worth checking before you visit as they run promotions regularly and you can save a few quid on a big purchase.
Who it’s best for: Beginners, families, bulk buyers and anyone who wants a convenient, well-stocked craft superstore with easy parking.
→ Find Hobbycraft Leeds online
Can’t Find What You Need in Leeds?
Even with these excellent options there will be times when a specific product isn’t locally available or you want to compare prices before making the trip. That’s exactly what Discount Art Supplies is for. We track deals and discount codes from all the major UK art retailers including Jackson’s Art, Cass Art and Cowling & Wilcox — updated throughout the week.
Our clearance deals page is particularly worth bookmarking — some of the best value art supplies in the UK are end-of-line stock that retailers want to clear quickly.
Know a Leeds art shop we’ve missed? Drop us a message — we’re always looking to keep these guides as useful and up to date as possible.
