Amy Stewart paints in her studio. More space, more art, more life! We visited the studio of artist Amy Stewart for an inspiring look at how a clean, organized studio space influences her art practice. Amy Stewart's studio is located just steps away from Opus Granville Island. With high ceilings and a bay door filled with windows, this bright interior has a sense of space beyond its actual square footage. Her vibrant abstract paintings take center stage on gallery walls facing the window, and a workspace tucked away behind a shelving unit offers her creative process a little privacy from the ..read more

Fluid vs Heavy Body Acrylic Paints Understanding the Differences Acrylic paints are a popular choice among artists due to their versatility and quick drying time. However, the consistency of the paint can greatly affect the handling and final result.  In this article, we will explore the differences between two common types of acrylic paints: fluid and heavy body. Understanding the unique properties of each type will help artists make informed decisions about which type of acrylic paint will best suit their needs. Heavy Body Acrylics Opus Essential Heavy-Body Acrylics ✦ Highly Pigme ..read more

We spoke with Jerzy Niedojadlo from Nitram Fine Art Charcoal to learn the story of Nitram – how he crossed the sea to learn and work with the original creator of this once-defunct, near-mythic charcoal. Jerzy upholds the practice and techniques of Nitram's unique process. Thanks to his efforts, these fundamental art supplies are more widely available for the everyday artists' practice. Watch the video below to hear the story of Nitram! Read below for an overview of the Nitram Fine Art Charcoal products we carry at Opus Art Supplies. Nitram Fine Art Charcoal – The Collection Nitram Fine Ar ..read more

Professional artists often refer to what they do with their art as their “art practice”.  What does that mean? At the pro level, artists have an understanding and acknowledgement that no matter how far they’ve advanced their skill, there must also be constant evolution in their creative process, and that requires a lot of practice.  Many creatives have had the experience of working to master a technique and no matter how far they get, find there is always room for improving an element, or even becoming inspired by what they’ve achieved along the way to try taking it in a different ..read more

This article is an exploration into the exceptional characteristics, superior quality, and the intricate details of the materials and production process of our Opus Finest Canvas. What makes an Opus Finest Canvas "finest”?  At Opus, we only call items "Finest" in our store when we are confident that the product we are making is truly the best possible product available.   Opus Finest Canvas are produced in our custom plant alongside our hand-made custom canvas, and therefore has the same close, personal, hands-on care throughout production.  In essence, Opus Finest Canvas are ..read more

Do you need help choosing oil paints? Oil paints have been a classic fine-art medium for centuries. Artists choose to paint in oils because of the long working time, the vibrancy of the paint, and the longevity of works made with oil paints.  However, not all oil paints are created equal. Each line of oil paints has different properties and characteristics, ranging from the smallest of subtleties to major composition differences.  In this overview, we will introduce key differentiators between the lines of oil paints we carry at Opus Art Supplies. We will include quick points as ..read more

Exploring Schmincke's Supergranulating Watercolours The special feature of the supergranulating HORADAM AQUARELL watercolour colours is noticeable immediately when applying the paint with a brush. The otherwise even colour structure of the watercolour appears kind of broken and uneven. There are also pigment agglomerations on rough paper, which are caused by the settling of the heavy pigments in the paper indentations.  Schmincke has taken advantage of this property for the 40 supergranulating colours and have now - after their great success - included them in their standard HORADAM r ..read more

Schmincke's 40 supergranulating watercolours are ideal for depicting natural, structured, rough surfaces and textures and are therefore perfect for use in landscape painting. Artist Jowita Marczuk shows how she makes use of the particularly granulating effects and combines the colours with non-granulating colours from the HORADAM® AQUARELL standard assortment. What You Will Need: Colours: HORADAM® AQUARELL - 981 Tundra Orange, 941 Forest Olive, 661 Burnt Sienna, 487 Cobalt Blue Light, 660 Raw Sienna Paper: Watercolour block, 100% cotton, cold pressed, e.g. Hahnemühle or Fabriano Art ..read more

It’s not often that we are able to bring to you a brand-new fine art medium! We are excited to introduce to The Collection, Ceracolors – a versatile, artist-grade wax paint that is thinnable with water. What is a waterborne wax paint? Ceracolors are composed of high-quality pigments mixed with a blend of waxes derived from natural sources, including pharmaceutical-grade beeswax.  The unique formulation provides you a tube of paint that can be thinned and cleaned with water. The paints come out as a paste, not unlike a traditional gouache. How do you use Ceracolors? The water-sol ..read more

As we start a fresh new year, we can take a moment and step back from the chaos and disruption to look at what our place is in the world. Our podcast and new video series, "Artist To Artist", will explore questions within: What do I want to do? How can I create and have an impact on my life and the lives of others? How do we settle the noise down and come back to what is important? What do we want to make of 2023 as individuals and artists? Over the next three months we’ll be delving into this three-step process. January is all about reimagining and experimentation - stepping out of the comf ..read more