FOCUS ON – FINE ARTS
Brushstrokes of Change TOP: DalerRowney has noticed an increasing demand for high-quality art supplies. BELOW: Manga art is a growing segment for Clairefontaine.
From watercolour painting to Manga art, the demand for high quality art materials is rising across a wide range of categories. Brands are responding to this increasing interest with innovative products designed to meet the needs of both beginners and seasoned professionals.
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ith a growing number of people turning to artistic hobbies for personal wellbeing and creative expression, the market for fine art materials is experiencing significant growth. Lawrence Savage, UK marketing manager at ExaClair, notes this focus on wellbeing has resulted in a marked uptick in the popularity of fine art materials, particularly watercolour supplies. “This is driving innovations across our watercolour products, such as a new Aqua Essentials pad, which launches this month. The pad features 12 different watercolour papers, enabling novices an affordable option as they are introduced to the watercolour technique, while also offering more experienced artists the ability to experiment across a variety of surfaces.”
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In addition to traditional fine art supplies, Clairefontaine’s Manga products continue to rise in popularity. “The UK market for Manga-themed materials is projected to maintain a rapid compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 20% through 2030,” says Lawrence. “Our new Manga Start Set contains all the essential elements for perfecting Manga artwork with colour, including layout paper, alcohol markers and liner pens. The paper features some pre-drawn designs by well-known Mangaka, EsquisseWei, which act as a perfect introduction to colouring.” Paul Sacki, managing director at Jakar International has also noticed a steady growth in the arts and crafts market, “especially for those entering retirement, and the pandemic certainly accelerated this. To meet the demand we’ve introduced new product lines. We’ve added the Rosa artist-quality range from Ukraine, with its watercolour, oil and acrylic paints quickly becoming a favourite, offering a perfect blend of exceptional quality and outstanding value. Watercolour painting has a particularly strong following in the UK, and this enthusiasm is reflected in our sales of Rosa products, which continue to grow in popularity among
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both amateur and professional artists alike.” Caran d’Ache also remains a top performer for Jakar International. “The Luminance range of permanent colour pencils, Museum Aquarelle water-soluble pencils and Neocolor II water-soluble wax pastels are consistently top sellers,” says Paul. While online sales are on the rise, many artists still prefer the tactile experience of shopping in-store. “Artists want to see and handle the products before making a purchase,” Paul explains. This preference for a hands-on shopping experience is reflected in growing foot traffic to brick-and-mortar stores, where customers can receive personalised recommendations from knowledgeable staff. Hahnemühle, a leading name in fine art paper, continues to innovate with products that cater to evolving consumer tastes. UK marketing manager Nuala Henry is excited to launch the company’s new range of 100% cotton watercolour books with deckle edges at Creativeworld Frankfurt in February. “These will predominantly appeal to experienced artists in watercolour that really appreciate the unique and stunning qualities of Hahnemühle papers. We