Skills for artists and art lovers

Skills lives up to it’s name

• specialist artist materials
• specialist art and photography services
• an exceptional framing service
• highly experienced staff providing art valuation and restoration

We are passionate about encouraging your creative path whatever your age or stage in life.  We are proud to be one of Stony Stratford’s vibrant independent shops.  Skills stocks only authentic specialist art materials, which contain the high quality an artist deserves.  We also let customers try before you buy.  Why gamble with online purchases when you can confidently buy from Buckinghamshires only independent art shop.  In our company, we have no less than five artists and two photographers, because of this we understand your needs and ideas.  Stony makes a perfect summers day shopping without the hassle of crowds.

Skills Junior Artist Range

 Due to the increasing demand for childrens art materials by Stony Stratford shoppers, Skills are excited to introduce the Fun Range and their new Junior Art section.  These colourful and economical art materials cover all age groups and activities – from finger paints and washable picture stencils for the younger artists, to high quality acrylic and watercolour sets for budding artists starting out on their creative pathway.  Complementing this range are manga design sets, zentangle, scrapbooks, art doodle books, and sketchpads.  The only problem is choosing which to try first!

Drawing Essentials for every Artist and Colouring Fan

For Technical Drawing

High precision technical pen with refillable ink reservoir, in 13 line widths. Wear-resistant, hard chrome-plated thin tip allows working in exquisite detail.Refillable ink reservoir ideal for frequent drawers using bottle inks.

Experience the exquisitely smooth flow of fine graphite from the Cumberland Valley in England. Derwent’s Graphic Pencils are made from the finest quality graphite and purest clays for a smooth line. They are ideal for crisp, detailed illustrations or tone drawings.
Derwent Graphic Pencils are available in a full range of densities from 9B (softest) to 9H (hardest). Pencils in most of the range have 2.2 mm graphite cores, but the softer pencils from 4B to 9B have thicker 3.5 mm cores. The matte finish hexagonal shaft affords a firm grip. Pencils are pre-sharpened.

For Manga Lovers

 Strathmore 200 Series Bristol Board Pads are economical, smooth bristol weight boards printed with non-reproducible blue lines for comic and Manga applications. They are created specially for the comic, cartoon and graphic novel industry.



For Sketchers and Colouring Book Fans

 Pitt artist pens are famous for combining a modern brush nib design with traditional India ink. India ink offers artist odorless, permanent, waterproof, lightfast ink in 48 vibrant colours. The durable nib gives the freedom to create broad, medium or narrow brush strokes with an even application of colour.  Perfect for colouring books, colour sketches, and manga drawing.

Graphik Line Painters are a fine line paint pen that gives immense depth of colour, even on dark backgrounds.
Create layers, dribbles and washes with the opaque waterbased ink in 20 strong colours.
These cool pens have a 0.5 Japan nib is robust and delivers a fluid paint line.

Sketching Essentials

The dramatic beauty of traditional charcoal with a hint of colour. Naturally water-soluble.
Contains Sand, Glowing Embers, Lavender, Mountain Blue, Ocean Deep, Green Moss, Dark Moss, Driftwood, Peat, Natural, White, and Charcoal Dark.

 The paper stump makes the difficult job of blending dusty media such as charcoal and pastel much easier and cleaner. Once the stumps get dirty and the points wear down they can be easily cleaned and re-pointed using a sandpaper block. Derwent paper stumps can be found individually or in a handy pack of 3 sizes ranging in diameter from 5.5mm to 10.5mm. The paper stumps are made from compressed rice paper and with a point at each end.

 This eraser takes your drawings to another level and creates specific highlights in coloured pencil drawings of animal fur and foliage.  Used quickly and lightly – in a stroking or dabbing action – it can lighten without removing all colour. If you you then work back over the erased area it’s possible to create a complex texture of optical colours.  The eraser works quickly over large areas and makes light work of rubbing out.







For Commuting

Zentangle sets with the sturdy tile as a canvas, provides a fantastic support and boredom buster for the budding artist and doodler on the bus or train.

 The Collins and Davison Travel Journal is both practical available in A5 and A6 size, hard back black, and elastic binding.  Beautiful quality paper for sketching on the move.