1

Eric's I've Been Framed

16527 Livernois - Detroit, MI 48221 USA

I have gotten my drawings framed by Eric a few times and I return because of his cool personality and usually jazzy music playing when I walk in. He also happens to cut and build custom frames quickly at reasonable prices; every Detroit artist should keep him in their back pocket.

2

Blick Art Materials- Michigan Ave

14339 Michigan Ave - Dearborn, MI 48126 USA

This is one of three Blick’s locations in the area but I visit this one most frequently since it's on my commute to U of M Dearborn. Blick always has some paints or canvases on sale, and for students, and anyone who gets their card, there are more discounts still on top of their already decent pricing.

3

Scarab Club

217 Farnsworth St - Detroit, MI 48202 USA

The Scarab Club is a piece of Detroit art history, still around from 1907, with many artists over time signing the beams. There are two galleries here sure, but the reason this place is essential for artists, at least ones who want art that is anatomically correct, are the model sketch sessions. These sessions run Thursday nights and mid-day all weekend, though there has been a recent membership cost added.

4

Salvation Army Family Store & Donation Center

1200 W Fort St - Detroit, MI 48226 USA

Though I rarely see typical art materials like paint or canvas at the Salvation Army, it has too many things at a discount to not pay attention to as an artist. On one of my visits, I found a green glass bottle that I'm now studying how to paint reflections and light with it. Also, there is a hoard of 3 dollar tees, an easy buy to ensure paint gets on a Michigan State shirt and not your U of M one.

5

Detroit Public Library Main Branch

Detroit Main Library - 5201 Woodward Ave, Detroit MI 48202

The main Detroit Public Library is my perfect quiet space in the museum district. It feels like a giant old mansion with lofty rooms and a grand stone staircase, perfect for finding a spot to read about Rembrandt or sketch.

6

The Detroit Wallpaper Co.

339 Livernois St - Ferndale, MI 48220 USA

One of my friends repeatedly recommended this place to me since most of my work is small, typically around the size of printer paper, and he wants to see them blown up to a larger size. Apparently, they can scan paintings and scale them up greatly without bad resolution in the final print, and texture is an option. It has the potential to be on any 2D artists essentials list, and I will be trying this place soon and posting the results on Instagram.

7

MOCAD

4454 Woodward Ave - Detroit, MI 48201 USA

This is the perfect place for anyone to find active Detroit artists. Mocad is connected to the city's artists very heavily, being that they are a contemporary art space, and this makes it great to find artists making moves in Detroit. From their events like the Monster drawing rally, that draws hundreds of artists to one location, and just being at their bar, I’ve met many artists.

8

Green Brain Comics

13936 Michigan Ave - Dearborn, MI 48126 USA

Green Brain sells not only comic books, but also "art of" books by some comic book artists. One of my favorites is "Lead Poisoning" by Geof Darrow, that displays the insane attention to detail and imagination of Darrow, without the clean digital drawing as in his comics, and helps me to reverse engineer his process.