Case for Making (CfM) is a woman-owned watercolor specialty shop. You can find its handmade watercolors at places like the SFMOMA Museum Store and select arts and crafts stores, but this location is CfM's brick-and-mortar shop. This small business makes its own watercolors and letterpress paper goods. CfM watercolors are made from high-quality pigments and natural binding mediums (gum arabic, glycerin, honey, distilled water, and clove oil). Some CfM watercolors are more expensive than others because colors like Malachite and Lapis Lazuli are made from actual crushed minerals. Please note that their watercolors are priced similarly to other premium watercolor brands like Stoneground Paint Company and Beam Paints. [Best seller]: The CfM Small Palette (fits up to 14 half pans and has room in the center for a small travel brush) and the CfM Simple Travel Palette (small enough to fit in a purse or pocket) are some the top favorites. [Workshops]: CfM offers online workshops via Zoom as well as in-person classes at its new studio next door - the CfM Art Room. [Parking]: Street parking only, but not impossible to find an available spot in this part of the neighborhood. In addition, the shop is located near the Judah St & 46th Ave streetcar stop. [In-store]: Customers can choose a tin and build their own watercolor set. The store also sells sketchbooks, art supplies, stationery, Toyo toolboxes, stickers, etc. [Conclusion]: An amazing shop and definitely worth checking this shop out for watercolor enthusiasts, but this is an alright shop for those looking for unique stationery options. read more

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I've had a mixed experience here however, after a really uncomfortable experience with management I thought I'd share my experience as a cautionary tale to other artists who might want to get involved with this studio. The water colors are special they have really good opacity and sit well on top of the paper. They might not have as nice of translucency as other brands. However they are really expensive and there are other products that are available for cheaper and comparable quality on the market. However, the staff can be aloof and rude within the store. The teachers are generally sweet and supportive and classes are affordable. After multiple positive class experiences, I had inquired about teaching as I have been doing art for a while and really wanted to give back to my community and share what I know I'm good at. The application to get involved process was odd, they were slow to respond, but also rude and unprofessional. It upfront on their goals and processes. I was not notified that there was a already an established class nearly identical to my proposal prior to filling out a lengthy application. I was also told they didn't want to move forward because I lacked an established creative arts background (while not inquiring directly about a CV), which was later amended to they were unable to move forward due to scheduling and volume of inquiries (while only offering 3 in person classes that month instead of the standard dozen). I have no issue with being rejected, it's all about fit anyways, but was saddened to have my creative experience being belittled and the lack of professionalism. It was just a very odd and condescending experience that I would not want any artist that puts their heart and soul into a proposal to have to experience. read more

In the past year, I have taken three online watercolor classes and one in-person watercolor class at Case for Making. So glad I did. I have Case for Making to thank for getting me back into exploring my creativity and artistic side. They are a small shop in the Ocean Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, but they have a great selection of handmade watercolor paints (kinda pricey but worth it for their beautiful colors) that can be shipped anywhere and a terrific selection of online and IRL watercoloring classes (recommend instructors Dave Muller and Anjelika Deogirikar Grossman). I am looking forward to trying out more of their paints and classes for years to come! read more

This was a stop I'd been wanting to make for a while, but only found the time today after all of the holiday rif raff finally calmed down. Around 1pm on a beautiful Saturday, we found parking in Judah and made our way into a small storefront with two doors: one for workshops and one for retail art supplies. I love that they offer workshops here, and I love any sort of community-centered art outreach in San Francisco. My partner is the bigger artist between the two of us and I'm glad I brought him, even though he didn't buy much, he was able to see the selection of amazing quality watercolors and the wide variety of pens, of which I ended up buying a handful because I am a stationary lover if I'm anything at all! The prices were about what one would expect for a small store in the sunset, and I was happy to pay them. Some of the prices were actually much better than I thought they'd be. I purchased a large-ish art clipboard for $18 and I know I'm gonna use the heck out of it! The store was fairly empty when we arrived but filled up quickly with Saturday shoppers, and the cashier was wonderful and kind, and I appreciated their calm demeanor I'll be back here! Really just a great little spot for quality art supplies: watercolor pallets, brushes, notebooks, mixed media notepads and paper, high quality colored pencils and artist pens, etc! read more

Case for Making - Art Supplies Near Me - San Francisco, California

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super cute crafting paint store, they had a great collection of watercolor paints. I only purchased a couple pens and pencils and stickers but will be coming back for a customized watercolor tin set. read more

Such a sweet store for artists, journalers and anyone who wants cute stationery !! I particularly love the watercolor area and I will for sure be going back to grab some! read more

The cutest art supply store tucked in the Outer Sunset neighboor! They have a good selection of curated notebooks, pens, and water color supplies. Everything is so neatly organized and I applaud the owners and staff. There is also a good selection of notebooks, stamps, and crayons for kids. I love stationary and art supply stores - this one is a great one. read more

This is a delightful art supply store in west San Francisco with their own watercolor selections. For a small store they had a great selection of art supplies and items. I don't love the watercolor because of personal preferences but they are good quality. I got a palette and brush and paper and they are all great. read more

A jewel box for novices and pros. I'm not a regular water color painter but I'm traveling for 2 weeks and ended up getting a travel kit filled with 14 ACFM colors and a travel water color book. Great store in a great neighborhood with excellent shops and restaurants in a 4 block radius. Highly recommend. read more

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Cute little shop full of tools for mainly watercolor and sketching. There is a wide range of paper as well. The staff is friendly and asked if I needed assistance. I got some fun "tools" like a weighted multi pen, scissors, a few cute brushes, and some paper pads. I like the concept of such a shop with handmade paints, but I'm not sure the value is there. $100+ for an 8 paint set. The paints were not as vibrant as I hoped they would be for that price range. They seem more for a light whimsical feel in a journal or card making. I'd def stop by for other stuff if ever in the area again. read more

What a beautiful space with a great collection of papers, inks and pigments. If I ever got super artsy and decided to create my own colors, Case for Making sure made it easy to get started on a beautiful hobby like that. read more

Case for Making - Art Supplies Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I was so excited to visit this store after seeing it on social media, but left extremely disappointed, (after spending a small fortune- which I highly regret). The person working there was meh at best. She was too absorbed in her work at the register to even look up. No greeting, no excitement or even a smile for coming into the store and not even a thank you when I finished my purchase, (again, I spent quite a bit there). While they have a beautiful selection of custom watercolors, they are pricey and to me, customer service goes a long way. I will go where my money and presence are much more appreciated! read more

Cute shop, love their products, the one class I attended was great. I would characterize the customer service as nice but not kind.

Cute shop of paints and supplies for the hipster crafter. But pricey and aloof customer service and almost no product knowledge. Fun outing to see it but won't be going back. read more

What a clever idea, an art supply way out by the beach in a small rather cute space . . . with classes, but that's where it begins, and ends. I've been there 6 times and all 6 times I was dealt with by various young snarky rude impatient arrogant young women who failed at customer service and interaction - not to mention good manners and kindness and articulation. And they are often they are too busy to help because they are working on their own crafty projects. Dare to ask a question and I got barked at with a terse minimal worded reply. It might be ok for an emergency pen purchase . . .then again maybe not, when I asked if they had another style of a popular pen, Miss Rude I'm Too Busy and Way Too Good For You snapped back "that's what we have and we won't order it" When I once, foolishly, asked if they would consider classes during the day, oh lardy . . . this offended Little Artiste' on every level and the verbal slap I got still stings. Ok darlins' I get it - you don't want me to come back. read more

Such a rad store. It's not your typical art supply store. They've got style! They've flair! They're there! (and that's the theme song from the Nanny, which is 100% unrelated). This store, for so-called 'non-artistes' such as myself, is a huge motivating factor to get my shit together and start trying to make some shit. Everything it's quaint and orderly, modern to the max. You pay a bit of premium on that but nothing astronomical and to have everything you need to build a collection of your own DIY wonders in one place? Priceless. read more

Case for Making - Entry - Art Supplies Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Cute store and worth a visit to poke around and see how they display their (sometimes) unique selection of items. Service was not as friendly as I like, nor as helpful. The section is interesting and I like that their own in house humans make the watercolors, but the lack of pigment information readily available in the store and on the website illustrates that this is a shop for hobbyists. And the prices on most things target a hobbyist audience with a lot of money. See the 48 (half) pan watercolor tin for $56 which can be found many other places for half or less. As a professional artist, I enjoyed taking myself on a little artist date here (granted, not as much as I would have if met with warmer and more engaged customer service), but I did not buy anything, Mainly due to the aforementioned reasons. read more

Case for Making is such a wonderful outpost. I'd view it less as a cute art supply store and more the store front for a gorgeous line of handmade half-pan watercolors. They have a sweet little supply of other stuff -- high end pens, notebooks, drafting tools -- but it is, IMO, first and foremost a watercolor and watercolor supply shop, and in that sense, it absolutely knocks it out of the park. Their pans are the best in my kit (one that includes Daniel Smith and other stupidly expensive brands) and the colors are often unexpected and always gorgeous. read more

Such a well curated cute store. Luscious beautiful watercolors in a fun neighborhood outcropping. I highly recommend them. Especially for tourists who want to snag a few *made in San Francisco* items of true worth and quality...then head to the sand to sketch the pacific coast. read more

Do not go here! I bought something and while I was in the store wanted to return it. They said no returns. The salesperson saw that I haft left the store with the purchased items. They have no phone #. The sales person said she'd text the owner but wasn't clear when they would back to her, so the expectation was for me to wait there the entire day! I walked out and left the items there. I tried emailing but have not heard back. If they have such a strict return policy this should've been disclosed. Do not go here. This is not a good SF vibe. read more

Very well curated, can accommodate a few price ranges. I was happy to see so many materials specific to watercolor, including the beautiful house-made watercolor paints. I got three brushes for under $20. read more

Nice little art supply store - they carry my favorite drawing pads by Good design. Lots of other supplies and some zines i hadn't seen before. read more

Took a paper marbling class here with Alexis and Shaine. WOW!! One of the best art classes I have taken, ever. First, marbling is super easy and I made incredible creations that will impress all my friends and loved ones. Second, marbling or a workshop here would be perfect for team building! Super excited to have found this gem of a place and the workshops. read more

On my way to the Chinatown Supper Club dinner that day, I needed a mini-adventure to pass some time. I want to get acquainted with the outer Richmond and Sunset districts, so I explored Yelp, for my interests. I saw the reviews for Case For Making. I am an Artist, who loves shopping for art supplies, as much as making the art, (admittedly), so I drew a small map of the location; --- What a perfect, charming store ! Actually, I cannot stop thinking about it ! CFM is on the south side of Judah Street, about 3 blocks from the Ocean. It is nestled between a Thai restaurant, a darling "General Store", a pub, and a coffee shop. A couple of shops have wonderful little succulent gardens in the back. Every thing in CFM is well considered, and beautifully displayed. In the back, - were people creating watercolor paint ! They even sell the ingredients to make your own, if you so desire. I purchased a small hot-press notebook, and a few pan paints. That night, I tried them out. I produced a small painting, and I stayed up, - way too late ! What fun ! The paints are Artist grade quality, highly pigmented, and are as good as any of the the others (many) that I own. I will go back for more, at some time. This place is like a charming fairytale out of a beloved book, --- kind of place. I am sure that it will become legendary. read more

Art supplies that are themselves works of art. Love this place! A little pricey but worth it as each item has been chosen or crafted specifically for its functional beauty and contribution to its craft. Well done! read more

What a charming and beautiful store tucked away in the Outer Richmond! Bought some lovely handmade watercolors that I can't wait to use. Already can't wait to come back!! read more

We made a special trip to this shop recently on vacation and were surprised by the lack of customer service while we were there. We felt we were interrupting the (3) employees when we asked questions and it was very uncomfortable. We were the only ones in the shop at the time. I have owned a retail shop in the past and always went out of my way to interact with my customers and be helpful. Unfortunately, this was not the case with CFM, and what I thought would be a highlight when shopping in San Francisco was anything but. read more

Beautifully curated curios but I have to give it two stars because the woman working there today was hostile, rude, and more interested in her phone than helping customers. read more

Case for Making is more than a shop, it's a place of community. Beautifully curated items, thoughtful gifts, and hidden gems. I took a watercolor making class and it was fantastic. The space is intimate and their inventory is unique. Definitely worth a visit! read more