I've ordered from D&S before, but this was the first time in the store. I went in for thermal plastics and the guy I had helping me was knowledgeable of most of the products. The plastics that he was less familiar with he had a great print out of information to help out. They even had a handy bag of samples they sent me home with. Service was fast and casual, the store isn't full of slick displays but has a more utilitarian lay out... but really when you're looking for clay and reisin there's no need to have a store-room designed for anything else. It was fast to get in and out, there is 2 hour street parking available but you have to be careful if you park on the far side of the street from the store... there aren't really any near-by cross walks so you'll need to take your chances running across the road (eep). read more

Douglas & Sturgess - Store front - Art Supplies Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Great supplies and most of what you are looking for . Two locations and good customer service

Vintage storefront in a dot com World. Art and sculpture supplies for your every Ned's!

After having purchased some great products and enjoyed the wonderful assistance of their very knowledgeable staff, I'm sad to say that I won't be shopping at Douglas & Sturgess ever again. Why? Because of the racist images prominently displayed on the wall in the main sales area. I took photos, but they are too repugnant to post here. Not simply political messages about policies or events or even "artistic statements", they are images which are clearly designed to offend. I can't imagine what it would feel like to be a person of color looking up to see that sort of garbage when I'm in the middle of shopping for art supplies. An owner has every right to display anything they choose in their store. They are also perfectly free to enjoy the consequences of those choices. I could not care less what the owner's political views are, but racist, stereotypically bigoted imagery is not what I want to see when shopping. I wrote a polite email to the owner over three weeks ago, respectfully requesting - as a repeat customer - that the pictures be taken down. When I visited today, they had been added to and altered. This is an obvious message that "certain people" are clearly not welcome in this establishment. It really is sad because the employees are very helpful and this could be a great resource for artists. There are however many other places to shop for the same materials without the ugliness of purposefully racist and hateful imagery. read more

I have been looking for an inexpensive art supply for (for paints) for quite some time and I have almost found it in Douglas and Sturgess. This odd little store in SOMA has a ton of paint pigments that you can add to white paint to make any color you want. They also have all the other stuff you need to make it thick or thin or shiny or whatever you want. The staff is also very help and friendly. The 2 bad things are that parking during the day is very difficult and they are not open on the weekend. Definitely give it a try if you are looking for serious art supplies. read more

Came here to get supplies for mold-making and resin casting. The staff member who helped me was very friendly and had the experience (as a recent art student) to answer the dozen or so questions I tossed her way, and genuinely wanted to help rather than up-sell me. They have a wide range of inventory and the prices, at least for the things I purchased, are actually lower than Blick even though this is a smaller store. 5 stars for service and classical music playing in the store! read more

LOVE!!!!! Very very knowledgeable staff willing to troubleshoot stuff and listen to my pinky commie need to have reusable or recyclable art materials. They turned me onto Moulage. Yeah. They're that good. read more

Great hole-in-the-wall sculpture supply store. It was my first time there today and I was very impressed. The employee who assisted me, Palmer, was nice, helpful, and showed me samples of work done with the materials I hadn't tried before. He seemed genuinely interested in learning about my project and shared a bit about his work in costuming. It's heaven for anyone doing 3D work. I will be going back! read more

I am a molding/casting fanboy. Every time I go here I can talk jargon and encounter friendly equals. It is not like a competition of skills but a sharing of passion and knowledge. These folks know their stuff and have it for sale. You could order it from the interweb, but the personal touch makes a difference. They really know what you are doing and can offer advice. Craftsmen take note! Hundley is down the street. We should form a club! read more

They are excellent! I had a special project, my pet died and I wanted to have a mold of his paw to cast in bronze as a keep sake. I wasnt sure what to use since as a Birman, he has medium long hair. The employees and everybody in the store, I assume the manager was there were so friendly, soothing and so helpful. It was not only a trip to the art supplies store, but also felt like being with a grief group where all the councelors were outstanding. Keep up the good work! I will definitely go back for more! read more

Awesome customer service. I was gonna carry the 50lbs of plaster to my car 2 blocks away, but the kind gentleman working there offered to wheel it over on his dolly. read more

Very helpful staff who talked to us for over an hour helping solve our questions. Great place and we will be back!!!!

Placed an order and then a couple days later I get a call saying that they are out of the 5lb bricks of clay, but can sell me "5-1lb blocks for $38.00. Please give me your credit card number." The price I paid for the 5lb brick was $26.50 I operate an online business and in this situation I would have made good on the order sending the 5-1lb bricks for the price of the 5lb brick. Will be avoiding this company in the future if possible. read more

SO I went in today to get some plastic, resin, or a 2 part poly coating resin. Rowr, look at my language. Anyhow, this trip was going to be my research and I was expecting the sales guy to look at me helplessly like they often do at hardware stores or what the fuck. But little do they know, there's a big geek in me. SOOOOO I went in, and I got an hour tutorial catered to what I wanted to make (hard plastic jewelry from a possible silicone mold). Mike the sales guy was REALLY helpful and told me everything that I wanted to know and how to make it. Both of the staff were extremely helpful and I left with awe inspiring knowledge on how to make a two part mold, how to cast things in resin, how to color it, put glitter it, and everything with the kitchen sink. In the sky. I LOVE THE PLACE and will go back for supplies because of the customer service was absolutely fantastic. read more

I have a new boyfriend, and his name is Douglas Sturgess I recently moved to this part of SOMA, and had been hoofing it down to Pearl to buy my casting supplies. Pearl is usually out of stock on rubber and the pigment selection is dismal. I've ordered from Douglas & Sturgess online but never realized they had a storefront. AND its around the block from my new home. Went in yesterday and WHOA!! What fun! There are TONS of inclusions, dyes, pigments, casting compounds, silicone, wax, etc...anything and everything for casting and sculpture. While I am only a novice resin caster, the store makes me WANT to do more and bigger things. The 2 guys working were super nice too, I will probably go back this week and load up on glitter...not that I need glitter but they have so much in so many different colors that I WANT glitter! Great store and its easy to get too,-take 30 or 45 and get off at 4th and Bryant and walk down. Or you can take the 47 Van Ness and get off at the corner read more

Douglas & Sturgess is a great resource for anyone looking to do some sculpture, casting, etc.. They have a great selection of casting and mold-making materials, available through their store front or on-line, and most of the staff is not only very knowledgeable and willing to help you figure out what you need, but is also very pleasant. Every time I go in I get excited about the possibilities I have yet to explore. They've also started doing basic classes for those who want to learn how to make molds. The only reason I give them 4 instead of 5 stars is that they're not open weekends, but it's a smallish business and I can understand if they want their weekends off, too. read more

Oooooo! I love this store! It's like candyland for me. They sell all kinds of materials for making sculpture-- latex, resin, acrylics, etc.-- plus they have all these pigments and micas you can mix into acrylics to paint or color your sculpture medium. The staff is always really helpful. read more

I don't know how I've managed to miss hearing about Douglas & Sturgess for so long! I had a project for which I needed some large (4 by 8 foot) sheets of thick styrofoam, and some related products, but had no luck finding them elsewhere. Not only did they have everything I needed (and more), the proprietor was also very generous with advice, and even offered to sell me partial sheets, if that was what I needed. And now I'm trying to think up new projects that will involve foam and/or mould-making, just so I can play with some of the fascinating materials they have in stock! read more

These guys are a great local asset to us artist! Another supplier moved that I had been using.. Then I found them around the block. They had everything I was looking for! Thanks again Douglas & Sturgess! I'll be back! read more

A great resource for any casting or sculpture needs. I do a bit of hobby casting and they have always had any of the materials that I needed. The customer service has great and the advice they gave me helped me avoid pitfalls when working with stuff new to me. read more

Small shop with sculpture supplies. Well stocked with hard to find products with the exception of the smaller tools. It was puzzling and disappointing to see that they were out of dozens of inexpensive, popular tools. Maybe it was just bad timing. If sculpture or casting is your thing don't miss this store. read more

Can't I give 1/2, or better yet, 1/8 stars? This place is a joke, terrible customer service, couldn't care less attitude of management, unprofessional all the way. Now, if you're going to make a couple of garden gnomes, or perhaps cast your boyfriend's, er, lingam, (rolls eyes), or mebbe build yer own 420-friendly-apparatus, then by all means kill a day with the jokers here. First time I went here, I was newly-landed from LA 6 years ago, looking for a local supplier of the industrial resins that are the lifeblood of my 30+ year fabricating business. Total greenhorn, "ASS-uming" that the good products and businesslike attitude I enjoyed down in LaLaLand was, er, California-universal. HA! Was I in for a jolt. I bought a couple of grand in epoxy resins from a doper who knew NOTHING about tech specs. I shoulda known better, but instead, I took it to my shop, and found that more than half the stuff was stale (actually solidified in the bottom of the 5-gallon drum!) and the other half was unpredictable general-purpose stuff that just plain didn't work as promoted. I called and got an I-don't-give-a-shit attitude from the numnutz I spoke to on the phone. I promptly erased all references to D & S from my printed materials (I have a materials and suppliers list that goes out to about 1,000 LOCAL people each year), and VOWED never to darken their scuzzy doorway again. Then I found this neato rubber texture paint that they sell--and I couldn't find an alternate supplier. Sent one of my local guys down to them to pick up a gallon. NO gallons--only quarts. So he bought a quart. Brought it back. It was too thick to spray (again, no tech literature or support)...they listed xylene as the thinner. I asked them if they had any in stock...NOPE, no idea where to get it, either. DUH. Hey, thanks, you rubes. A couple of days later, I located some xylene in the Bayshore. Another 90 minutes lost... A year later (do I ever learn???), having run out of the Famed Rubber Paint, I called to check stock on it. D & S were out. In fact, they'd been "out for months now", according to the lady on the phone. I pseudo-calmly asked when it would be back in stock. "No idea," was her reply. Gee, thanks, may-um. Today, I sent one of my guys out to D & S (still stoopid from fumes, I guess) for some petrolatum (otherwise known as "vaseline", OK?) It is a VERY COMMONLY-USED moldmaking accessory, and we go through 20 pounds a year. My guy never called them, though--big mistake--just headed down, a half-hour minimum drive at this time of day...he just got back a couple of hours after leaving, to tell me that they were ALL OUT of petrolatum. That's like Pelligrino being out of bubbles... So he went to Walgreens instead, to buy a dozen large jars of Vaseline. Maybe he got some condoms, too, just to avoid the obvious questionms. What the hell. To sum up, if you want amateur craft materials, sold by people who do not back their items, have no clue as to how to use what they sell, are slow as molasses, and whose bad attitude is contagious (well, I caught it!), then pick up the one star I gave them and tell them to take it and stick it where the sun does not shine. Where do I get my resins now? Thought you'd never arsk...I have them shipped from SoCal, from a supplier that I've used since '80, and will continue to use. --aitch Luvly place, otherwise. Try the veal. read more

OK. This place just rocks.... well, it is not the place itself. While they have great supplies for casting and model-making, it is the staff that really rocks. I have been going to Douglas and Sturgess for many years now, and although some of the staff has changed, they continue to employ very knowledgeable people who actually use the products they sell. On top of being knowledgeable, they do not mind answering questions. I see this place as a valuable resource for learning as well as products. read more

These guys are real pros. They have materials hard to find elsewhere, all in one place, for all sorts of sculpting needs. (Painting, too--an amazing selection of dry pigments + some acrylic mediums.) The guys in the SF store are knowledgeable and can help you figure out what you need. It's nice to get the straight dope--if something can be done for cheap, they will tell you, not try to sell you more than you need. This place is a great resource. Sculpture teachers all over the bay area recommend it. (Well, I should say that Santa Cruz, San Jose and San Francisco sculpture teachers/professors have recommended it to me. And for good reason.) read more

they have lots of colored pigments in jars. a lot of glitter. a rubber gatorfish that doesn't exist in real life (don't ask them like i did). the supplies i needed for class for cheap, and two guys who didn't make me feel like they were more enlightened than me because i didn't know what most of that stuff was. and free parking on the street right outside that was surprisingly easy to find. yeah, the neighborhood's kind of a zoo but douglas & sturgess is nice and clean and bright, even if it does look from the outside like the entrance might be somewhere else. aw, what the hell, i'll give them five stars--these guys made my day. read more

I was a little intimidated in coming here because my usual experience with specialty industrial or hardware places is that they will bet you out about how much knowledge you have to begin with. Even the door here looks like it requires a speakeasy password to enter, or at least an appointment. So my guard was up. But once I got in, it's clear they cater to a lot of different types of sculptors, mold makers, and casting geeks. And they were super nice without hovering, answering questions with expertise rather than throwing up a don't-you-already-know vibe. The models throughout the store run from architectural reproductions, to horror FX masks, to fantasy maquettes, so I didn't feel like I was in the wrong place at all. The products do need a little decoding -- the house brand and the market dominant Smooth-On packaging is all pretty nondescript, but the organization makes it pretty clear what each formulation is used for. The prices, too are way better than online or through art-specific shops like Dick Blick, too. It's a little piece of SOMA that still makes it clear just what this neighborhood is about and why this city needs to protect what's actually cool down here and not displace small-industrial businesses for the sake of more overpriced residences. read more

Phenomenal place for sculpting supplies. They are the experts. Nobody knows more. Great prices. Superlative customer service. There is no better. read more

Still have lots of love for you D & G, but I have to say, customer service is not quite so fabulous as it used to be...and lets be honest, in a day and age when you can order your sculpture supplies (often for less $) on the internet, customer service from people at an actual storefront like this is important. The guys who were there full time last year both seemed to genuinely enjoy their customers which always made for a very pleasant trip to this store, it actually made me want to stop in and shop more often. Haven't had quite the same warm fuzzy experiences here since the staff changed within the last year....Another problem as of late is that they always seem to be out of the thing I came in for! Just be sure to call in advance of heading over to make sure what you need is in stock. read more

I just came back from this place and have to agree with most of the the 4 to 5 star raters...this place is great! As a newbie to resin casting, I was a bit intimidated to venture into this place which looks like the secret place that only pros know about. But from the moment I walked in the door, the folks at D&S were top notch, very helpful, and super friendly. They really took the time to help me understand the products I was buying as well as how to use them safely. Palmer was extremely helpful to the point where he even helped me carry my four gallons of molding material to my car. Now that is great customer service. Thanks you D&G. You guys are fabulous. read more

My favorite art supply store by far. It's so convenient to walk in off the street and buy a couple quarts of this or a pint of that, rather than ordering online. Excellent selection... many items I'm still learning about through the help of the exceptionally knowledgeable staff. Guys, you need a tip jar out front because you earn it every time I come in looking for help. Cheers. read more