Re: paris

[ding dangdong <dingedangedonge@yahoo.fr>]

Hi Loris,

I live in Paris and i second everything Chris Nze advices on sources. While waiting for his update, here are some stores i have visited and bought materials from since my own 'hunt' that started 3 years ago.

http://www.marinbeauxarts.com/
This place is the cheapest source i found for pigments (powder) and gum arabic. the only downside is that these products doesnt come with manufacturer labels. We call these 'generic' from my country of origin.(Philippines) but for my purposes, they all seem to work well especially the gum arabic that i was suspicious at first (very white crystals like salt). I think i paid 11 euros for a 1 kilo bag. Pigments are 5eur more or less per 500grms. Also, be prepared to a change in environment and a 10 minute walk from the nerest metro because their shop is in the suburb of Paris.

http://www.geant-beaux-arts.fr/
This shop is in the heart of Paris and they carry most paper brands that i use; expensive Fabriano and Lana aquarelle (4eur plus per sheet). and cheap canson montval i got at 10eur per pack of 10 during a sale. I enjoy going in this shop because its just a few meters from the famous Pere Lachaise cemetery where Jim Morrison is buried among the greatest of the France's dead. The place is very picturesque.

http://www.magasinsennelier.com/acceuil2.html
This place need no intro i think but they also carry non Sennelier brands of paper and other materials. I remember crossing my fingers and bought their 'agent preservateur' when i was at a lost not knowing where to get thymol or formaldehyde to kill bugs in my gum mix. Happily it worked. I have a three month old mix and its still smelling good. Bonus: shop is just across the Seine from the Louvre and a block away from the Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts. This area is teeming with galleries and museums. Well, the whole of Paris is.

http://www.novalith.com/
You didnt mention OHP but for those who are looking, i get mine from them. http://www.novalith.com/product_info.php?cPath=26&products_id=148
I havent used anything else to compare but im only doing gum, cyanos and van dykes and melanges of these. Also, their shop is just a short walk from where i live near Montmarte.

Bottom line is im a happy gummist from Paris. My only wish is that there's a local source for chemicals like Ammonium bichromate. This has been my constant pain, Good that i have a friend in Roger Kockaert  from Belgium
 http://www.permadocument.be/   He is not only my source for hard to find chems but for showing me great works of others in his collection that got my interest in alt printing revived.

Welcome to Paris!
Ding