Kadmium Art Supplies

What Kadmium Art Supplies does

Kadmium Art Supplies is an Australian privately held art and design supplies retailer headquartered at 507-511 Wattle Street, Ultimo in Sydney, with a second retail location in Coffs Harbour. The company operates a direct-to-consumer model through these two physical stores plus a national e-commerce storefront at kadmium.com.au built on BigCommerce, offering Australia-wide delivery. The product catalogue spans over 100 brands across coloured pencils, alcohol-based markers (notably the full Copic range), professional paints (oils, acrylics, watercolours, gouache), brushes, canvas and paper surfaces, architectural and modelling supplies, printmaking materials, easels, and gift sets. Kadmium self-positions as Australia's largest and most complete destination for Swiss-made Caran d'Ache products and as holding Australia's biggest selection of modelling and design materials.

The company monetises through four revenue streams: one-time retail product sales across a wide price range (from $2.15 entry-level items to $1,286 premium gift sets); a custom canvas stretching service priced $51.36-$352.32 using European kiln-dried Baltic pine stretcher bars with 25+ years of hand-stretching expertise; a custom picture framing service priced $132.12-$658.19 available exclusively at the Coffs Harbour store; and digital gift certificates with 365-day expiry. Pricing follows a pay-as-you-go unit-pricing model across all tiers, with bespoke services quoted per project. The customer base is horizontally segmented across professional artists, students and education, architects and designers, and hobbyists/crafters, with no disclosed enterprise or institutional accounts.

From a technology standpoint, Kadmium runs a standard BigCommerce storefront with wish lists, customer accounts, gift certificates, and secure payment processing; there is no proprietary technology, no mobile app, no disclosed API, and no AI/ML capabilities. Authorised-retailer partnerships with Caran d'Ache (flagship), Winsor & Newton, Copic, Faber-Castell, Golden, Daniel Smith, Gamblin, and Art Spectrum underpin the brand-authority positioning. Marketing channels are limited to the e-commerce platform, footer-based newsletter subscription, and dedicated brand showcase pages for SEO; no paid acquisition, social media handles, or hiring signals are disclosed.

Name

Kadmium Art Supplies

Legal name

Kadmium

Website

https://kadmium.com.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kadmium Art Supplies is an Australian privately held retailer selling premium art and design supplies through two stores (Sydney Ultimo, Coffs Harbour) and a BigCommerce e-commerce site serving customers nationwide, with a focus on professional artists, architects, students, and hobbyists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Supplies Retail

NAICS

Paint and Wallpaper Retailers (44412)

SIC

Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950)

akta.pro primary industry

Art & Drafting Supplies Retail (CRALABAG)

Keywords

• Art supplies retail
• Artist materials
• Custom canvas stretching
• Picture framing services
• Architectural modelling supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Art Supplies Retail: One-time product sales across a wide range of art materials including coloured pencils, markers, paints, brushes, paper, canvas, and accessories from premium international brands. Revenue generated from individual item purchases and curated gift sets at various price points.
2. Custom Canvas Stretching: Bespoke canvas stretching service using European kiln-dried Baltic pine stretcher bars with hand-stretching by skilled technicians. Service builds custom sizes from 30cm studies to 5-metre feature pieces with 12 premium canvas options.
3. Custom Picture Framing: Custom picture framing service exclusively available at the Coffs Harbour store location, offering wood, black, and white finish options.
4. Gift Certificates: Digital gift certificates sold in configurable amounts with 365-day expiration, providing flexible gifting options for art supplies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kadmium Art Supplies is an Australian art and design supplies retailer operating two physical stores (Sydney Ultimo and Coffs Harbour) alongside a BigCommerce-powered e-commerce platform at kadmium.com.au that delivers nationwide. The company stocks professional-grade drawing materials (Caran d'Ache coloured pencils, wax/oil pastels, Copic and Uni Posca markers, graphite), artist paints (oils, acrylics, watercolours, gouache), brushes, canvas rolls/boards, artist papers, easels, printmaking supplies, and architectural/modelling materials from over 100 premium brands. Differentiated in-house services include bespoke custom canvas stretching using European kiln-dried Baltic pine stretcher bars and made-to-order custom picture framing.

Product overview

Kadmium Art Supplies is an Australian art and design supplies retailer offering a comprehensive e-commerce platform with physical store locations in Sydney (Ultimo) and Coffs Harbour. The company positions itself as Australia's largest range of Caran d'Ache products and stocks over 100 art supply brands. The product portfolio centers on professional-grade drawing materials (coloured pencils including Luminance 6901, Museum Aquarelle, Pablo, Supracolor, Prismalo, and Neocolor I & II; graphite and charcoal; markers including Copic and Uni Posca), painting supplies (oils, acrylics, watercolours, gouache, and associated brushes), surfaces (canvas rolls, canvas boards, paper pads and sheets, sketchbooks), architectural/modelling supplies (drafting tools, modelling wood, scale figures), printmaking equipment, and art accessories. The company differentiates through specialized services including custom canvas stretching using European kiln-dried Baltic pine and custom picture framing. The online store operates on BigCommerce infrastructure with Australia-wide delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Luminance 6901 Coloured Pencils Professional-grade coloured pencils with 100% lightfast guarantee and ASTM D-6901 standards, handmade in Geneva with smooth, permanent wax-based leads, for professional artists seeking archival-quality work.
• Museum Aquarelle Watercolour Pencils Water-soluble pencils crafted in Geneva workshops with master watercolour artists, designed to function as watercolour in pencil form, for fine artists and illustrators.
• Pablo Coloured Pencils Professional artist coloured pencils with dry 3.8mm diameter leads for exceptionally high coverage, crafted in Switzerland, for professional artists.
• Neocolor I Wax Pastels Water-resistant wax pastels that revolutionized drawing and artistic education since 1952, produced in Caran d'Ache workshops, for artists, students, and educators.
• Neocolor II Wax Pastels Water-soluble wax pastels offering water-resistant properties and vibrant colour for artistic applications, for artists and students.
• Supracolor Soft Aquarelle Pencils Water-soluble coloured pencils with soft, vibrant leads suitable for watercolour techniques, for fine artists and illustrators.
• Prismalo Aquarelle Pencils Classic watercolour pencils from Caran d'Ache, suitable for fine art and illustration applications.
• Neopastel Oil Pastels Richly pigmented oil pastels for professional artistic use with smooth application and vibrant colours, for professional artists.
• 849 Ballpoint Pens Iconic Swiss-made ballpoint pens with SWISSRIDE cartridge, produced in Caran d'Ache Geneva workshops, for everyday writing and stationery enthusiasts.
• Graphite Line Pencils Professional graphite pencils including Grafstone, Grafwood, Technalo, and Technograph variants for drawing and sketching, for artists and illustrators.
• Copic Markers Professional alcohol-based markers with dual brush and fine tips for illustration, design, and artistic rendering, for illustrators, designers, and professional artists.
• Oil Paints Professional artist oil paints including Gamblin, Winsor & Newton, Old Holland, Maimeri Classico, and Rublev Artists Oil Paints, for fine artists.
• Acrylic Paints Acrylic paints for artists including Matisse Structure and Flow, Golden Acrylics, Atelier Interactive, Jo Sonja's Acrylics, and Chromacryl Student Acrylics, for students, hobbyists, and professional artists.
• Watercolours and Gouache Professional watercolour and gouache paints including Daniel Smith, Winsor & Newton Professional, Sennelier, and Art Spectrum, for fine artists and illustrators.
• Artist Brushes Professional brushes for acrylic, watercolour, and oil painting available in various bristle types (goat, hog, mongoose, sable, squirrel, synthetic) and shapes, for fine artists and students.
• Canvas and Canvas Rolls Ready-made canvases, canvas rolls in cotton, linen, and polycotton, and stretcher bars for professional artists.
• Artist Paper and Pads Artistic paper products including watercolour pads, drawing pads, tracing paper, craft paper, and sketchbooks from brands like Arches, Fabriano, and Canson, for artists, students, and architects.
• Architectural and Modelling Supplies Drafting tools, modelling wood, profiles, plastics, scale figures, clay, and metal supplies for architectural design and model-making, for architects, designers, and model-makers.
• Gift Sets Pre-curated art supply gift sets including coloured pencil sets, graphite sets, paint sets, marker sets, and Keith Haring themed sets, for gift buyers and hobbyists.
• Custom Canvas Stretching Service Professional custom canvas stretching service using European kiln-dried Baltic pine stretcher bars, with hand-stretching in NSW warehouse, supporting custom sizes from 30cm studies to 5-metre feature pieces with 12 premium canvas options, for professional artists.
• Custom Picture Framing Custom picture framing service exclusively available at the Coffs Harbour store location, offering wood, black, and white finish options priced $132.12–$658.19, for local customers and artists.
• Printmaking Supplies Printmaking materials including 3D printing filaments, block inks, lino and etching plates, printing screens, and printmaking tools, for printmakers and artists.
• Easels Artist easels including Mabef Easels for studio and outdoor painting applications, for professional and hobbyist artists.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Caran d'AcheflagshipOthersSwiss luxury art materials manufacturer. Kadmium positions itself as Australia's largest and most complete destination for Caran d'Ache products, stocking the entire Swiss-made colour range including Luminance 6901, Pablo, Museum Aquarelle, Supracolor, Prismalo, Neocolor I & II, Neopastel, and 849 pens. The partnership is featured prominently as a key differentiator with dedicated brand showcase pages.
• Winsor & NewtoncoreOthersPremium British art materials brand. Kadmium stocks professional watercolours, oils, designers' gouache, and mediums from Winsor & Newton, featured as a top brand in their portfolio with dedicated category pages.
• CopiccoreOthersJapanese alcohol-based marker manufacturer. Kadmium offers the complete Copic range including Original, Ciao, and Sketch markers in individual colours and curated sets, with extensive colour-specific product pages.
• Golden Artist ColorsminorOthersProfessional acrylic paints and mediums from the USA. Kadmium stocks Golden fluid acrylics, heavy body acrylics, and high flow acrylics along with mediums and gesso.
• Daniel SmithminorOthersPremium American watercolour paints including PrimaTek and Luminescent lines. Featured as a top brand in the art paints category with dedicated product pages.
• Art SpectrumcoreOthersAustralian-made art supplies including oils, watercolours, gouache, soft pastels, and Colourfix papers. Prominently featured as both a top brand and Australian manufacturer.
• Gamblin Artists' ColorsminorOthersProfessional oil paints and mediums from Portland, Oregon. Stocked in Kadmium's oil paints category including Gamblin Artist's Oil Colours and 1980 Oils.
• Faber-CastellcoreOthersGerman art materials manufacturer. Kadmium stocks Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils and Castell's pastels in their coloured pencils and watercolour pencil categories.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Senior Art Supplies: Australian specialty art supplies retailer serving professional and student artists with a comparable mix of premium international brands, brushes, paints, and custom framing services.
• Art Shed Online: Australian online-first art supplies retailer carrying a broad range of premium art brands and targeting professional and student artists nationally, directly overlapping Kadmium's e-commerce offering.
• Eckersley's Art & Craft: One of Australia's largest specialty art and craft supply chains with a national store footprint and online store, directly competing with Kadmium across premium art supplies, stationery, and craft materials.
• Riot Art & Craft: Australian specialty art and craft retailer with multiple stores and e-commerce, stocking premium art brands and competing for the same professional-artist and hobbyist segments as Kadmium.
• The Art Shop: Australian specialty art supplies retailer (Sydney-based) with a similar mix of premium international brands, custom services, and an e-commerce platform targeting professional artists.

Broad incumbents

• Spotlight: Australia's largest specialty retail chain for fabrics, craft, and home décor with a meaningful art-supplies assortment; competes on breadth and price rather than premium curation.
• Amazon Australia: Generalist marketplace increasingly stocking premium art brands (Copic, Caran d'Ache, Winsor & Newton) at competitive prices; competes primarily on convenience and price rather than curation or expertise.
• Officeworks: National Australian office and home supplies retailer with a growing art and stationery range; competes primarily on convenience, price, and same-day pickup rather than premium professional range.

Regional players

• Dick Blick Art Materials: Largest US specialty art supplies retailer with strong international shipping; competes with Kadmium online for premium art-material purchases from Australian customers.
• Jackson's Art Supplies: UK-based specialist art supplies retailer widely shipping to Australia; competes with Kadmium online for premium Caran d'Ache, watercolour, and drawing brands among Australian professional artists.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kadmiumart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kadmium-art-supplies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kadmium Art Supplies