Does anyone know of anywhere in either Bern or Lausanne that sells paints, paper and other stuff for artists? Specifically I'm looking for large sheets of paper suitable for use with pastels.

There is a painting/decorating shop in Neuchâtel that has a small "artist" section, but what they have is quite limited and I'm looking for somewhere with a bigger selection of stuff that I can browse through.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions !

My wife gets all her stuff from www.opitec.ch

Reasonable prices and you can even pay by invoice! Delivery is usually quick and only 5CHF

Try Jallut below the Bessières metro station in Lausanne.
http://www.jallut.ch/

If you're willing to travel as far as Lausanne, then Fillistorf in Fribourg (which I know) is nearer , but they have a sister shop in Lausanne (which I don't).

Primarily painting and decorating to the trade and private, but with a large array of materials for the artist.

Across road from rear entrance to the Ryflihof Coop in Bern

http://www.schneider-farbwaren.ch/pages/shop.php

http://map.search.ch/bern/aarbergergasse-56?poi=verkehr

http://www.kramerkrieg.ch/

Kramer Krieg has a store in Lausanne & one in Montreux. The Lausanne store is down the road from Jallut. The website looks really "office-y" but they have a whole section on art supplies and another on "deco"/crafty stuff.

I think you can also shop online. I didn't click through the "K-Shop".

ETA: I just saw on the Jallut website they have a shop in Neuchatel.

Yes, that's the one I mentioned in my original post. I use it a fair bit, but most of the shop is given over to material for painting and decorating your house.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I will definitely look at the options in Lausanne and Bern. I must have walked past the place opposite the Ryfflihof dozens of times without realising it was there !

Fillistorf used to have a shop in Neuchâtel but it closed a few years ago. I hadn't thought of Fribourg though... will have a look.

Even in Lausanne Jallut is mostly dedicated to wall painting & home deco paint/products. But like I said, it's down the street from Kramer. I still think there has to be more shops. I've yet to find any supplies for serigraphy.

Have a look at the site
boesner.ch

They have a huge place just outside Aarberg BE, and must have just about everything you could possibly need. It is worth the trip definitely!!

I've been to Cre'Arts in Crissier - I use it for jewellery making supplies but I seem to remember they have art supplies there too. http://www.crearts.ch/index.html

Word of 'warning' - it isn't immediately obvious where the shop is - it's on the 2nd floor of what looks more like an office block than a shopping centre - there's a Fly store on the ground floor. As you come out of the lifts there's a corridor ahead on your right... walk down there and you'll come to the shop.

Oh, yeah. I remember that shop. You are right they did move it to a strange location now. Definitely more crafty stuff though.

Didn't realise they had a shop, I thought they only sold online. Thanks !

So... I went to Boesner in Aarberg. Very good suggestion from Cactus flower, thanks a lot

They have a huge amount of stuff... I had no idea there were so many different varieties of watercolour paper ! Funnily enough, large sheets of pastel paper was one thing they didn't seem to have, but I managed to get a good-sized block, plus a few random bits and pieces of stuff which I probably don't need but bought anyway... the good old Ikea syndrome.

Judging by the number plates of the cars in the car park, they draw custom from the whole western half of Switzerland.

Just for future reference for others looking at this thread, you can find artist's canvases for oil paints really cheap every Wednesday and Saturday mornings at the Plainpalais Brocante Fair in Geneva year-round. I had been buying my canvases at Kramer Kreig in Lausanne until I stumbled upon this booth in Geneva.