15 Amazing Gift Ideas for Artists and Creatives
Are you looking for gift ideas for artists this holiday season? It can be challenging to shop for the artist in your life. There are so many products and options it can feel overwhelming.
Today I’m going to simplify this process for you. I’ve included 15 of my favorite supplies that I use constantly in my creative process. Whether working in an art journal or on a canvas, these quality products will make fantastic gifts for both professional and novice artists alike!
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1. Helix Circle and Angle Maker
Do you know an artist that loves to create mandalas or uses circles in their work? The Helix Circle and Angle Maker is the perfect tool for them! This is a circle tool that not only draws circles, but also provides angles and angle degrees. This makes it quick and easy to make circles up to 4” and create a variety of angles quickly. I’ve heard from so many of you how useful this tool has been to your creative practice!
But if you’re looking for circles larger than 4”, the circle ruler is a must have! This tool works in a similar manner but creates larger circles. The only downside is that it doesn’t have an angle tool. But they can be used together very effectively to streamline your drawing process. For more information on how these tools work, check out this article: Choosing the Best Circle Tools for Drawing
Three tools in one! The Helix Angle and Circle Maker is a 360° protractor, compass, and circle template that enables you to measure angles just as you would using a standard protractor.
This 2-in-1 ruler and compass lets you draw circles from 1" to 12". Place the center disk hole on your starting point and choose your desired circle size (in 1/8" increments). Insert the pen into the hole and then hold down the center disk. Sweep around with the pen in the hole until the circle is complete.
2. Iridescent Paints and Inks
Looking for some subtle shimmer for your projects? If you like to work with inks, check out the Lisa Horton Crafts Cloud 9 Pigment Inks. These fabulous inks can be applied to create one color on white and a completely different color on black. I love these inks for their versatility and the beautiful color shimmer. This is one of the few inks that work amazingly on black paper, so it’s a must have for any art journal practice!
If you don’t like to work with inks, pick up some Golden Fluid Acrylic Iridescent paints. These work beautifully on dark or black surfaces as well. They even have a slight color flipping component to them. Depending on the angle of the light and the color of the paint, this can let the shine appear and disappear on the surface.
These are different from the iridescent inks because they don’t provide color on white paper, but instead they create unique shimmer, which I like to use in my acrylic paintings and projects.
This ink is a highly pigmented dye and pigment ink. This is a metallic, shimmery ink pad with an interference color. This ink will change color on different colors of cardstock, which is the "interference color" this ink pad produces.
This ink is a highly pigmented dye and pigment ink. This is a metallic, shimmery ink pad with an interference color. This ink is perfect for faux bleaching techniques.
Golden Interference and Iridescent Heavy Body Acrylics add an exciting range of options to your creative repertoire. Used alone or mixed with other acrylic paints, they enable you to achieve color effects that are truly spectacular.
Golden Interference and Iridescent Heavy Body Acrylics add an exciting range of options to your creative repertoire. Used alone or mixed with other acrylic paints, they enable you to achieve color effects that are truly spectacular.
These colors ''flip'' between a bright opalescent and its complement, depending on the angle of the viewer. Relatively transparent, they allow artists the ability to glaze with unique effects.
3. Caran d’Ache Technalo RGB Pencils
Do you know an artist who loves to draw and sketch? A truly unique gift is the Caran d’Ache Technalo RGB Pencils. These aren’t a watercolor pencil, they are a true graphite pencil. When used on paper, they have a typical graphite appearance. But when water is added to the graphite, they color shift to red, green, blue or black depending on the pencil.
There are a professional water-soluble graphite, so they write and shade beautifully on a range of different papers. This is a very unique gift for the person in your life that likes to draw and sketch. To see these pencils in action, check out this article: How to Use Water Soluble Graphite
Technalo water soluble graphite pencils contain an aquarelle lead, allowing uniform darkening of large surfaces, and regular and intense line drawing.
Used dry, they retain the original properties of graphite. Used wet, the black is tinted with subtle shades of Carmine Lacquer, Dark Phthalo Green, and Prussian Blue for subtle colored washes. The end result is exceptionally lightfast.
Used dry, they retain the original properties of graphite. Used wet, the black is tinted with subtle shades of Carmine Lacquer, Dark Phthalo Green, and Prussian Blue for subtle colored washes. The end result is exceptionally lightfast.
Used dry, they retain the original properties of graphite. Used wet, the black is tinted with subtle shades of Carmine Lacquer, Dark Phthalo Green, and Prussian Blue for subtle colored washes. The end result is exceptionally lightfast.
4. Watercolor Paints
I think every artist should have a good set of watercolor paints. There’s so many brands and colors out there, so how do you narrow it down to a good set?
If you are purchasing a gift for a professional artist, I can highly recommend Daniel Smith Fine Watercolor paints. If you are purchasing for someone who already works in watercolor, instead of purchasing a kit or set of colors, purchase individual tubes of color. This will be more useful to someone who already has a good collection of watercolors.
If you are purchasing for a hobbyist that is looking to get a better set of paints, consider a set of professional paints as it’s a less expensive way to get access to good quality watercolor paints.
For professional paints, I recommend Daniel Smith, Sennelier, Mission, Holbein, and M. Graham watercolors in tubes.
- Set of 10 colors hand-selected by artist Jean Haines
- Finely ground pigments blend beautifully and resist fading
- Includes 10, 5 ml (0.17 oz) tubes of Nickel Azo Yellow, Aussie Red Gold, Opera Pink, Quinacridone Magenta, Imperial Purple, Moonglow, Lunar Blue, Cascade Green, Green Apatite Genuine, and Undersea Green.
Holbein Acrylic Gouache is a fast-drying, opaque acrylic based watercolor paint. It's water soluble while wet, and water-resistant, matte and opaque, even over dark surfaces.
• Professional quality
• Pure pigments, gum arabic, and honey
• No artificial humectants or preservatives
• Strong, true colors
• Made in the USA
- Professional-quality
- Pure pigments, Kordofan gum arabic, and honey
- Palette inspired by the French Impressionists
- Creamy consistency for vivid even washes
- Crafted in France with over a century of expertise
- Professional quality
- Astonishing collection of 250+ colors
- Maximum pigment loads and pure gum arabic
- Highest possible lightfastness and permanence
- Expertly made in Seattle, Washington
Student Grade Watercolors
If you are looking for a more economical paint, I always recommend the Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolors in tube sets of either 10 or 20 colors. These have great pigment, not quite as brilliant as the professional watercolors, but you will get great color for your projects.
- Quality student-grade range
- 40+ colors, including modern and historic pigments
- Strong tint strength
- Reliable transparency and lightfastness
- Uniform consistency for beginners and students
- Quality student-grade range
- 40+ colors, including modern and historic pigments
- Strong tint strength
- Reliable transparency and lightfastness
- Uniform consistency for beginners and students
- Set of 24 vibrant watercolors
- Lightweight plastic storage case
- 16 Divided mixing areas
- Extra space for storing watercolor tubes
Just make sure to purchase a palette with these watercolor tubes. Tubes will give the artist a lot more color to work with than pre-made watercolor palettes.
- Includes 1 airtight watercolor palette with 18 wells for different paint colors and 2 large mixing areas.
- This paint tray palette has an airtight lid, which is excellent for keeping the paint pans moist and easy to clean. Keep your colors tidy and organized.
- 33 ergonomically slanted wells
- Removable mixing tray for easy cleaning
- Colors appear the same on both the palette and watercolor paper
- Leakproof and airtight palette for watercolor or oil paint keeps colors fresh for weeks
If you are looking for a truly portable watercolor set, especially for a hobbyist, check out the Sakura Koi Watercolor Sketch Box. This one is a must have for me when traveling and working away from my studio. Check out this article where I go into more detail about different options for watercolor paints: The Best Gifts for Artists that Love Watercolor and Acrylic Paint
- Compact, travel-ready watercolor pan sets
- Brilliant, smooth, pigmented colors
- Includes refillable Koi water brush and sponges
- Built-in mixing space for easy color blending
- Snap lid doubles as a postcard-sized easel
5. Paint Pens and Markers
For any mixed media or acrylic artist, the perfect gift is a set of Posca paint pens! These pens have highly pigmented acrylic, don’t clog, and write smoothly every time. To see my full paint pen review, check out this article: The Best Acrylic Paint Pens: A Paint Marker Comparison.
If you are looking for less expensive paint pens, especially if you are buying for a new artist, there are several brands that I recommend. My favorites lately have been the Tooli Art and Artistro paint pens. For my full review of inexpensive paint pens, check out this article: The Best Acrylic Paint Markers
Reversible bullet tips allow Posca markers to last twice as long as other markers; To reveal the other side of the tips, simply pull the bullet nib out to reveal one of two sides, from 0.9mm to 1.3mm.
Posca paint markers have been professionally tested and used on over 50 different surface types, which means you’re covered whether you’re using a canvas, fabric, acrylic, metal, surfboard, rocks, windshields, or anything else
Sakura marker pens write on glass, wood, porcelain, plastic, paper, and metal. Archival Quality: Pen paint is waterproof, fade resistant, and chemically stable when dry.
As part of the Special Color Series, you get 24 unique and pretty assorted pastel colors that you’re sure to love.
Extra fine 0.77 mm nylon tip makes fine detailed strokes ideal for drawing, outlining, or making fine mandala dots. The valve-action tip is engineered to keep it’s shape and not fray over time so you can continue to get good details in your artwork.
Artistro metallic pens utilize vivid, acrylic ink that dries quickly to produce a very durable opaque and glossy finish on almost all surfaces. These metallic markers have a Japanese nib and Italian ink that’s water-resistant, heat-resistant, and flows without jamming or flooding.
The Artistro Paint Pens for acrylic painting are made with the highest quality water-based Italian imported inks for a smooth, consistent flow and glossy, opaque finish. Our 0.7mm extra fine tipped nibs are made in Japan with love.
6. Tabletop Easel
If you don’t want to commit to a full-sized easel, the table top easel is a good choice. These easels can be found in a few different sizes. I have both a small and large tabletop easel. The small tabletop easel is 16 ½” by 12 1/8”. The large tabletop easel is 19 ¾” by 29 ½”.
There are great if you don’t have room for a full sized easel or are working in an art journal or on paper because of the lip on the easel.
I love using an easel when painting because it keeps me from dragging my hand through my wet paint. It’s also a lot more ergonomic. When I’m concentrating, I tend to hunch over my artwork. If you have neck, back or shoulder issues, being able to work at an easel can help with posture.
What’s great about these easels is that they can be set up at a slight angle or fully upright. This makes them useful for sketching as well as painting.
- This large, smooth drawing board turns any tabletop into a Professional drafting table
- The large integrated base Allows you to easily adjust the angle from flat to 80 degrees; 5 positions
- Durable and Strong: Made of strong European beech wood, it's strong enough to make sure the standing base very stable
- Lightweight: Only 1.9 LB Weight for empty Board Easel with Non-slip rubber foot, easy to move to anywhere
- Sturdy lightweight tabletop sketchbox easel can convertible to art easel. The internal partition of the sketchbox can be removed freely for easy storage of paints, brushes and other basic painting tools.
- The desktop easel is made of hand sanded high quality beechwood, smooth and textured. High quality electroplated hardware accessories, not easy to rust.
7. Brush Rests and Wraps
If you know an artist who takes classes, a brush wrap is one of the best tools you can have. It’s a great way to protect your brushes for transport, or for storing your favorite brushes.
A brush rest is another great tool to use, whether you are a watercolor or acrylic painter. This helps keep your brushes from rolling and protects your finer bristle brushes as you work. Instead of them falling or having the bristles squished, the brush rest keeps them stable and organized in your space. Plus, they come in so many unique designs that they are a fun gift for any artist!
A high-quality canvas 24 slot artist paintbrush holder and storage organizer case that can simply be rolled up and tied closed for storing, carrying, or travel.
- Package includes: 2 Pcs Brush Holder( not include a brush)
- The brush stand is supported by black catalpa wood, with beautiful wood grain and luster, no cracking, no expansion, and strong corrosion resistance.
- The delicately carved pen holder has a plain and simple shape and is easy to use and carry.
- Adorable Design: These are cute cat-shaped brush holders with a shiny finish and great colors. Place on your desk to hold brushes or use them as a cute little decoration on your desk and shelf!
- Material: Made from high-quality handmade porcelain and ceramic, giving excellent firing of the color and a smooth touch. Good weight and so easy to clean.
2 pack of paint brush holder with 4 rest slots and tray. It can hold most size of paint brushes for watercolor oil and acrylic painting.
8. Art Journal
Journals come in so many shapes and sizes and are a fantastic tool for sketchbooking, art journaling, and urban sketching.
For the watercolor artist in your life, getting a good quality journal with professional paper in it can make a fantastic gift. I love the Strathmore Softcover Watercolor Journal that comes with 400 Series watercolor paper. This is a heavyweight paper that doesn’t buckle when water is added to it and takes color beautifully.
If you know someone who loves to draw and work with dried mediums, a Bristol journal is a great choice. The Strathmore Visual Journal with Bristol paper is a great choice for drawing and light watercolor work.
For a mixed media artist, I would suggest a good watercolor or mixed media journal. I tend to go between mixed media paper and 140lb watercolor paper in my journals. One of my absolutely favorite sketchbooks is the Pentalic Nature Sketch journal. I also regularly use Dylusions and Dina Wakley Media Journals that can handle a variety of mediums. I have created a full article for a deep dive into my favorite art journals and the things you should consider when purchasing a journal. Check the article out here: Choosing an Art Journal for Your Creative Practice
Flexible and lightweight, this journal holds 48 pages of acid-free, 140 lb (300 gsm) paper. Ideal for use with watercolors, gouache, and acrylics, Strathmore 400 Series watercolor paper has a natural white color and traditional cold press surface that allows for fine and even washes, as well as lifting and scraping techniques.
Strathmore Bristol Visual Journals are designed to meet the intense demands of the artist's creative process. Each journal contains either smooth or vellum surface 100 lb (260 gsm), acid-free bristol paper, with heavy-duty covers and a spiral wire binding that is thicker and stronger than traditional bindings.
- Nature sketch drawing book
- Made in the USA
- Can be used for wet or dry media
- Acid free with 25-percent cotton sheets
When you need somewhere to create and preserve your artwork, look no further than this Dylusions Classics Journal from Ranger Ink, designed by Dyan Reaveley. This journal includes 52 double-sided pages, 28 mixed media, 12 black and 12 Kraft pages, all waiting for your inspiration.
The Dina Wakley Media Ledger Journal is a faithful reproduction of a 1920's hardware store ledger, perfect for mixed media artists.
9. Gelatin Printing Plate
A gelatin printing plate is a fantastic tool for anyone who enjoys print making, collage or mixed media. A gelatin plate (or gelli plate) is a reusable plate that will let the artist create a huge range of unique, one of a kind prints with inks, paints and so many other mediums.
The two brands of gelli plates that I use and have had excellent success with are Gelli Arts and Gel Press gelatine plates. These come in a range of sizes from very small ones in a variety of shapes to large square gel plates. To see the Gelli plate in action, check out the full playlist of my YouTube vidoes for gelli printing here.
10. Printed Tissue Paper & Collage Papers
If you are purchasing a gift for a collage artist, collage paper and printed tissue paper is a great choice. As a mixed media artist, you can never have enough beautiful paper to choose from! You can get these in rolls or sheets, depending on the manufacturer. Here’s a selection below from Amazon.com, but I also enjoy using Dina Wakley Tissue Paper as well as the Tim Holtz Ideology Tissue Paper.
To see how tissue paper can be used in an art journal page, check out this tutorial: Art Journaling with Tissue Paper Collage
You can also find a variety of books with collage papers. These are often copyright free and are perfect for those who are new to collage or junk journaling and are looking for easy images to use. These images can be cut right out of the books and used in your projects! Here’s a few examples just from Amazon that are great picks!
These rolls of collage paper was designed by Tim Holtz for the Idea-ology line. This package contains 3 rolls that are 6" wide x 6 yards long of semi-transparent paper suitable for use with collaging.
This roll of collage paper was designed by Tim Holtz for the Idea-ology line and showcases insects. This package contains 1 roll that is 6" wide x 6 yards long of semi-transparent paper suitable for use with collaging.
Dina Wakley Media Collage Paper are beautiful images printed on tissue that will be sure to inspire your creativity. The printed tissue is ideal for collaging into mixed media art and journal pages. Includes 20 Tissue Papers, 10 Printed and 10 Plain Package include 20 sheets of 7.5" x 10".
Dina Wakley Media Collage Paper are beautiful images printed on tissue that will be sure to inspire your creativity. The printed tissue is ideal for collaging into mixed media art and journal pages. Includes 20 Tissue Papers, 10 Printed and 10 Plain Package include 20 sheets of 7.5" x 10".
11. Permanent Black Pens
A good permanent black pen is a staple for many artists, including myself. My favorite sets of permanent pens are the Faber-Castell Pitt Pens and Sakura Micron and Microperm pens.
These are all fantastic drawing tools and can be used with watercolor, inks and in mixed media art journaling projects. These are the pens I use for most of my drawing and they have a very long life. I even found a few old Sakura Micron pens from 20 years ago that still work! To see my full article on choosing the best permanent pen, visit this article: The Search for the Best Permanent Pen
Pitt Artist Pens offer a waterproof pigmented India Ink with unsurpassed lightfastness. These acid-free pH neutral markers come in a wide variety of colors and nib sizes and provide great versatility to pen-and-ink drawings requiring lots of intricate details.
Every facet of fine-line detailing and permanence has been incorporated into the Microperm Pen by Sakura. For writing in micro-spaces or on unusual and challenging surfaces, the Microperm meets the challenge.
Includes one each of size 01 (0.25 mm), 03 (0.35 mm), 05 (0.45 mm), 08 (0.50 mm), 10 (0.60 mm), and 12 (0.70 mm) in Black ink.
- Affordable entry-level pens with an elevated aluminum body
- Ultra-smooth, beginner-friendly steel nib
- Patented cap design keeps ink fresh
- Silky, scratch-resistant finish
Waterproof carbon ink cartridges for the Platinum Plaisir Fountain Pen.
12. Kneaded Eraser
The kneaded eraser is a very simple and inexpensive gift, but it’s a super versatile and fun eraser. A kneaded eraser can be made into a lot of different shapes so that color can be removed easily from a surface. To clean it, just knead it!
Excellent for erasing and highlighting with pencils, colored pencils, charcoal, and pastels, the Faber-Castell Kneaded Eraser is the perfect artist's erasing tool.
13. Brusho Crystal Colours Pigment Powders
Brusho Crystal Colours are a beautiful watercolor pigment powder. Unlike conventional watercolors where pigment is mixed with gum Arabic or honey, the Brushos are a watercolor crystal. This means that they can be used very differently in artwork than traditional watercolors.
Sprinkle them on and mist them for unique color combinations. Mix them directly with water to make watercolor paint. Use them to tint mediums and pastes. These highly pigmented high-quality powders are an inspiring product for any artist! To see a project using brusho crystal colors, visit this article: 3 Ways to Use Brusho Crystal Colours
Brusho Crystal Colours – Set of 24 assorted colors, 15 g, pots
from: Blick Art Materials
Brusho Crystal Colours are amazingly versatile watercolor ink crystals that can be used in a myriad of different ways. This basic introductory set contains Yellow Ochre, Rose Red, Lime Green, Olive Green, Moss Green, Sandstone, Terracotta, and Burnt Sienna in 15 g pots, plus an instructional leaflet.
Brusho Crystal Colours are amazingly versatile watercolor ink crystals that can be used in a myriad of different ways. Incredibly vivid, vibrant, and brilliant, they open up a world of possibilities for creatives.
14. Watercolor Markers
Whether you are new to art or an experienced artist, watercolor markers are an extremely versatile coloring and drawing medium. They come in many colors, are very portable, and is a great way to add color down on a project quickly. My two favorite brands of watercolor markers are Tombow and Graphix, but to see my full review of watercolor markers, click here.
If you’d like to see watercolor markers in action, check out this article: Creative Techniques with Watercolor Markers
For watercolor painting on watercolor paper, Marabu Graphix Aqua Pens provide high-quality, lightfast, waterbased pigment ink in a range of brilliant colors. Use the two tips (one for contours and the other a flexible brush tip) to apply color, then use a wet brush to spread it.
ULTRA CLEAN WASHABLE MARKERS: Features 40 Crayola Ultra Clean Washable Markers that are long-lasting, easy to clean, and perfect for kids.
15. Color Wheel
The color wheel may seem like a strange gift idea for an artist, but it’s a useful reference tool for any artist to have. Each color wheel often has information about color relationships that are useful for reference. Whether you are a beginner artist or experienced artist, I think this is a tool every artist should own. To see the color wheel in action, visit this article: How to Use a Color Wheel to Create Unique Art Journal Color Combinations
Any Questions?
It was hard to limit this article to only 15 gift ideas for artists! There’s so many amazing products out there, but I hope that this gives you some great gift ideas for the artist in your life!
If you are a creative or artist who is reading this article, leave a comment below on what you think I should have added to this list! I’d love to know what your favourite art mediums are and what you would like to get as a gift this holiday season!
