Gifts for Artists and Painters

Artists are particular about materials. They rarely buy themselves the good version of anything. That gap is where the best gifts live: artist-grade pencils instead of student-grade, a proper sketchbook, a portable paint set for drawing outdoors. Find out their medium first. A watercolorist has little use for markers, and a digital artist will not open the oil paints.

Under $25 8 ideas

  1. Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolour Sketchers' Pocket Box

    Twelve half-pans and a brush in a small box with a built-in palette. The classic travel watercolor set, with reliable student-grade paint.

    Winsor & NewtonStocking stuffer

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  2. Pentel Arts Aquash Water Brush

    A brush with water in the handle, so there is no cup to spill. Essential for painting on the go and loved by people who sketch in parks.

    PentelStocking stuffer

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  3. Sakura Pigma Micron Fineliner Pens, 6-Pack

    Archival ink pens that will not smear under watercolor or markers. Inkers and sketchers go through them quickly.

    SakuraStocking stufferGets used up

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  4. Staedtler Mars Lumograph Drawing Pencils, 12-Pack

    A full range of graphite grades from hard to soft. Better made than the pencils in most drawing kits.

    StaedtlerStocking stuffer

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  5. Tombow Mono Zero Eraser

    A pen-shaped eraser with a tiny tip for precise highlights and corrections. Artists who try one keep buying them.

    TombowStocking stuffer

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  6. Strathmore 400 Series Sketch Pad, 9x12

    The everyday sketch pad for practice drawings, with paper heavy enough not to tear when erasing. Artists use these up and need more.

    StrathmoreGets used up

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  7. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

    The famous course in learning to draw what you see. For someone who says they cannot draw, it has a long record of proving them wrong.

    Betty EdwardsBook

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  8. Steal Like an Artist

    A short, encouraging book on creativity and getting unstuck. A small gift to go with art supplies.

    Austin KleonBookStocking stuffer

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Under $50 5 ideas

  1. Sakura Koi Water Colors Pocket Field Sketch Box, 24 Colors

    A palm-sized watercolor set with a water brush, built for painting outside or in a café. The set many urban sketchers start with.

    Sakura

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  2. Uni Posca PC-5M Paint Markers, 16 Colors

    Opaque water-based paint markers that work on paper, wood, glass, and stone. Artists use them for highlights over other media and for customizing everything.

    Uni Posca

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  3. Liquitex BASICS Acrylic Paint, 48 Tube Set

    A big range of reliable student-grade acrylics for practice and experiment. Good for a teen or a beginner painting regularly.

    Liquitex

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  4. Moleskine Art Sketchbook, Large

    Heavy, smooth paper in a durable hardcover. The kind of sketchbook artists save for good drawings and rarely buy themselves.

    Moleskine

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  5. Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter

    A clear, deeply practical book on how light and color behave, by the creator of Dinotopia. Painters in every medium recommend it.

    James GurneyBook

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Under $100 4 ideas

  1. Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils, Tin of 36

    Oil-based artist pencils that hold a sharp point and do not leave wax bloom. The pencils many colored-pencil artists move to after Prismacolor.

    Faber-Castell

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  2. Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, 72 Count

    Soft, waxy pencils that blend smoothly, popular with illustrators and coloring-book fans. The 72 set covers almost every color they will need.

    Prismacolor

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  3. Copic Ciao Markers 12-Piece Basic Set

    The refillable alcohol markers used by illustrators and manga artists, with a brush nib. A 12-color set is a good start, since they can buy single colors later.

    Copic

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  4. Golden Heavy Body Acrylic Principal Set

    Professional acrylics in a set of mixing colors. Much higher pigment than student paint, so a little goes a long way and colors stay bright.

    Golden

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$100 and up 3 ideas

  1. Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolor Ultimate Mixing Set, 15 Tubes

    Fifteen artist-grade watercolor tubes. Together they mix almost any color. A serious watercolorist would think twice before buying this set for themselves.

    Daniel Smith

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  2. Apple Pencil Pro

    Adds squeeze and barrel-roll gestures for brush control in apps like Procreate. Check that their iPad model is compatible before buying.

    Apple

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  3. Wacom Intuos Pro Medium

    The standard pen tablet in studios, with a pressure-sensitive pen that needs no charging. For an artist working in Photoshop or Clip Studio on a computer.

    Wacom

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