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Tag: Christmas

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Holiday guide for artists, part 2

I’m dividing this holiday gift guide for artists into multiple parts this year, so stay tuned over the next two weeks. I’ve given you both the Dick Blick and the Amazon price where available; while the per-item price is generally lower at Blick (where shipping is free over $59), there’s the advantage of Prime-Eligible if you only want one or two things. You know how to play this game.

This gift guide is for more serious artists who’ve already bought their way into a primary medium, but are still interested in experimenting. If you need to know more about oils, watercolors, acrylics or pastels, email me your questions.

Oils and acrylic brushes

Brushes are expensive, so many artists have inferior ones or too-small ones. In 2024 I surprised myself by coming back to a trusted old favorite: Isabey. They’re bristle brushes that carry a lot of paint and stand up to hard use.

These are the big boys that we artists never seem to buy for ourselves:

Isabey Chungking Interlocking Bristle Brush – Bright, Long Handle, Size 10 $23.94

Isabey Chungking Interlocking Bristle Brush – Filbert, Long Handle, Size 8 $16.57

Isabey Chungking Interlocking Bristle Brush – Flat, Long Handle, Size 10 $, 23.94

Isabey Chungking Interlocking Bristle Brush – Round, Long Handle, Size 8 $15.84

Princeton SNAP is another reliable product. I use them for smaller oil painting brushes, where paint load isn’t as critical, and any size in acrylics. Here is a great starter kit:

Princeton Snap! Natural Bristle Brush Set – Long Handle, Set of 3 $9.05

Watercolor brushes

Despite having many expensive watercolor brushes, I reach for Princeton Neptunes first. Again, the hole in most artists’ toolkit is in the bigger brushes, so try one of these kits:

Big boys: Princeton Neptune Synthetic Squirrel Brushes – Box Set of 4. $47.85

Middlin’ boys: Princeton Neptune Synthetic Squirrel Brushes – Set of 4 $35.97

If money is no object, you can get your loved one an Escoda Reserva Kolinsky-Tajmyr Sable Brush – Charles Reid Signature Brush Set, Pocket Round, at $495.49 (although in that price range I think a workshop is a better value.)

Brush soap

My daughter makes Rowan Branch Brush Soap for me, and it’s the best brush soap I’ve ever used. Slip some in the stockings of your oil and acrylic painter friends.

Gouache

Gouache is used in art school, and for good reason. It has the immediacy of acrylics and the opacity of oils, but it cleans up with water. Artists in all media like playing with it, including me.

I like this M. Graham Artists’ Gouache Basic Set, Set of 5 colors, 15 ml tubes

Dick Blick, $54.35

Amazon: $54.35

Oil Pastels

Sennelier is the clear quality winner in oil pastels, which can be used on their own or with oil paint. This landscape starter kit will give you enough experience to know if you like them:

$55.69 at Dick Blick

$61.83 at Amazon

Hard Pastels

Hard pastels are fabulous, cost-effective drawing tools. This assorted set of 24 is professional grade at a very good price.

Dick Blick $25.74

Amazon, $25.44

I just want to try soft pastels without breaking the bank

Dick Blick offers this Unison Handmade Pastel set of 8 half sticks at an outstanding price, I assume on the theory that they’re addictive.

$17.80 at Dick Blick

Pastel paper

This UArt tablet of ten sheets of sanded paper should last as long as the soft pastels, and by the time you’re done you’ll know if you’re hooked:

$33.68 at Dick Blick

$39.60 at Amazon

Storage for the studio

I have more than one taboret cabinet but this simple one sits under my desk and holds all the art supplies I might need while teaching.

$92.45 at Amazon

For your plein air kit

These mesh bags save my backpack from becoming a swamp of materials.

$15.99 at Amazon

And, last but not least, safety

The danger of “park and paint” plein air is other bad drivers. One of the nicest gifts I ever received was a pair of safety cones. These collapsible ones are reflective, come with LED lights, and will fit easily in a car trunk. Every plein air painter should have them.

$29.90 at Amazon

This is the second in a four-part holiday gift guide. Holiday Gifts for Budding Artists is here.

And, yes, I get affiliate benefits from this gift guide for artists if you buy through one of these links. It helps keep this blog on the internet, so I do appreciate it.

Reserve your spot now for a workshop in 2025:

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Silly, sweet Christmas

Santa Claus, 6X8, oil on archival canvasboard, $435 framed includes shipping and handling in continental US.

Usually, I write about one painting on Friday, but this week I’m stretching my rule. Here are four small still-lives with a common theme.

I’m indifferent to the aesthetics of Christmas, but I do love seeing my decorations come out each year and remembering the people who made them or gave them to me.

Santa Claus was a gift from my dear friend Judie. She’d gotten him from a German exchange student, and he has a luxurious platinum blonde beard, which was jarring to her sensibilities.

“He’s a very old man,” I told her. After all, Father Christmas was born in the 16th century. “Unlike my grandmother, he never knew about blue rinses for white hair.”

Judie wasn’t convinced, which is how he came to live with me.

I was raised by forward-thinking parents who didn’t believe in Santa. He may not be ‘real’ in the way literal-thinkers put it, but he’s a symbol for generosity, love, and kindness. We can always use more of that.

Burlap Angel, 6X8, oil on archival canvasboard, private collection.

The second painting is long gone from my inventory. It’s a burlap-covered, plastic-headed, cardboard angel that I made in 4H about 55 years ago. My pals Diane, Beth and Sue have similar ones in different colors. My mother gave me an exquisite porcelain-and-satin angel to replace her; I promptly gave that to my oldest daughter and kept my happy, handmade angel for my tree. She’s worn in places, but so am I.

Toy Reindeer with double rainbow, oil on archival canvasboard, 6X8, $435 framed, includes shipping in continental US.

The black velour and pink boa reindeer buck has pride of place in my creche set year after year. This was a gift from my sister-in-law Kathy. As different as we are in almost every way, we both love that deer.

In recent years, he’s been joined by a glittery red doe with a white boa. And this year, I bought a sparkling coral fawn for a gift exchange. “Would it be wrong for me to take home the same ornament I brought?” I asked my daughter Mary.

“No, but there might be something even better,” she said. That’s hard to imagine.

When I painted Papa deer (or Papa Dear), I decided he’d be happiest out-of-doors, so I put him by the birch tree in my front yard. I gave him a double rainbow because that’s the kind of fella he is.

Toy Monkey and Candy, oil on archival canvasboard, $435 framed includes shipping and handling in the continental US.

The toy monkey belonged to my friend Marilyn’s son. My kids had a similar one. It was passed from oldest to youngest, and I thought for a while that it was lost. But, no, it lives in the toy-clutter under our front stairs, and my grandkids dig it out when they visit.

Painting these was pure happiness, for they blurred the lines between fantasy and reality. That’s just how kids see Christmas. If you feel that joy and want one of these paintings, use the code THANKYOUPAINTING10 to get 10% off your order. And don’t worry about it being something you can only bring out at Christmas. The angel painting lives 365 days a year on a wall in its forever home.

(By the way, my holiday discount codes are all at the end of this post. They come to you via my daughter Laura. This week she figured out how to make drop-down menus that give a choice to pay a deposit or full fee for a workshop. It’s particularly slick on Sea & Sky at Schoodic, where the buying options are complicated. I’ve been having so much fun toggling the options that I’ll probably accidentally buy one of my own workshops.)

Reserve your spot now for a workshop in 2025:

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Holiday gift guide for the serious artist

Santa Claus, 6X8, Carol L. Douglas

Leave this list open on your iPad, phone or computer. If that doesn’t work, I suppose you’ll just have to forward it ‘accidentally.’

Let’s talk about brushes:

Brushes are where quality matters, and it’s where most artists flinch. Why not buy a Rosemary & Co. gift card? That means they’ll have to actually pull the trigger on a brush, as Rosemary doesn’t carry much else. Gift cards come in odd increments because it’s a British firm, but plan to spend at least $130 for it to be useful.

One of the nicest gifts I’ve ever received was this set of Rosemary & Co. oil brushes.

Isabey is a French company that makes very nice bristle brushes that stand up to hard use. If your artists have no big brushes, buy a bright, flat or round anywhere between a size 10 and 14. Those big boys are the ones artists never get around to buying.

Eric Jacobsen, that incomparable mark-maker, got me a Princeton Catalyst W-06 wedge for oil painting. You can’t be precise, so it’s a great tool for loosening up your brushwork.

Inexpensive, and it packs a world of fun.

Speaking of Princeton, an excellent mid-price brush for oils and acrylics is Princeton SNAP. I’ve been using Princeton brushes for decades and they’re tough, consistent and reliable. Likewise, I find that my Princeton Neptunes are what I reach for first for watercolor.

If I could carry only one watercolor travel brush, it would be the Escoda Reserva Kolinsky-Tajmyr Pocket Brush. It’s compact, comes in a protective tube, and makes an outstanding range of marks. A close second, at a lower price point, are the Da Vinci Cosmotop Spin Travel Brushes. A hat tip to Heather Evans Davis for introducing me to them.

Heather also loves her field easel art bag by Darsie Beck. It allows her to sketch and paint while standing.

Gouache and other colorful things

Gouache is as easy to carry as watercolor and more intense in its results. That’s one I did while stuck in Argentina.

Many painters are interested in experimenting with gouache, and for good reason-its results are completely on-trend. Schmincke Horadam is a fabulous, high-pigment brand, but a starter set runs $150. Instead, you could make up a primary-color kit of Titanium White, Lemon Yellow, Scarlet (Pyrrole Red), Helio Blue (Phthalo), and Ivory Black. That’s everything necessary for limited-palette painting. M. Graham has a primary-color starter set that’s significantly less expensive and nearly as luscious.

A great combo for mixed medium experimentation is oil paint and oil pastels. Sennelier is the clear quality winner in oil pastels. A landscape or iridescent starter kit will give your artist enough information to know if he likes the combination.

Similarly, you can add chalk pastels to watercolor or acrylic paintings. My preferred soft pastel is Unison; a starter color kit is enough to experiment with. I love NuPastel for hard pastels; a set of 24 will provide a full range of color options. Of course, watercolor pencils are fun for everyone. I like Staedtler Karat Aquarell and Faber-Castell Albrecht DĂĽrer Magnus, which are fatter than usual.

Easels: the good, the bad, and the ugly

Cheap pochade boxes are a false economy. This field kit was pricey, but it’s put up with an incredible amount of abuse, including saltwater, sand, deserts, heat and freezing temperatures.

If your painter struggles with a knock-off Gloucester-style easel, you can make him or her ecstatic by buying the Take-It Easel, which costs twice as much and is worth every penny. After breaking one of the cheap ones and then buying a second one that arrived warped, I shelled out for a used version of the real thing. I’m glad I did.

As a teacher, I see a lot of pochade boxes and easels, and can steer you away from the bad ones as well as recommend good ones. I’ve had a version of the Mabef Field Painting Easel for decades and recommend it highly as a good starter tool for plein air. It has a swing head so can be used for oils and watercolor. The Leder Easel is simple, effective and inexpensive. The New Wave u.go pochade is also a simple, effective design, although it’s only suitable for smaller work.

I use an EasyL Pro on a carbon-fiber Manfrotto tripod with a ball head. It is very lightweight and has survived incredible abuse (including saltwater), but it’s not a cheap combination.

My Testrite studio easel is easily adjusted, takes huge canvases, and didn’t break the bank.

For studio work, I swear by the Testrite #700 Professional Studio Easel. It’s aluminum so it doesn’t warp or crack. I’ve had one for decades. I use its little brother, the Testrite #500, for students. The only maintenance I’ve ever done was replace parts that wandered off.

Miscellany

My traffic cones ride in the back of my truck, but if you drive a smaller vehicle, you’ll want the collapsible kind.

The danger of “park and paint” plein air is other drivers. One of the nicest gifts I ever received was a pair of safety cones. This set of collapsible ones are reflective, come with LED lights, and will fit easily in a car trunk.

I have an Artwork Essentials umbrella, but I’m equally impressed with the Shade Buddy. However, for many situations, I find a beach umbrella works just as well.

I have more than one taboret cabinet but my current favorite is this simple six drawer rolling cart. Mine sits under my Zoom teaching desk and holds all the art supplies I might need while teaching. Watch for discounts; I got mine on a Woot daily deal.

If your artist is starting to frame and sell work, the Fletcher FrameMaster point driver will save him or her a world of aggravation. Mine is decades old and still works fine.

I’d be remiss in not mentioning my own first foray into merchandising: Rowan Branch Brush Soap. My soapmaker daughter makes it for me, and I’ve shared it with enough other artists to know that it really works.

Mary’s soap. Just wait until you see the movie.

This is the second in a four-part holiday gift guide. Holiday Gift Guide for Budding Artists is here.

This page contains affiliate links for some but not all products. If you choose to make a purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

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Holiday gift guide for budding artists

There is no age that’s too old to paint.

Drawing for adults and teens

Art starts with drawing. I use a Strathmore Bristol Visual Journal in a smooth finish and a #2 mechanical pencil. Bigger isn’t always better; the smaller notebook fits in a purse or backpack easily. If you’re looking for a higher-end pencil try the Uni Hi-uni Graphite Pencil Set or woodless pencils with a sandpaper pointer. A Pentel stick eraser and simple pencil sharpener will round out the gift.

(For my last word on drawing materials, see Monday’s post.)

If your artist is interested in figure drawing, consider a sketch board with a tablet of newsprint and some willow charcoal. A few kneaded erasers will round out this kit.

Who doesn’t like a Micron pen? There’s another pen that I love these days: the FriXion gel pen. It erases with heat, so you can use it to draw under watercolor and make it disappear with a hairdryer, eliminating the permanent guidelines in your work.

Fewer colors, better paints, make for a less-frustrating start in art.

Adding color

Give budding artists a few good tools, rather than overload them with the junk you see on department store end-caps. That doesn’t necessarily mean spending more money.  Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils come in small starter sets. That’s true of Prismacolor watercolor pencils as well. Both will work in the Visual Journals I mentioned earlier. If you want to up the paper game, consider Strathmore 400 Series mixed media pads.

NuPastel color sticks are the gateway drug to a life of pastel painting, and they come in starter sets. I’d add a tablet of Canson Mi-Teintes paper, so your artist can experiment with vellum and smooth surfaces.

Many new painters I teach start with watercolor. QOR’s halfpan kit would be a luxurious gift coupled with a set of Princeton Neptune Brushes and an Arches watercolor block. Or, replace the halfpan set with QOR’s introductory tube set of six paints and the paper with a Strathmore 400 watercolor block. But don’t switch the brushes to cheap knock-offs; they’re the most important part of the watercolor puzzle. It’s better to buy one decent brush than ten cheap ones.

Golden Acrylics come in several introductory sets. I recommend the ‘modern theory’ set, but any of them will be well-received. Add a set of Princeton Taklon brushes and cotton canvas panels and your budding painter is ready to rumble. No mediums or finishes are necessary.

One good brush is worth ten lousy ones.

If he or she is interested in oil painting, an economical, high-quality option is Gamblin’s 1980 series, which also comes in an introductory set. Alla prima oil painting requires a stiffer brush than watercolor or acrylic.  I recommend Princeton SNAP! Some cotton canvas panels and your lucky recipient will have a full painting kit.

A word about easels

Every year, retailers trundle out cheap, heavy French easels during the holiday season. They then appear in my painting classes to frustrate and annoy my students. Even worse are the Meeden pochade boxes that are all over the internet right now.

For beginners, a simple floor easel and folding table is sufficient. I still have the folding easel from my teen years; it’s small and portable.

That easel has earned its way many times over.

For kids

I bought my grandkids this double-sided easel several years ago, and it was a great investment; they use it for hours every time they visit. Pair it with Crayola Tempera Paint. They’ll also need brushes, inexpensive palettes, and aprons.

Kids never have enough washable markers. Lots of paper is critical; burning through it is how they learn art. Likewise, every child should experience Sculpey; it’s a million times more fun than Play-Doh.

Books and more

For conventional drawing, I recommend Sketching – from Square One to Trafalgar Square by Richard E. Scott. Younger people might prefer How to Draw Manga: Basics and Beyond.

Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking should be on every artist’s bookshelf.

Kids will enjoy The Drawing Book for Kids: 365 Daily Things to Draw.

Casey Cheuvront introduced me to these plastic mesh zipper pouches. They cost a fraction of the ones in an art store and instantly turn any mess of art supplies into a kit.

This is part of a series on holiday gifts for the painters you love. Next up: Holiday Gifts for the serious artist.

This page contains affiliate links for some but not all products. If you choose to make a purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!