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; 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 for artists is directed towards the newbies on your list, both young and old. As a young artist, I had the benefit of good materials provided (sometimes unwillingly) by my artist father. The frustration of bad supplies often makes people quit art before they get started. Give budding artists a few good tools, rather than overload them with the junk you see on department store end-caps. That doesn’t mean spending more money; it means choosing wisely.
For the littlest artist
I bought this easel for my grandkids years ago, and it’s still going strong. It’s tall enough to last a kid until ages 7-8, after which they can graduate to real art supplies.
Little people and color
If you’re brave, pair the above easel with this florescent tempera paint and these chubby brushes. That’s enough paint to last them a very long time.
However, sometimes the mess drives me nuts. Then I had them these Crayola washable markers instead.
For bigger people (older kids and adults)
These are all professional-grade materials, and I’ve chosen them because they’re useful for the person just starting out.
Paper
I use this Strathmore Bristol Visual Journal myself, and give it as gifts to my kids and grandkids. It takes watercolor, pencil and ink without buckling. Bigger isn’t better when it comes to sketchbooks, and this size fits easily in a backpack or purse. Because it’s infinitely erasable, it’s the only sketchbook I use.
Pencils
I’ve got drawers full of pencils, but I keep coming back to Papermate’s #7 mechanical pencil. The biggest problem with pencils isn’t quality; it’s finding one when you need it. I find the fat grip helpful, and the lead is refillable. Mechanical pencils never need sharpening, which means there’s one less thing for me to lose.
$5.70 at Amazon (limited time offer)
And erasing
Nobody needs a separate eraser but I enjoy this; it’s got a narrow point and makes erasure part of the drawing experience. Plus, it clips into my sketchbook just like my pencil does.
For fine lines
The Faber-Castell Ecco Pigment Pen is a reasonably-priced, lightfast and waterproof art pen. Its point holds up to use, even with rulers. I buy these in bulk for both myself and my boat workshops.
$2.99 at Amazon but not Prime Eligible
Adding color
Any budding artist would enjoy this starter set of high-end colored pencils. They’re color-matched to all Faber-Castell systems, and are high-chroma, easily blended, break-resistant, water-resistant, and smudgeproof. This gift set comes with 20 colored pencils, four graphite pencils of differing weights, an eraser and a metal pencil sharpener.
And paint
If I were to give a new watercolor painter a cost-effective gift, it would be just three pigments: Ultramarine Blue, Nickel Azo Yellow and Quinacridone Magenta. This set, however, gives you six pigments and a mixing tray at a reasonable price. They’re what I use; they’re high-chroma, professional-quality paints.
Brushes
After years of looking for an affordable brush kit for my watercolor workshops, I stumbled on this. It’s a good starter set for pocket brushes.
Watercolor Paper
Strathmore 400 is a good, all-around sheet, a good first step towards finished work in watercolor. It’s what I use to demo painting effects in my classes and workshops.
A storage solution is a canny gift
After searching for sewing supplies in my granddaughter’s bedroom, I realize that the crafty child needs organization as much as anything. This multi-drawer craft cart will tuck in next to her dresser, and she can move it to a bigger space if she needs to.
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:
- Canyon Color for the Painter, Sedona, AZ, March 10-14, 2025
- Advanced Plein Air Painting, Rockport, ME, July 7-11, 2025.
- Sea and Sky at Acadia National Park, August 3-8, 2025.
- Find Your Authentic Voice in Plein Air, Berkshires, MA, August 11-15, 2025.
- Immersive In-Person Fall Workshop, Rockport, ME, October 6-10, 2025.