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Tag: holiday gift guide

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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:

Posted on

2024 holiday gift guide for artists, part 1

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.

$46.12 at Dick Blick

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.

$4.62 at Dick Blick

$6.25 at Amazon

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.

$8.24 at Dick Blick

$9.95 at Amazon

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.

$6.84 at Dick Blick

$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.

$6.09 at Dick Blick

$8.94 at Amazon

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.

$3.13 at Dick Blick

$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.

$50.68 at Dick Blick

$50.68 at Amazon

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.

$26.57 at Dick Blick

$26.57 at Amazon

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.

$17.99 at Amazon

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.

$9.96 at Dick Blick

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.

$69.99 at Amazon

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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Gifts for the artist you love

Santa Claus, 6X8, oil on archival canvasboard, $435 framed.

Today I’m thankful for the people who support artists, so here’s a shopping guide that will make their holiday gift-buying easier.

Let’s talk about brushes:

Several years ago, my students bought me a set of Rosemary & Co. brushes. My biggest regret about my lost painting kit is that those brushes were a gift from people I love, but Bobbi Heath and Karen Ames have both sent me spare brushes. That adds another level of gratitude to my brush roll.

Brushes are where quality matters, but they’re pricey, so they’re where most artists flinch. Why not buy a Rosemary & Co. gift card? That means they’ll have to 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. They make oil, acrylic and watercolor brushes, so only pastelists need miss out.

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.

It’s easy to wipe out tiny brushes. This small bright and even tinier round are perfect for detail. Princeton has rebranded these brushes as Snap! But they’re the same excellent quality that the series 9700 has always provided.

I have a collection of very expensive watercolor brushes but the ones I continually grab are Princeton Neptunes. This nifty travel kit would make any watercolor painter happy.

This Catalyst wedge is lots of fun with any heavy-body paint.

Eric Jacobsen, that incomparable mark-maker, got me a Princeton Catalyst W-06 wedge. You can’t be precise, so it’s a great tool for loosening up your brushwork. In fact, the whole series of these wedges are fun. They’re meant for any heavy-body paints, including oil, acrylic and encaustic.

If I could carry only one watercolor travel brush, it would be an 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.

Gouache is a versatile and portable medium that’s appealing to artists in any medium. I did this when I ran out of painting boards while stranded in Argentina.

Gouache and other colorful things

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 a hundred bucks. 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.

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.

Easels: the good, the bad, and the ugly

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 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 light-weight. Tell Ed I sent you and he’ll give you 10% off (and, no, I don’t get a spiff for that).

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 (and thank goodness it wasn’t in my painting kit when that went missing.) I’m getting an EasyL Lite soon, which will replace my home-built aluminum pochade box for backpacking.

For studio work, I swear by the Testrite #700 Professional Studio Easel. I use its little brother, the Testrite #500, for students. The difference between the two models is in the maximum size canvas they’ll accept. They’re aluminum so they don’t warp or crack. I’ve had them for decades. The only maintenance I’ve ever done was replace parts that wandered off.

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

Miscellany

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 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.

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

I’d be remiss in not mentioning Rowan Branch Brush Soap. My daughter Mary makes it for me, and I’ve shared it with enough other artists to know that it really works.

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!

Reserve your spot now for a workshop in 2025:

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Have yourself a merry little workshop

One thing I hear over and over is, “I plan to take one of your workshops someday.” K—, who started painting with me when she was sixteen and is now a fully licensed architect, used to say it every year. Finally, I pointed out to her that I’m not going to be around forever. She was shocked. I’m not planning on retiring any time soon, mind you, but I am practically middle-aged. Although my goal is to retire at age 107, I recognize that nature sets limits on us all.

K—took my Sedona workshop this year. Now, she’s engaged to be married. It’s a good thing she went while she was still footloose and fancy-free. Life inevitably gets in the way of our good intentions. So, if you’re thinking about taking one of my workshops, I must ask: if not now, when?

This might be the most-important present you’ve ever gotten, or given yourself. My teaching gets consistently high reviews. I’ve been doing it for decades, including ten years here in Maine. A workshop organizer once called me “the hardest-working painting teacher in America.” (If you can’t get by on your looks, you’d better work hard instead.)

This year I’m focusing on teaching in the northeast, although I will be back in Sedona again and possibly Austin, TX (see my addendum below) in the early spring. New England is paradise in the summer; it’s easy to get here, and once you’ve been charmed by it, you will never want to leave.

Watercolor of schooner American Eagle

Age of Sail: Workshop on the water

This has two sessions: June 20-24, 2023 and September 16-20, 2023. 2022 was the first year I sailed with American Eagle’s new captain, Tyler King. Tyler’s as thoughtful a host as he is a skilled sailor. In October, I went to Gloucester and saw the boatyard his parents run. It’s no surprise that he has saltwater in his veins.

For this workshop, I provide the supplies, including a professional-quality kit of QOR watercolors. By the time we’re done, you’ll understand how to paint water, and how to paint with watercolors. Students of all levels are welcome.

(Georgette Diamandis wrote about our fall trip here.)

The Rocks Remain, 16X20, Carol L. Douglas

Towards amazing color: Sedona, AZ—March 20-24, 2023

March is just when it seems like winter will never end here in the northeast. Meanwhile, it’s balmy in Arizona’s high desert. Sedona has beautiful red-rock massifs, great hiking trails, wildlife, and clear, constantly-changing light. It also has fabulous shops, wineries, galleries, and restaurants. It’s a fun escape at the end of winter. This workshop is sponsored by the Sedona Arts Center, which is in itself a destination.

The magnificent Schoodic Point.

Sea & Sky at Schoodic—August 6-11, 2023

I love all of Acadia National Park, but my favorite part is the Schoodic Peninsula. It has the same dramatic rock formations, windblown pines, pounding surf and stunning mountain views as Mt. Desert Island, but only a fraction of the people. I can walk home to my room at Schoodic Institute in the twilight and never see another person—this year, Cassie Sano saw a bear instead. And there are dolphins and seabirds.

This is structured so that you can either camp in the area (choose instruction only) or register for  all-inclusive accommodation, depending on your taste and budget.

Spring, Carol L. Douglas

Find your Authentic Voice in Plein Air: Berkshires—August 14-18, 2023

I fell in love with the Berkshires when my oldest daughter lived in Pittsfield, MA. They’re rolling old mountains, dotted with historic New England villages and farms. But there are also amenities and cultural institutions. We’re centered in Pittsfield, so there are ample hotels and restaurants. Yet we’re close to some of the most beautiful towns in old New England.

Pittsfield is just three hours from Boston and New York and it’s accessible by train from either city.

ADDENDUM: Here's the information on Austin:

Find your Authentic Voice in Plein Air: Austin--March 27-31, 2023

This is part three of a four-part series on Holiday Gifts for Artists. The prior two parts are Holiday gifts for the serious artist and Holiday gifts for the budding artist (including kids).

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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!

Posted on

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!