For those of you with artists in your life, you know that shopping for them can be difficult, even painstaking. Most of them have everything that they could ever want and/or need. Surprise the artist on your list during the holidays or for their birthday with our awesome list of gifts for artists, who seemingly have everything they need to create their artwork.
When your art form is based on streaming or pics then you have to have the right lighting to perfect your art. This ring light is 10″ and will provide your streams, videos, and tutorials with the best look possible. If you are the king or queen of selfies then this ring light will make you look even better than all the filters that I am sure you are using. Ring lights are inexpensive and will add so much to the content you are putting out there in the world. This is a best seller on Amazon because it is one of the most popular and it works better than most.
When you think of artists most people typically think of painting or canvas work or sculpting. Thankfully, technology has given the world a ton of new outlets as far as artists are concerned. Spielberg is an artist. From ET to Jurassic Park, the way he films is an art form, and for the more modern movie maker, a drone is a great piece of equipment to get the panning and zoom shots that you can’t typically get with a regular camera. This DJI Mavic Drone is one of the most popular drones on the market because of how easy it is to use and how clear the resolution is.
The drone itself weighs less than a pound and has a flight time of 30 minutes on a full charge. You can take some seriously cool shots for your next film with this drone. The drone is compatible with almost every smartphone and can be uploaded onto almost any kind of laptop or computer. IF you are looking for something a little bigger with a longer flying time and have the extra coin to spend I suggest checking out the Mavic Mini Combo that is also for sale.
When it comes to being a barber there are some pretty artistic things you can do with someone’s hair and beard. If you have checked out actors and ballplayers and rappers fresh cuts then you know that there is a lot that goes into making someone look dope and totally unique. Tight edges, waves for days, and a beard that has no imperfections is just another way a barber shows off his or her artistic skills. This trimmer has a sharp edge and can turn even the rattiest and unkempt beards into a work of art. If you aren’t digging the gold there are two other colors to choose from. Or, get all three and fill your barbershop with the right tools for the job.
If music is your art then you need a set up that will help you spread that art to the rest of the world. You can make a crazy good living off of DJing gigs at bars, clubs, weddings, parties, and in production. If you have the right equipment then you are well on your way to making your money back and turning a profit by making music. This set has everything that you could need to start making money immediately. It has two massive 2400 Watt speakers. It has a mixer with digital turntables that also take CDs so you can mix popular music and sample on the fly. You also get a microphone so you can hype up the crowd while doing your thing.
There are all sorts of reasons a creative might need a microphone, especially a USB one. Podcasting, YouTubing, or simply recording tutorials. Maybe you are a recording artist and need to lay down some fresh tracks? This is the best mic on the market, ask any producer or any engineer from any popular studio. If you are going to buy a mic, then the Blue Yeti is the way to go. This is a very substantial thing that offers multiple pickup patterns and can even be used for recording music. To top it off, it comes in ten different colors.
Capable of cutting a wide variety of materials like paper, vinyl, fabric, and others, this very useful machine comes with software that will let you plan your own designs. Once you’ve decided exactly what you want to be cut, just print it out as you would on a normal printer. No more scrounging around at the art store in hopes that they have just the perfect sticker or stencil. This will give anyone the ability to generate the designs they need down to the pixel.
Most artists don’t like using other folks’ designs or ideas for their projects. This gift is the gift that will keep on giving for years to come. It is also incredibly addicting and once your artist’s friend or relative starts using it, they won’t want to stop. You’re going to enjoy checking out their newest creations and receiving gifts from the gift that you got for them.
Traveler’s notebooks are excellent gifts for creatives. They allow both for planning and for using notebooks with different papers to span a variety of creative disciplines. In this kit, you get not only a leather notebook cover but three 64-page inserts and one insert that is both a cardholder and a zippered envelope. Choose from the A5 size or the Midori/Narrow size in your choice of black, blue, brown, or purple. Collasaro offers its own insert refills, as well as a pencil pouch in six colors.
Even if you are unsure if the person your gifting likes to write or keeps a journal this is one of those gifts that will force the artist out of them. This journal can be used for recipes, gardening, sports stats, and a thousand other ideas. I typically have three or four of these laying around at any time and use them religiously.
If you want to go all out, consider buying the creative in your life a new camera. Increasingly, these very good mirrorless options are replacing SLRs in the hands of a wide variety of pros and novices alike. My wife, whose last camera was a Canon 60D (predecessor to the 80D), just bought one of these as her everyday shooting replacement. In addition to having a very good sensor, it can record 4K video, yet occupies a much smaller footprint than its SLR counterparts. The styling has a vintage feel despite the fact that this is an ultra-modern solution for relatively high-end shooting. You might also wish to augment this with Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs by Henry Carroll to help them make the most of it.
Tombow pencils made an appearance on our best pencils for students post because they’re something of a phenomenon in Japan and well worth your consideration here. These are presented in themed, limited color palettes of 30 pencils each. They’re perfect for working on a series or for coloring books that focus on nature scenes. The Rainforest set featured here would be perfect for Annika Bernhard’s Rain Forest Coloring Book, while the Woodland pack would work in Johanna Basford’s Enchanted Forest, and the Seascape set in Basford’s Lost Ocean. Though these are easily blended and mixed wax, they’re still hard lead and won’t break while sharpening. These are also excellent for layering. If you’d prefer a more traditional approach from Tombow, check out their Recycled Colored Pencils 24-pack.
While the traveler’s notebook elsewhere on this list excels at combining multiple types of paper, this is excellent for keeping a record of ideas and inspirations. This gift set combines one of their notebooks in the 4 5/8 by seven-inch size with a Cordura cover and one of their all-weather pens. Inside the cover are places to hold more pens or similarly-sized instruments as well as a general-purpose pocket. It zippers closed and will repel water, so it can be put through a lot of abuse. Choose from the tan/tan, green/tan, yellow/black, or black/black color combinations. They also offer a top spiral variation, too.
The Pilot Metropolitan is probably the most popular decent pen going and is the pen of choice for those looking to get into using fountain pens. It punches above its weight at this price point, and will make a good introduction to fine writing implements. If a fountain pen won’t work, it also comes in ballpoint and gel rollerball in your choice of silver, gold, or black. If you’d like more pen options, check out our best ballpoint pens and best rollerball pens.
Yes! Jigsaw puzzling is definitely an art form and there are millions of people out there that actually laminate and frame their finished puzzles and hang them on their walls or give them as gifts. This puzzle table from Bits and Pieces is a great gift for the serious puzzler out there. The foam top will prevent the puzzle pieces from sliding around. The foldable sides will keep the pieces and finished portions where they are for the next time you want to get to puzzling. It is easy to store and easy to set up and makes for a perfect gift. The table can handle over 1500 pieces.
I went to art school (for writing) and one thing they teach you is to practice the process without worrying about the end result too much. You can’t be too precious about what you create because you’re always learning. This gift takes that to a new level. Using a water brush pen, whatever you write or draw on this lasts only until the water evaporates, at which point, you can start again. It’s good for practice and for meditation. This is the Mini size which is five inches square, but the Enso, which is twice as large also fits under our price cap.
The premise of these books is that you follow the prompts through a variety of creative exercises. The end result is a “wrecked” journal – though what you’ve really created is a document that displays the creative process. It’s a good way for creatives to be less precious about their work and to see a variety of new solutions for creating. This is the four pack, which contains the first four editions. You could also add in the newest version, Wreck This Journal: Now In Color.
While the ever-increasing size of phones and tablets is advantageous in some ways — better screens, touch response, and resolution — for people with small hands, it can also be a major drawback. With a phone so large, you can’t quite get the same grip on it, which makes it prone to falling and being destroyed. The advantage for creatives is that it allows them to quickly prop their phone up wherever they’re working in order to reference YouTube videos or photo references.
If the full-on digital camera elsewhere on this list is a bit too expensive, you might consider one of the instant cameras enjoying a full-on revival. Lots of artists use instant film cameras either for quickly grabbing a reference shot or to use the resulting photos themselves in a piece of art. Of course, they’re always handy for scrapbooking, too. If you don’t want to buy the full bundle, you can just buy the camera itself or opt for the vintage-styled Instax Mini 90.
Creatives tend to have a thing for writing utensils, even if they aren’t visual artists. These roll-up pencil cases are excellent at their intended purpose, of course, but you can keep many different implements in them for easy transport. Choose from Black, Denim, Olive, or Rose for colors. Make sure you can carry everything you need to be the next great artist with one of these cases. The organization is a huge key to being prepared to complete a masterpiece.
Hand-lettering can be a useful skill for a wide variety of people. To begin with, it recaptures something of a lost art and can be used for personal letters or in the course of a design. It’s also just good practice in general for fountain pen users and for hand-styled design. This book takes a very whimsical approach to the subject matter and includes tutorials on drawing flowers, as well.
Designers and anyone with even a passing interest in printing their designs will need to be familiar with the Pantone guide. This is the full set, which includes 1,867 Pantone spot colors with their corresponding ink formulations, which is key both for accuracy and for inspiration. An excellent reference for anyone who works with color. Expand your horizons by understanding how each color works with the next. The visual spectrum is a great tool to use for the aspiring artist.
This book centers on the ten things the writer wishes someone had told him when he was starting out as an artist. Chief among them: nothing is ever wholly original, so embrace your influences en route to making something new. There’s a companion journal available, as well. Sometimes it takes a little motivation to get going in the right direction or to find your center. This book and companion journal will help give you that little push before you find your art center.
If the color guides themselves are too pricey, you can still give a piece of the Pantone experience with this pack of ten notebooks. These four-inch notebooks have dot grid lines for maximum flexibility. Most career artists have dozens if not hundreds of notebooks lying around or in their “office”. Some artists can just walk up to canvas or to a blank page and get going. Others need to prepare, need to practice, and need to continuously sharpen their skills and that is where these notebooks come in handy.
A recreation of the vaunted Eberhard Blackwing 602 that first appeared in 1934, this pencil from Palomino is seeking to bring back very fine, high-end wood case implements. The lead in the 602 is comparable to a #1 or B hardness, which makes it a bit lighter than the average pencil. The Japanese graphite in these is supposedly ultra-fast writing, yet requiring far less pressure. Admittedly, you pay for the privilege, but if you’re looking for something quite a bit nicer than your average yellow stick, this could be the one for you. Other options from the line include the standard Blackwing and the Blackwing Pearl, both of which are slightly softer than the 602.
Most creatives, myself included, run on a steady diet of coffee or tea. In my opinion, the best cup of coffee comes from a French press. This lovely model uses double wall stainless steel construction that keeps coffee hot for a long time and comes in different sizes to fit the number of working hours you’re trying to fit in. If you want something a little more fun in the color department, try the Coffee Gator. You might also want to give them a coffee mill to go with it.
While you might not always know exactly what kinds of supplies the painter you know uses, you can still make a gift out of buying paints by going with a specific color palette. These Confections sets offer 12 high-quality, highly-pigmented watercolors in themed palettes. This one is the Classics, but you can also get the following, just to name a few:
Whether you’re a journaler, a printmaker, or just putting together some handmade CD covers, a paper cutter comes in handy. But those cheap ones you can get anywhere are just as liable to mangle your paper as cut it. If the creative you know is often cutting high volume or thicker materials, get them one of these. This is a professional paper cutter that is capable of cutting through 400 sheets at once. We have one of these at my house and it is exceptional and worth every penny if you do any bit of precision paper cutting. If you’re not quite ready to gift something so substantial, the Fiskars Rotary Bypass Trimmer does a fine job, too.
This simple gift can benefit anyone who works with a variety of brushes, pens, or pencils at one time. Simply lay the implement in this cradle to keep the tip or bristles from being damaged and from making a mess. Keep your artistic life a little bit more organized so you can go from one project to another without having to search for your next brush. This is a must-have item for most artists.
If the creative in your life is just starting out or has been out of practice a long time, you can get them started with this all-inclusive kit. The wooden storage box holds 24 colored pencils, 24 oil pastels, 24 watercolor cakes, three mixing trays, two drawing pencils, two paint brushes, a sharpener, a ruler, and an eraser. In addition, this kit includes three different paper pads, two for sketching and one for watercolors. Finally, you get a set of 15 brushes, a plastic palette and a color wheel to learn paint mixing. These probably won’t cut it for the seasoned artist, but this set works very well for someone just getting into drawing or painting.
Cleverly disguising writing or drawing prompts as a game, The Storymatic offers 540 cards that can be combined in endless ways. Use the activities in the book or just draw cards randomly to determine which direction you’ll take your art next. Excellent for breaking out of a rut. Bring your art game out in a fun and creative way. So often is art taken super seriously but now you can make it a little more fun and enjoy it with friends.
Every kind of creative I know is in need of a pencil holder. This is either because their desk is overflowing with pens, pencils, and brushes or because they’re constantly looking around for one of these. This nifty one is made of silicone and has an angular design. It’s available in gray, orange, white, or yellow. Alternatively, you could go bamboo, stainless steel, if any of these aesthetics fit better.
These days, high production values are expected everywhere, especially when it comes to selling creative output. This is an excellent lighting kit for the money and will help the creative in your life with product photography, lighting for videos and streaming, and even shooting music videos. My wife and I have this set and use it constantly. It comes with three light stands, two umbrellas, a bulb carrying bag and a bag for the stands and umbrellas.
While especially good for avid journalers and planners, washi tape can be useful for a wide variety of projects. Mixed media artists can make use of it easily. This is a set of 20 solid colors, mixing bright and cool colors in a narrow width. You can buy sets of ten in bright and cool colors that are slightly wider, or opt for a patterned set instead.
These pens combine two commonly needed pen tips for a range of art styles. At one end is fineliner, much like the ever-popular Staedtler Fineliner. At the other is a brush pen for lettering or painting. These come in a variety of palettes from basic to the portrait version pictured here. Brush pens are becoming exceedingly popular in the arts and crafts world so getting yourself a set that meshes well with your specific style is definitely a must-do.
Printmaking is a lot of fun for just about anyone. You don’t necessarily need to know how to draw, either; just transfer an image, carve it in and get to printing. This set includes the handle and blades, a roller, a carving block, an inking plate, an ink extender, and four bottles of ink in black, blue, red, and yellow. If you haven’t ever tried printmaking before this could be a fun new outlet for your artistic abilities. Trying new things when it comes to art is super fun and can open so many other doors for you!
The Copic system is a novel approach to airbrushing. Traditional airbrush systems are costly and usually involve an air compressor. This one mounts a tiny compressed air can on a trigger system that holds a Copic marker, creating a simple way to paint an array of different surfaces. Assembly is simple and using it is even easier. Don’t forget to give some markers to go along with it. Have fun, try new things and get excited when you create beautiful new creations.
Creative folks need a lot of storage. Paper scraps, writing implements, various connectors, and adapters – everything has to go somewhere lest they need to be replaced. This is a simple but stylish option made of linen stitched over a metal frame. They can be stacked or just placed next to one another on a shelf. This will help keep the clutter to a minimum. There are a ton of other color, size, and fabric options to choose from and you can get those HERE.
Writer’s block is real and it will ruin your productivity if you let it. This interesting toolbox contains a 64-page booklet that instructs you on the use of the 60 exercise sticks, 60 cards, four spinners, and other tools to help anyone get words down on the page when you really need to. This is a great way to overcome the dreaded writer’s block. IF you have been starring at the blank page for days, give this a try and it might just reignite that fire you have been lacking.
Getting stuck in a rut can quickly kill the creative process for many artists. Without a deadline, outside editing, or inspiration, it can be difficult to produce anything at all.
This book aims to solve that problem by presenting 80 different challenges as well as techniques for brainstorming to help you get started or bail you out when you’re stuck. These are multi-disciplinary, which can help inform an artist’s main medium by breaking them out of the box they’re used to working in.
Being creative is often messy work, whether you’re a painter, woodworker, blacksmith, or encaustic artist. Donning an apron is a good idea much of the time, so give someone this high-quality, heavy-duty apron. It’s made of water-resistant waxed canvas and features cross back straps for comfortable use over many hours. It’s widely adjustable and comes with a number of useful pockets. Choose from black, gray, or brown.
Water brushes are really handy implements that can be used in quite a few applications. The most obvious is to activate watercolors or for blending, but they can also be used for shading or filling larger areas. A great compliment to an already-stocked art supply cabinet. Mixing it up is a big part of finding your groove when it comes to this kind of art. Having different pens and different styles to choose from will help with your flow and keep you moving forward to finished products.
Every creative needs at least one Sharpie and preferably a dozen for the many, many times they will get lost. These are as useful in making actual art as they are in labeling the many drawers, cable ties and other organizational trappings that come with being a creative person. This set includes 32 fine, 29 ultra fine, five neon and six metallic markers that span almost everything they could need. You can still upgrade to the 115 count collection, if you want, though.
Featuring advice and exercises taken from interviews with 50 different professional artists, this book seeks to help anyone defeat their inner critic and destroy ruts. All variety of mediums are covered here and much of the advice applies regardless of the discipline in question. At the very least, this book will present fresh perspectives that will help any creative to feel less alone in their struggle.
While this would certainly make for a very generous gift, consider just how comprehensive a tool an iPad is for a wide variety of creative pursuits. It’s a handy recording and mixing station for musicians and together with an Apple Pencil, it’s a very fine tablet for digital artists of all kinds. The iPad Pro can do so many things for creatives, it will ultimately seem like a bargain once work is being produced regularly.
Apple-averse? Consider the Microsoft Surface Pro, which has very nearly caught up to its main competitor and can be had for less in a number of configurations.
Most of the time, music is required to get into a good creative groove. Having cords getting in the way of whatever you’re working on is sub-optimal, however, so Bluetooth is the way to go. I’ve had the original version of these headphones for a number of years now and nothing beats them for comfort. I can (and often do) wear these for hours while I work on any number of projects. If the price tag is a bit much, you might consider the TaoTronics Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones, which do quite a good job for the price.
Storage is a must for artists and creatives, but they should also have a visual appeal to keep their space as appealing as possible. This is a fresh take on the old-fashioned filing cabinet, available in ten different colorways to match or contrast a space. Give it to the creature whose space is a mess, but who is also concerned that storage has to be ugly and utilitarian. Check out some of the different colors and styles HERE
My creative wife loves her Ivy photo printer, both to complement mixed media works and for small photo series. This device will print 2 inches by 3-inch photos wherever you are using a Bluetooth connection from your phone. It’s small enough to fit in a pocket and will print about 20 images on a single charge. There are some other options if you aren’t digging the featured option. Check out some other picks here and figure out which is going to fit your life and artsy ways the best.
The supplies to actually be creative are pretty costly and can make it difficult to produce work. Help the creator in your life out with this 12 pack of canvas panels, available in a number of sizes from 2 by 4 to 12 by 16. If you want to mix and match, consider this set from Arteza.
Obviously there are a bunch of different choices to be made. The one thing you want is choices. IF you are a canvas artists it might help with your creative flow to have different options and to move from one size and thickness to another. Check them all out and invest in as many as you can make happen. You will thank me later.
Four years worth of prompts in one convenient package. The best part about this little book is that it not only helps inspire idea generation, but creates a habit of pracitce that can lead to breaththroughs and a healthier creative life.
Each page features a question to be answered in the medium of your choice. When it’s full, there will be four years worth of ideas to draw upon for future projects, as well as a record of creative growth.
For many of us, our creative lives come secondary to our work lives. Managing both effectively can maximize the time we get to spend on our art. This planner is aimed at doing just that, helping to keep track and prioritize so time is used as effectively as possible. It helps balance work responsibilities with personal projects, set long and short term goals, and pause for reflection. The cover is a very nice faux-leather that feels substantial, as does the 120gsm paper inside.
More than one creative I know personally has either these exact glasses or a set like it. Many of us require a little liquid encouragement before diving headfirst into our creative projects. When given the option, I always choose Dorothy Parker, but the Oscar Wilde one is good, too. Have fun with your besties while enjoying these hilariously cool shot glasses. Even if you aren’t a big drinker you can have fun with these and up your party game just a bit.
Creatives require a lot of gear and supplies to ply their craft. Give these gifts to the artists in your life and watch as their production of beautiful art rises to a whole new level.
