This Blog post will give you 7 gift ideas for the artist in your life! Do you get overwhelmed by everything out there? There are so many art supplies, so many things you could choose to get for your loved one. They might have everything they need (trust me, they can always use more art supplies) or they might just be starting out. This post will give you the ideas you need to buy the perfect present. Keep reading to learn more about the 7 best gift ideas for the Artist in your life! (*amazon affiliate links)
- Sketchbooks
- Stickers (for decorating said sketchbooks)
- Art Organization
- Art Kits
- Art Supplies
- How-to books
- Online Courses
- Bonus
Sketchbooks
First on our list of the 7 best gift ideas for the artist in your life, you can get them a sketchbook! This is probably obvious but here’s the big idea: A lot of budding artist do not finish their sketchbooks because they value them too much. It becomes so precious to them that they don’t want to mess them up. So the suggestion is to get them an ugly or very plain sketchbook! This will take the pressure off. It’s okay if they mess up when they’re drawing in a super plain sketchbook. It becomes a safe place for them to draw and let loose. Which is what you can write in the card that will go with the present! This will make the gift more meaningful for them. I have a few suggestions though on this front. It doesn’t have to truly be ugly, it can just be simple like this Nina Cosford sketchbook or this Illio sketchbook. I love the square shape of the Illio sketchbook! It’s very simple and its simplicity invites you to draw more. Or, if you want to go all in on the ugly, check out these Ugly sketchbooks! You could also get one easily from Walmart or the dollar tree. The purpose is for this sketchbook not to break the bank, and to be unintimidating to use.
Stickers
Okay so you got them the sketchbook, now throw in some stickers so they can personalize that sketchbook! Most artists love stickers! They love making them, love looking at them, love buying them from other artists, so that they can stick them all over their sketchbooks, iPad pros, laptops, and water bottles. Stickers really are one of the best gift ideas for the Artist in your life and you (and they) can never have enough! Think about your artist, have they mentioned a specific artist whose work they love? Check and see if they don’t sell some stickers. I personally love stickers from Forest Mori, Art with Em, or Evy Draws . There are so many out there, especially on Esty and amazon, but before you get overwhelmed think about your loved one. What is their favorite color, what band do they always listen to, what movie can they quote by heart, what causes do they support? Try to get them stickers they would love and if you are at a point where it is overwhelming or you think you’re picking the wrong sticker, you’re not! Go with your gut and pick the first them that comes to mind, they will love it!
Art Organization
Another great idea is art organization! One of the biggest struggles as an artist is actually motivating yourself to create art on a consistent basis. Having their art tools organized and easily accessible will be a huge game changer for the artist in your life. They will naturally want to draw more when the tools to do so are right at hand. So give your artist the gift of organization. It might just relieve some anxiety and offer a more welcoming space of creativity. That is why organizers for their creative space are easily one of the 7 best gift ideas for the artist in your life!
Pencil holders can hold any number of art supplies from pens, pencils, markers, to brushes. They’re great because it makes the supplies easy to access and will encourage more art making. I bought the green desk organizer from my local Marshalls but you can find the exact same one here on amazon. The pink and yellow cups are actually IKEA Tesammans tealight holders. Unfortunately they are no longer for sale from IKEA. However, if you want to get your loved one a more unique pen/pencil cup you should definitely check out the offerings on Etsy!
If you are trying to thrift or re-use, a cute cup or mug can be an awesome pencil holder. You can check out your local thrift store and find something that really makes you think of you loved and gift it to them. Maybe it’s mug with a funny saying or just a cute design. If the artist in your life likes to use watercolors you can gift them a nice glass for the water they need to paint. There are lots of fun ways you can gift them without breaking the bank or adding to our national waste.
Art kits
If your loved one does have a particular artist that they follow I would definitely recommend checking out Mossery. They have a wonderful selection of prints and art kits that are put together by the artists themselves. I reviewed a Mossery art kit by Angela Pan Art Kit Review: Mossery X Angela Pan. This is an acrylic marker set but they have watercolor, colored pencils, and more, so it depends on what the artist in your life loves. If they are into watercolor and paint I would suggest an Art Toolkit. You can pick the different palettes and they even have a fun palette called Rainglow Palette. Its purpose is for encouraging the artist to play around with color. This is something every artist needs at their core, a sense of play and wonder. Maybe the artist in your life feels blocked and this encouragement to play might be just what they need.
Art Supplies
What artist couldn’t use more art supplies! Sometimes people have a hard time buying for themselves (not always everyone 😉 ) they don’t feel like they deserve to, or they spend the money on someone else instead. This is especially true for moms or women in general. That’s where you come in! You get the chance to spoil them with brand name markers like Artyx or Posca, or Faber-Castel colored pencils. Maybe they feel they have everything they need already. Well, an artist can always use a good pencil for sketching and when I was in Japan the mistubishi 2B pencil was amazing! It’s versatile and I’m always in need of more. Sometimes it’s the simplest tool that is the absolute best. Think about exactly what your loved one has been eyeing to get or maybe just needs a refill of to top off their supply. If you really are not sure, you can always go for a good pencil and eraser!
How-To Books
Are you gifting to a beginner or a more experienced artist? Either way, gifting them a how-to book might be just what they need. My first how-to book was gifted to me as a half joke, but I learned a lot and it took me far. You may want to think about what kind of art they are into. Watercolors, acrylic markers, colored pencils. Do they want to get into portraits? If your artist loves markers then I recommend Art with Markers: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Vivid Landscapes and Cityscapes with Acrylic Pens. This is by Angela Pan and goes into more detail about how to use acrylic markers. I love her art work! Another fun how-to book is 15-minute Art Drawing: Learn how to Draw, Colour and Shade. It only takes 15 mins! This would be great for someone who is finding it hard to get time to draw or who is feeling too busy to think about what to draw. This can be a really encouraging fun gift to motivate your loved one to draw! Or if the artist in your life wants to get into figure drawing I recommend the Villupu drawing manual. It’s hard to find online but they have just rereleased the manual here!
Online course
Similar to How-To books, one of the 7 best gift ideas for the artist in your life might just be an online course. Is there a particular artist whose work or style they especially admire? Look them up, because they might have an online teaching course! This can be a great gift! It will be more than just a gift, it will be an experience in building a skill that can benefit them for a lifetime. Domestika is an example of a site that has lots of different courses from crafting to drawing to content creation. I took a course on sketching it was great and helped me improve my sketchbook!
Bonus
The bonus gift idea is not art supplies, but more art inspiration! A lot of artists share interests in similar things. Maybe it’s anime that first inspired them to draw at a young age. Were they inspired by Pokémon or studio Ghibli? Maybe they have a favorite Sanrio character this book about the characters from different decades would be a great inspiration. Paloma the Peach uses a similar book for art inspiration. There are lots of books featuring comic book characters. Or maybe they were inspired by Disney. Finding something that inspires them can be a great gift! Maybe they loved the art from Spiderman into the Spiderverse or they have a favorite Pokémon character. Find a cute trinket or card and gift it to them. I don’t know too many people who don’t love blind boxes! Maybe the artist in your life loves landscapes and growing things and being out in nature! Buy them some plants, or go on a hike with them and spend time in nature. There are lots of fun ways to inspire the artist in your life.
Conclusion
In conclusion, any gift you decided to get will be a huge encouragement to your loved one! A lot of artists don’t think they are good enough, or may even think that those close to them don’t understand their hobby or life’s passion. My brother bought me the cheapest sketchbook once for Christmas and I ugly cried, not because the sketchbook was particularly special, but because I felt so encouraged. That’s all any artist really needs is a sense of encouragement, and a small gift or card can do just that! I hope you enjoyed this post and if you are interested in more, check out these! How to build the habit of drawing everyday. or The Best Gel Pens for Smooth Writing: My Top 5!