34 best gifts for artists 2021: painting, drawing, accessories and more
Looking for a special gift for the artist in your life? In this guide, discover our pick of the best gifts for artists
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Choosing a present for an artist can be a little daunting if you’re not sure what they might like – or what materials they might need. Don’t worry! We’ve found lots of gift ideas for artists to help you find the perfect present.
Whether you’re looking for a birthday present or a Christmas gift for the artist in your life, you’re bound to find something suitable in our selection of the best gifts for artists of all ages and abilities.
In this guide, we’ll look at gift ideas for artists, gifts for artists who draw, gifts for painters and the best gifts for young artists. We’ve included everything from beautiful watercolour sets to stylish ceramic paint brush holders. There are accessories, artistic materials and much more. There are fun gift ideas for those who like to dabble in creative hobbies as well as suggestions for more enthusiastic artists.
Want more gift ideas for artists? Check out our guides to the best watercolour paints, best acrylic paints, best gouache paint set and best drawing tablets for beginners.
Read on to discover the best gifts for artists in 2021…
34 gift ideas for artists
Skillshare art classes
Skillshare is a website and app offering a huge range of online courses, including a huge selection of art classes. There are tutorials covering everything from the basics of acrylic painting to illustration and watercolour techniques. Each class is presented by an experienced artist, so you’re bound to pick up some great tips!
While Skillshare doesn’t offer gift cards at the present time, you could still sign up for a subscription on behalf of someone else and set up a login for them.
Artist at work print
This monochrome print would be a great gift to brighten up a study or an art room. Featuring botanical leaf and flower designs, it has a charming folk art-inspired style. It comes in a range of sizes, so you can choose the right one for your favourite artist.
Melamine desk tidy
Keep your art space neat and organised with these colourful melamine desk tidies! These colourful desk tidies will help to keep everything in order and are easy to clean. A cute and practical gift for any artist! Available in blue or pink.
Eat sleep art sweatshirt
This comfy sweater would make a lovely gift for the artist in your life. It has a chunky black slogan and a soft lining – perfect for relaxation or to wear while you’re getting creative. This design comes in a range of sizes for both men and women.
Personalised apron
If you’re looking for gifts for painters (or artists who enjoy other messy mediums, such as printmaking!), this personalised apron would be a fantastic choice. It has a pretty botanical design and will help to protect their clothes while they get creative. You can also add a personalised drawstring bag to your order if you like.
Buy the personalised apron from SparksBySally on Etsy from £18.99
DIY kintsugi kit
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold lacquer to create something more beautiful than the original. It showcases the object’s flaws instead of hiding them away – with stunning results! This kit comes with everything you need to try kintsugi techniques at home. You can use the kit to repair any broken ceramics you want to fix or you can choose a bowl to mend (available in 12 colours). You can also add on a ceramic heart if you want more materials to practice on.
Watercolour biscuit kit
Know someone who likes art and baking? This fun watercolour biscuit kit will allow them to combine both of their passions! It comes with everything you need to create your own artistic biscuits.
Cyanotype printing kit
Cyanotype printing is a fun technique which allows you to create beautiful prints using photosensitive paper and your choice of objects (natural items such as leaves and feathers are particularly effective). Use the kit to produce your own vivid blue prints for your home! This would be a great activity to do with children under adult supervision.
Paint by numbers kit
Paint by numbers isn’t just for kids! Using a paint by numbers kit is a great way to create a vibrant piece of artwork for your home. This is a good choice for an aspiring painter to help build their confidence – or for someone who uses painting for relaxation. We love this bright Amalfi sunset design created by Rhi James, which is just one of a selection of stunning designs by this talented artists. If you get into this fun pastime, take a look at our pick of the best paint by numbers kits for adults.
Air-dry pottery craft kit
You don’t need a kiln or a wheel to get into pottery! Try your hand at air-dry pottery with this home pottery kit, which is suitable for 1-2 people. This kit contains a huge amount of clay (1.5kg!), plus a selection of tools to help you get creative with clay. There’s also a helpful booklet explaining three different pottery techniques for you to try. For a little extra, you can also buy a selection of acrylic paints to decorate your creations.
Premium linocut kit
Do you know someone who is always looking for a new creative hobby to try? This linocut set is ideal for someone who likes to try new things and develop their creative skills. This starter kit comes with everything you need to get into lino printing, including carving tools, lino, ink, a brayer (ink roller) and a step-by-step printing guide. If you’re looking for more lino printing supplies, take a look at our lino printing for beginners guide.
Pinafore apron
This stylish pinafore apron made from light linen fabric is comfortable and will protect your clothes from paint. This is available in a range of beautiful colours and would make a great gift for a painter. Child sizes and custom sizes are also available.
Daler Rowney System 3 screen printing set
Screen printing is an addictive hobby and can be used to print your own designs onto paper and fabric. This excellent screen printing kit contains everything you need to produce your own stunning prints, including a printing screen, inks, a squeegee, screen block and step-by-step instructions to help you get started.
Learn Modern Calligraphy set
This modern calligraphy set contains everything you need to master this creative hobby including a calligraphy pen, inks, worksheets, and access to a 40-minute video tutorial to hone your skills. This set is suitable for both right-handed and left-handed calligraphers.
Mabef artist’s easel
An easel is an incredibly useful gift for any artist, especially those who enjoy drawing and painting. This well-made easel has been constructed from oiled beech wood and is adjustable. This is a wonderful gift for artists who paint.
Gifts for artists who draw
Canvas pencil roll
These canvas pencil rolls are a great way to store your drawing pencils. They have handy pocket holes to secure the pencils and are fastened with a study cord. These pencil rolls are available in a range of sizes – the smallest will store 12 pencils and the largest will hold 72.
You Will Be Able to Draw By the End of This Book by Jake Spicer
This book would be a great gift for an amateur artist who wants to improve their drawing skills. Jake Spicer’s book guides you through a series of exercises which become progressively more difficult as you move through the book. Jake is a professional artist and author who shares lots of expert tips to help you become a better sketcher. Each exercise has a helpful estimated completion time so you can choose the ones that fit your schedule. If you’re looking for more book recommendations, read our best drawing books guide.
One Sketch A Day journal
Make drawing a regular part of your day with this fabulous visual journal. This journal will make you more observant in your daily life and encourages you to record your impressions of the world around you.
Coloured pencil holder
Looking for gifts for artists who draw? This wooden coloured pencil holder is a fantastic gift for a keen sketcher. They can set it up so that all of their pencils are on display and easy to find during a drawing session. No more rummaging through a pencil case to find the right pencil! It also contains a small tray where you can store an eraser or a pencil sharpener.
Faber-Castell Polychromos artist pencils gift box
This smart little gift box is an ideal gift for an artist who loves to work with coloured pencils. These lovely pencils blend smoothly to create professional-looking pencil drawings. They’re also lightfast so the colours won’t fade over time. Any artist would be delighted to receive this high-quality drawing set. Looking for more coloured pencils to buy? Check out our best colouring pencils recommendations.
Leather sketchbook cover
If you’re looking for gifts for artists who draw, this leather sketchbook cover would make a wonderful treat for a special occasion. It’s extremely practical for those who like to sketch when they’re out and about, with slots for your pens or pencils and little pockets to hold any accessories (or some spending money!).
Gifts for painters
Paint brush rest
This attractive brush rest is a useful gift for any painter – rest your brushes on it while you’re painting to help keep your surfaces clean and tidy. It includes a hole at one end so that it can be used as an incense burner too. These brush rests are available in three gorgeous colours: earth blue, cadmium red or soft white.
Paint water and not paint water cup set
When you’re painting, it’s easy to absentmindedly dip your paintbrush into your drink instead of your paint water. We’ve all done it! Make mix-ups a thing of the past with this funny cup set. This set doesn’t have handles, so the no paint water cup is best used for cold drinks.
Ceramic paint brush holder
This beautiful hand-crafted ceramic brush is a great choice if you’re looking for gifts for painters. These lovingly crafted pots are a fantastic addition to any art stash and they’re bound to be treasured for years to come. These brush holders are available in a selection of colours including sandstone, pacific blue and moss green.
Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolour paint set
This Winsor & Newton watercolour set is a great option for an enthusiastic painter who wants to upgrade their materials. Although this isn’t professional standard, the quality of the paints is still exceptional. This set also includes a brush, putty rubber and pencil as an added bonus. Looking for more watercolour paints to buy? Check out our guide to the best watercolour paints.
Devon seascape painting kit
This scenic painting kit is suitable for beginners or someone who wants to develop their painting skills. Artist Victoria Oblensky will teach you how to paint your own Devon beach seascape at home. This painting kit contains the materials you need to create your own landscape painting, step-by-step instructions and access to a video tutorial.
Wooden paint brush holder
This wooden paint brush holder is both durable and beautifully crafted. It has slots to hold your paint brushes so they are ready whenever you need them. It can also be personalised with a name or a special message for your loved one.
Leather paint brush roll
Protect paint brushes by wrapping them up in a handmade leather brush roll. This is very useful for anyone who needs to travel with their brushes, or enjoys keeping their art materials in good order. These brush rolls can also be personalised for the recipient to make this an even more thoughtful gift.
Winsor and Newton professional watercolour bamboo box
Winsor and Newton are known for their high quality paints and this set from SAA is no exception. The paints are presented in a sleek bamboo case and the set includes brushes, paper and other useful accessories.
Gifts for young artists
Ready Steady Paint art subscription box
If you have a creative child, this would make a really fun gift! Each Ready Steady Paint art subscription box contains high-quality art materials, hand-curated activities and expert video tuition so children can learn artistic skills. Monthly, three month and six month subscriptions are available, so you can choose the option that suits you. It’s formulated as a 24-month course, so the child’s confidence and ability will develop over the course of the subscription.
Faber Castell Connector Pen suitcase
If you’re looking for art gifts for kids then this set from Faber Castell is a fun option. It includes 40 high quality Connector pens, 6 Connector clips (these can be used to clip the pens together to make pen structures!) and a little passport filled with art tips and techniques. It comes in a cute metal suitcase tin to keep everything together.
Block printing for kids set
This Essdee block printing set is a great way to introduce children to printing without using any sharp tools. They’ll enjoy pressing their designs into the foam blocks and using the roller to make their first printed designs!
Faber Castell colouring pencils
This set contains 60 colouring pencils in an impressive array of shades, including neon and metallic pencils. Children can use these pencils to colour in colouring books or create their own multicoloured drawings.
Daler Rowney Simply Complete art set
This set contains everything a budding artist could possibly wish for! There’s everything from acrylic paints to watercolours and oil pastels – it even includes a canvas and easel. Daler Rowney is known for producing excellent quality supplies for artists and this set is fantastic value for money because it comes with so many items. This art set is suitable for a new artist or a very creative child.
Looking for creative inspiration? Take a look at our watercolor painting ideas, art journal ideas and fall painting ideas.
Authors
Sarah is a digital editor, feature writer, artist and podcaster.
