30 Best Drawing Gifts for Artists and Sketchers

Ask a colored-pencil artist which set they wanted first, and the answer is usually Prismacolor. The soft cores blend into each other so smoothly that layered skin tones and skies look painted, and 48 colors is the sweet spot between useful range and a set they will actually use up. A safe, much-appreciated gift for anyone who already colors seriously.

Polychromos suit the detail-obsessed artist who draws fur, feathers or botanical studies. The oil-based leads stay sharp and resist snapping, and they layer without the waxy haze Prismacolor can leave. If your artist already owns a wax set, this tin of 24 is a thoughtful second system rather than a duplicate.

This is the splurge gift for a drawer who likes color to pop. Inktense pencils sketch like ordinary colored pencils, then a wet brush turns the marks into permanent, jewel-bright ink that will not lift when they layer over it. The 72-tin opens up mixed-media work and is something most artists never buy for themselves.

A budget-friendly way for a pencil artist to experiment with watercolor effects without committing to paints. They can sketch dry, then soften backgrounds with the included water brush. Seventy-two colors is generous for the price, which makes it a good pick for a teen or a curious beginner.

For the artist who draws characters, comics or fan art, real Copic markers feel like a rite of passage. This Ciao set focuses on skin tones, the hardest thing to get right with markers, and each one is refillable so it is not a disposable gift. Pair it with a sketchbook for a complete present.

Forty-eight alcohol markers with brush and fine tips give a newer illustrator a full palette to play with at a friendly price. The brush tips blend cleanly on marker paper, and the refillable ink means favorites can be topped up. A strong choice if you are not sure they will stick with markers yet.

Tombow brush pens are ideal for someone whose drawing spills into lettering and journaling. The springy brush tip makes expressive strokes, the fine tip handles labels and detail, and the water-based colors blend with the included blender. The tropical palette brightens up any sketchbook spread.

POSCA markers give an illustrator opaque, paint-like color that sits on top of anything: black paper, wood, rocks, sneakers or canvas. They are perfect for the artist who likes bold graphic styles or wants to decorate objects as well as pages. Twenty-four colors make this a full, giftable set.

Every drawer who inks uses Microns, and they run through them faster than anyone expects. The pigment ink is waterproof once dry, so they can color over linework with markers or watercolor without smearing. At this price it is an easy gift that always gets used, and a natural stocking stuffer.

A fantastic first real sketching kit for someone moving beyond a school pencil. The span from hard 5H to soft 14B teaches value and shading, while the charcoal and white pencil let them try dramatic contrast. Everything packs into one case, so it travels to class or the park.

Charcoal loosens up a careful drawer like nothing else. Three hardnesses let them block in big shapes with soft sticks and refine edges with hard ones, which is exactly what gesture and life-drawing practice calls for. Inexpensive, messy in the best way, and great paired with the large Strathmore pad.

Blending tools are what make pencil shading look smooth instead of scratchy, and most beginners do not realise they exist. This kit includes stumps, tortillons, sponges and a kneaded eraser, so a graphite or charcoal artist has every size covered. A clever add-on to any pencil gift.

Brush pens give ink drawings a lively thick-and-thin line that fineliners cannot. This Kuretake set offers five sizes, and the pigment ink stays put under markers and watercolor. It suits the sketcher who inks urban scenes, manga panels or hand-lettered pages.

The white Gelly Roll is the secret behind the bright highlights in eyes, water and hair on finished drawings. Gold and silver joins it here for black-paper drawings and journals. It is small, cheap and something almost every artist ends up needing.

For the person who sketches in cafés, on trains or on holiday, a sturdy pocket sketchbook matters. This Moleskine Art Plus has heavier 165gsm paper than the classic notebook, so it takes ink and light washes, and the hard cover protects drawings in a bag. Add a pen and it is a complete gift.

Artists burn through paper, and good paper is a gift they appreciate more than they will admit. This Canson pad handles pencil, marker, ink and light watercolor, so it suits someone who switches media often. Sixty sheets is enough room for practice without fear of wasting pages.

Big paper changes how someone draws. At 18 x 24 inches, this Strathmore pad encourages full-arm strokes for figure drawing, charcoal studies and still lifes, and the cream paper is good enough for pieces worth framing. Ideal for an artist taking life-drawing classes.

A light pad is the tool illustrators wish they had bought sooner. Your artist can trace their own rough sketch onto clean paper, refine a composition without erasing holes, or transfer a design to good paper for inking. It is thin enough to slide into a portfolio and runs off a laptop USB port.

Hands and figures are the two subjects almost every drawer avoids, and this set tackles both. The wooden hand holds realistic grips and gestures, and the mannequin helps with proportions and tricky angles. It also looks great on a desk, which makes it a charming gift for a character artist.

An electric eraser lets a colored-pencil or graphite artist lift tiny highlights cleanly from layered areas where a normal eraser smears. This rechargeable one comes with 140 refills, so it will last years. A practical tool they will wonder how they worked without.

Soft colored-pencil cores snap in cheap sharpeners, and that gets expensive with artist-grade sets. This electric sharpener uses a helical blade and auto-stop to give a clean point without eating the pencil. A smart pairing with the Prismacolor or Polychromos sets above.

A canvas pencil roll keeps a full colored pencil collection visible, protected and ready to travel. Each pencil sits in its own elastic slot so cores do not break, and it rolls up neatly for drawing classes or trips. A thoughtful upgrade from a cardboard box.

Drawing flat on a table distorts proportions, and a tilted surface fixes it. This beechwood easel sets the angle, stores pencils and erasers in its built-in drawer and folds into a carry box. It gives an artist a dedicated studio corner wherever they sit.

Good light makes accurate shading and color possible after dark. This clamp lamp lets an artist swing bright, flicker-free light exactly over the page and switch to a cooler daylight tone when judging colors. Simple, inexpensive and useful every evening they draw.

If your pencil artist has been curious about digital drawing, this small XPPen tablet is a low-risk way to try it. The battery-free pen is pressure sensitive, and it works with free apps like Krita on almost any computer, including Chromebooks. A great entry point for teens, too.

For someone who already enjoys digital art, the Huion Inspiroy 2 Medium is a meaningful step up. The larger drawing area allows more natural arm movements, tilt support helps with shading brushes, and the scroll wheel and shortcut keys speed up their workflow. It even connects to Android phones.

A small but genuinely useful extra: the two-finger glove stops the side of the hand from smearing graphite on paper or triggering touches on a tablet or iPad. It comes as a pair for left- and right-handed artists, and it is an easy add-on to a bigger gift.

Andrew Loomis is the teacher many professional illustrators credit with learning to draw the figure. These two books break people down into simple, buildable structures and then show how to compose a full illustration. A lasting gift for an artist who wants to get serious about drawing people.

This is the best gift for the person who says they cannot draw. Betty Edwards's exercises teach people to see shapes and edges rather than symbols, and the starter kit includes the materials and viewfinder used in the lessons. Many adult beginners see a real jump in their portraits within weeks.

A friendly workbook for a teen or adult starting from scratch, with short lessons on shading, texture and perspective plus blank practice pages. It turns a new sketching set into a guided course, so pair it with the KALOUR pencils for a complete beginner bundle under $30.