30 Best Gifts for Artists: Studio, Paper, Print & Fun

For a watercolorist still painting with student pans, these six tubes are a big step up. The set is a split-primary palette, a warm and cool version of red, yellow and blue, which is how many teachers recommend building a palette. The tubes can be squeezed into an existing palette and left to dry, so they work alongside whatever kit the artist already uses.

The little black Cotman box has been in coat pockets on sketching trips for decades. It holds 14 half pans, a fold-out mixing palette, a water dish and a short brush, which is everything needed for a quick landscape on a walk. Even artists with a full studio palette find it useful as the kit that lives in the car or travel bag.

Neocolor II is the mixed-media artist's secret weapon: draw boldly like a crayon, then touch it with a wet brush and it melts into watercolor. They are opaque enough to work over dark grounds and acrylic, and they work on paper, wood and canvas. Thirty colors in a Swiss metal tin makes this feel like a proper treat rather than a craft supply.

Anyone who has only used school oil pastels will be surprised by Sennelier. They are soft enough to smear with a finger and layer thickly, almost like oil paint straight from the tube, with no solvents and no drying time. Twelve colors is a sensible introduction for a painter who wants to try the medium Picasso helped commission.

This is the kit for the urban sketcher who paints standing up in a park or at a café. The water brush holds its own water, the sponge cleans it between colors, and the thumb ring on the back lets them hold the palette in one hand. Twenty-four colors fold into a box smaller than a phone.

Ask a room of sketchers which book handles watercolor, gouache and ink without buckling, and Stillman & Birn Beta comes up first. The 270gsm cold-press pages are heavy enough for real washes yet still bound like a sketchbook, so artists can paint on both sides. At about twenty dollars it is an easy gift that will be used, not saved for best.

Cotton paper is what makes watercolor flow, lift and granulate the way it does in finished paintings, and it is rare in a bound book. This A5 Hahnemühle book gives a watercolorist sixty pages of that surface in a sewn binding that opens flat. It is the kind of upgrade artists talk themselves out of buying.

A splurge for an illustrator or journaler. Pitt pens use India ink that is waterproof and lightfast once dry, so artists can ink, color and then wash watercolor over the top without bleeding. Sixty colors in the studio box covers skin tones, greys and brights, and the box doubles as a desk organizer.

Comic artists and illustrators need fineliners that stay put under markers and washes. Copic Multiliners use archival pigment ink that is marker-safe, and this set runs from a hair-thin 0.03mm to a brush tip for filling blacks. It is a practical, reliable gift for anyone who inks their drawings.

Our favorite gift for a painter who needs a creative shake-up. Roll out acrylic paint, press in leaves, stencils or textures, lay paper on top and pull a one-of-a-kind print, no press needed. Artists use the prints as finished pieces, collage papers or backgrounds, and the plate lasts for years.

Linocut is a satisfying change of pace for someone who usually paints: carve a design, roll ink and print it again and again for cards or posters. This is the tool printmakers start with, a single handle with five gouges stored inside it. Pair it with a few soft carving blocks for a complete starter gift.

For the illustrator who wants their designs on tote bags and T-shirts. This kit includes the screen, squeegee, drawing fluid, screen filler and water-based inks, so they can paint a design directly onto the screen and print it on paper or fabric the same weekend. Clean-up is soap and water.

Drawing on a flat kitchen table distorts proportions and strains the neck. A tilting drafting surface fixes both, and this one adds side drawers, a supply tray, a built-in outlet for a lamp and a matching stool. It is a big-ticket gift that turns a spare corner into a real studio for an art student or returning artist.

Paintings mixed under warm household bulbs often look wrong the next morning. A full-spectrum lamp keeps colors honest after dark, and this floor model has a flexible gooseneck that can hang over an easel or desk. Three color temperatures and five brightness levels let the artist match the light to the work.

A rolling cart is the studio organizer artists end up buying for themselves, so give them a good one. This all-metal cart parks beside the easel with paints on top and paper below, then rolls into a closet when the dining table needs to be a dining table again.

Oil and acrylic painters who are still mixing on paper plates or plastic will love glass. Dried paint scrapes off with a razor in seconds, and the neutral grey surface makes it easier to judge value and color than white. Two large 12 x 16 palettes mean one for oils and one for acrylics.

A small but welcome gift for an oil painter. These stainless dippers clip to the palette edge to hold medium and solvent, and the lids stop them evaporating between sessions. Three cups means linseed, solvent and a spare, and they are cheap enough to tuck in a stocking.

Painters wear the same paint-covered shirt for years, so a proper apron is overdue. The cross-back straps spread weight across the shoulders for long sessions, and the riveted pockets hold brushes, a rag and a palette knife. Heavy cotton canvas only looks better with paint on it.

Good brushes are ruined when they rattle loose in a bag. This roll keeps 30 brushes in their own slots with a strap that holds the heads flat, and it lies open on the table while painting. An inexpensive gift that protects a much more expensive collection.

For a traditional artist curious about digital painting, drawing directly on a screen feels far more natural than a blank tablet. The Kamvas 13 has a laminated display, so the pen tip sits right on the line, plus a 16K-pressure battery-free pen and two dials for brush size and zoom. It connects to a laptop and works with free apps like Krita.

Artists who sketch in Procreate often complain that the Apple Pencil skates across the glass. Paperlike adds a fine matte texture that gives the pencil a little bite, so linework is steadier and the screen glares less. Check that they have a 10th-generation or A16 iPad before buying.

Art students and artists who show their work need to carry large pieces without bending corners. This nylon portfolio takes work up to 36 x 48 inches yet stays light, with a shoulder strap for getting to critiques, classes and gallery drop-offs.

A plein air painter's best friend. It carries canvas panels and a large sketchpad flat while the front pockets hold brushes, pencils and paints, and backpack straps leave hands free for an easel. A more useful gift than another tote for anyone who paints outdoors or commutes to art classes.

Every artist goes through stretches of doubt, and this slim book speaks to them directly. Written by two working artists, it explains why people stop making art and how to keep going anyway. It is cheap, short and the kind of book artists underline and pass on.

A pocket-sized illustrated book of ten ideas for staying creative, from keeping a swipe file to having a hobby that is not your art. It is upbeat and quick to read, which makes it a lovely add-on for a young artist or an art student heading to college.

For the person who used to paint and keeps saying they will start again, this 12-week program is a gentle push. Morning pages and weekly artist dates give a structure that has helped millions of people rebuild a creative habit. Pair it with a sketchbook for a meaningful New Year gift.

The art history book that artists actually read cover to cover. Gombrich writes clearly and warmly, walking from cave paintings to modernism with hundreds of illustrations along the way. It is a reference an artist will keep returning to for ideas and context for the rest of their life.

A splurge gift that delights painters and LEGO fans alike. The build turns The Starry Night into a 3D piece with swirling sky, village and cypress, and a tiny Vincent at his easel sits alongside. Building it is a few relaxing evenings, and the finished model looks great on a studio shelf.

Every art studio could use a happy little afro. Water the terracotta Bob Ross and the chia seeds sprout into his famous hair within a week or two. It is a guaranteed laugh at a gift exchange and a cheerful thing to have next to the easel.

Socks printed with playful takes on famous paintings are an easy stocking stuffer for the art teacher, museum lover or art student in your life. Soft cotton and a single size make them a safe pick when you do not know their medium.