Luxury Gifts Ideas for Artists: When Money's No Object

A wooden box set of pastels is perfect for going plein-air painting, for taking pastels to a workshop, keeping them organized in your studio and simply as a beautiful form of storage! Unison pastels are considered by many pastel artists to be the ultimate in pastel and the price of a big wooden, boxed set of 144 Unisons is definitely in the luxury category. But, as with other brands of pastels, there are various sizes of box available that all make a lovely art gift. If your local art supplies stores doesn't have boxed set, ask if they can get one in as a special order.

Buy Direct: Unison, Rembrandt

Designed to hold two small painting panels and your essential painting supplies, a 'cigar box' makes it easy to get organized for painting outdoors. It also facilitates bringing wet oil paintings back home again. You can either put it on a fold-up table (or balance it on a rock) or attach it to a tripod to work standing up.

If you want to make your own paints, a glass muller is essential for grinding pigment finely, and for mixing pigment and binder together. With a muller, some pigment, and an egg yolk, you can investigate egg tempera painting techniques. With a muller, some

In an age where everything can be bought ready made, why not spend the time to step back and make your own paints like the Old Masters would have (or rather, an apprentice in their workshop)? Get to really know your paint colors by working with the raw pigments and make your own paint.

If you've any thoughts about doing some digital painting, Corel Painter is the program, with all the bells and whistles (or should that be brushes and paints?). I've got the not-quite-latest version (Painter 9) which continues to amaze me. While digital paint lacks the tactile feedback of real paint, the effects of the numerous digital brushes, paint and pencils, and surface choices in this program are astoundingly real. (Take a look at this digital watercolor as an example of what's possible.)

Reviews:
• Corel Painter 9 (From About.com's Guide to Painting)
• Corel Painter 11 (From About.com's Guide to Graphics Software)

Keep the sun off yourself and your painting while you're working outdoors with this adjustable umbrella that clamps to your easel or table. As the umbrella fabric is white, it won't affect the colors you're seeing on your painting.

Instead of having a real person modeling for you, dress up a life-size wooden manikin. You'll never have to worry about giving them a break, or they not holding the pose. Nor about them complaining the painting doesn't look like them!

If I ever win the lottery, then I'm going to get one of these painting stations. It's got space for having lots of materials and stuff to hand, and the ability to tidy it all away if studio visitors are expected.