Gifts Ideas for Artists

Introduced onto the market mid-way through 2008, Golden's Open Acrylics are unlike any other acrylic on the market. Yes, many brands have made a claim to "uniqueness" but what is special about this range of acrylics is that they dry slowly -- really slowly. This means you've a working time akin to oil paints, without the downsides of dealing with turps and oil mediums.

For a set of basic colors, I'd select cadmium yellow medium, cadmium red medium, phthalo blue (green shade), nickel azo yellow, and titanium white. (If you want to avoid cadmium pigments, substitute Hansa yellow light and pyrrole red.) For special colors as a treat, I'd get green gold (a gloriously transparent green) or manganese blue hue (recreated historical color).

A Colour Shaper looks like a brush with a flexible tip instead of bristles, but you use it more like you would a painting knife, for pushing and smearing paint around. They're great for texture effects, and for sgraffito. Colour Shapers come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and degrees of flexibility.
See also: Intro to Art Brushes: Colour Shapers

Painting with a knife is quite a different experience to painting with a brush. Not only can you produce a range of different marks, but it feels distinctly different in your hand too, a bit like spreading jam with a really springy knife. If you've never tried one, I'd go for a mid-size painting knife with a flat top and a sharp point on a corner because this enables you to create large areas of color and small details.
See Also: How to Use a Painting Knife

Travel brushes make taking your brushes anywhere much easier as they don't take up so much space! The 'handle' comes apart and slips over the brush bristles to protect then while in transit (or even in your pocket). They're ideal for taking to workshops, on holidays, and for painting on location.

I invariably have a pocket-sized Moleskine with me; which one depends on where I'm going. It could be the blank sketchbook (which doesn't really like watercolor paint), the storyboard one (perfect for thumbnail sketches), or the one with watercolor paper in it (the individual sheets are perforated so you can tear them out easily).

The rounded corners mean that if you shove one in a trouser pocket, you don't get sharp corners digging into you. With a Moleskine and a pen (or even better a brush pen (buy direct), art can be made anywhere. (Be warned though, while Moleskines don't have covers made from mole leather, they do have leather covers so may not be appreciated by a strict vegetarian.)

A small book light is perfect for working in your art journal or sketchbook at night when you don't want the light to disturb someone else, or if you want focused illumination on the page only. Depending on the model, a book light either clips or slides into the pages. Most run on penlight batteries, some are rechargeable.

I find few things handier than a "holds almost everything" container for keeping all my art materials together for workshops or when I take some paint supplies on holiday. One that will take my paints, brushes, a small paper palette, sketchbook, cloth, water bottle... though not quite the kitchen sink.

If you prefer a storage container that allows you to organize and sort your paints / art materials, go for one that folds out with multiple trays. Just remember that when it's full, you'll need to be able to pick it up!

Say goodbye to worries about getting paint on your clothes with a lab coat. In fact, in its pristine state a lab coat is rather ugly, so getting some paint on it can only make it look better.

Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) is a small book (only 134 pages) without any photos or artwork in it, just words. But what powerful words. I think it's something every artist ought to read, not just for those days when you doubt what you're doing is worthwhile, but as a regular boost of motivation and confidence.

A book that gives you a peek into the studios and creative spaces of prominent artists, that makes you feel as if you've met each briefly. I love it because it enabled me to put a face to names I know from exhibition labels.

Have you thought about buying a painting by the artist you're wanting to give a present? If not for yourself, then as a gift for someone else? (And, whatever you do, don't ask for a discount, nor expect a freebie because you're family or a longstanding friend.)