Whether you're treating yourself or a loved one, here's a round up of the best gifts for artists. Top recommendations from practising artists that any artist would love to find in their stocking.
Choose from the following best gifts for artists:
- Our top five top of the range artist gifts
- Our top five value for money artist gifts
- Our top picks for something a bit different
- Our top five art book gifts and more
Please note that some of these items may only ship within the UK.
Top picks for top of the range artist gifts
1. Artist’s Hardbound Watercolour Journal with Turner Grey paper
As recommended by Alan Bickley
My own journal, I took the opportunity to personalise the front cover with a small Rowland Hilder inspired sketch of oast houses.
Price: £72.50
Where to buy: www.tworiverspaper.com
Email: info@[email protected]
These sketch books (or journals if you prefer) are pure quality and worth the investment. I’m halfway through mine and I can honestly say that the Turner Grey paper is fabulous for pen and wash, watercolour, pastel or mixed media.
Each page has a unique deckled fore-edge and of a decent weight to be able to use both sides without bleeding through the page.
The paper is hand made in the historic Two Rivers Paper Mill in Somerset, so colours will vary slightly between batches. My sketch book was leaning more towards Turner Blue.
Worth noting: The Two Rivers website often shows these as being out of stock. They’re hand made and they don’t carry a huge stock - I emailed Sarah (the office manager), and she had one made up for me within a day or so!
The specifications: Hardbound, hand-stitched, sixteen deckle edged pages of 140lb Two Rivers watercolour paper - hard cover with a linen style book cloth spine, 25x29 cm.
The open journal. You can see that I’ve painted on both sides with no bleeding, which is so useful!
The Turner paper is made from cotton and linen rag, with other fibre inclusions, to recreate the tones and surfaces familiar to artists in the late 18th Century.
The papers are flecked with fragments of unbleached linen fibre. The laid watermark is more prominent on one side and both sides of the sheet can be painted on with equal effect.
The Turner, Girtin and Cox journals
Also available in the same format, is the Girtin and Cox range, which have different papers to the Turner. I intend to give both of these a try at a later date.
History
JMW Turner nearly always preferred to paint on a toned surface, two of which are now referred to as Turner Grey and Turner Blue. He was a wealthy man and had his watercolour papers made up to his own specifications. On his death in 1851, Turner bequeathed almost 300 of his sketch books to the Tate Gallery (now Tate Britain).
'These sketchbooks would make a fantastic Christmas treat for yourself or an artist friend.'
ORDER YOUR TURNER SKETCHBOOK TODAY
2. Frazer Price Palette Box
As recommended by Tim Fisher
The Frazer Price Palette Box
Price: £100
Where to buy: Jackson's Art Supplies
The palette is supplied in a gold-lined blue presentation box and measures 110mm long, 68mm wide and 44mm deep. It folds out to reveal a number of very functional mixing areas. The three main ones have white enamel surfaces, which give it a quality feel.
A water bottle is provided, with enough capacity to fill the reservoir at least twice and has depressions on one side that create further mixing wells. The water well is divided into two, for dirty and clean water. The divided reservoir is provided with a detachable access cover to help reduce any spillages.
'I found this to be one of the easiest and most robust paintboxes to work with. The design allows deceptively large watercolour paintings to be produced. The build quality is excellent, making this light, compact unit one of the best I have ever used.'
Read more on the Palette Box from Tim by
3. Ackerman Manga G Zebra & Classic Pump Pen
As recommended by Alan Bickley
A close up of the pens and box
Price: Around £50 including postage to the UK
Where to buy: www.ackermanpens.com
These pens are fabulous for drawing. If you like the idea of a dip pen without the dipping, consider buying one of these! I’ve bought two of them, the Manga G Zebra and the Classic. There isn’t much to choose between them, they are basically the same but with a different selection of drawing nibs.
They don’t clog up which is their main advantage - this is because of their simple design. The ‘feed’ and nib just pull out for cleaning when necessary. I’ve recommended them to dozens of other artists on the painters-online website, who are equally as delighted with their performance as I was.
Both of my pens with their boxes. You can use any inks without fear of the pen clogging up! Display showing a range of inks that I’ve used, plus a couple of Rembrandt style illustrations that I’ve done using both of these pens.
What Ackerman say:
Draw and write with the Zebra Manga G Zebra nib fitted to our Classic Pump Pen, ideal for drawing a wide variety of line shapes and width. Artists love the Manga G nib for its fine point, great flex for wide line variation, and durability. The Pump Pen is ideal for forcing more ink to the tip of these nibs so you get a nice rich line.
- Use any ink - even Indian ink and most drawing paints - you cannot plug up this pen
- Slip nibs in and out to change the nature of your drawn line
- Slip feeds in and out when you want to change the flow rate
- Easy to clean - you can disassemble the pen in 20 seconds
- Large capacity reservoir lets you draw all day - remove the reservoir to double your carrying capacity
- Press the pump to encourage the ink flow - you get what you press, from a drop to a gush - ideal for filling in large areas, kick starting a new nib, or working with smaller nibs, especially the crowquill
The only downside is that there isn’t a UK stockist, so there is postage to pay from the States. However, I believe that these pens still offer great value for money.
My pen arrived within around five days, and there was excellent tracking provided, so I was able to monitor its journey, and it was delivered in the UK by Royal Mail.
4. Wallace Seymour wholepan Watercolour Box - Turner Colour Beginnings
As recommended by Alan Bickley
The open box as it arrives, each colour clearly marked and individually wrapped
Price: £160.00
Where to buy: www.choosingkeeping.com
Included are 12 watercolour wholepans, a ceramic palette and wooden box.
Each pigment has a special story and has lovingly been sourced by Rebecca and Pip - the background to each colour can be found on the website, fascinating and interesting information!
I’ve had my set now for a number of years, the colours are so Turneresque and I would’t be without it. I combine them with the Turner sketch book, showcased above, what a great combination!
My opened box in use! I find it so useful when working plein air, to have the paints and palette all together in a box.
What Wallace Seymour say:
In our continued search for unusual and specialist art materials’ we are pleased to introduce this set of 12 wholepan watercolours, modelled after Britain's foremost watercolourist JMW Turner (1775–1851). Turner, or the 'painter of light', made hundreds of colour beginning (a term coined by art historians much later), loose colour studies, where he applied large areas of muted, translucent, pastel washes.
Most likely these were preparatory and technical studies for larger representational works - but they do possess the dynamism and expressionist bare energy of light and darkness for which Turner was famed.
These paints have been purposefully created to emulate Turner's own paint materials, their feel and texture, utilising historical pigments of the day. Expect a harder consistency where the colours will need to be worked in using hot water, to help 'pick-up' pigment. Each pigment is delivered in a bare bone recipe, using the finest binding ingredients (Sudanese gum arabic and Tuscan Acacia Honey) giving each hue a free rein at self-expression.
This will give you some idea of how the colours look within a painting - My impression of ‘The Confluence at Namur’, based on Turner’s watercolour painting but with my own interpretation of the scene - painted in my studio using these wholepan paints, and in my Two Rivers Turner Grey journal.
ORDER YOUR WATERCOLOUR BOX HERE
5. Loxley Essex Tilting Studio Easel
Price: £179.61
Where to buy: Art Supplies with Painters Online
Crafted from premium Elm wood, this easel is the epitome of versatility, accommodating all media types with ease.
The tiltable design makes this easel perfect for all artists.
Top features:
- Tiltable Design
- Crafted from high-quality Elm wood for durability and elegance
- Convenient tray to keep art supplies within arm's reach
- Adjustable Height
- Folds virtually flat for effortless storage and space-saving convenience
To give the gift of comfortable painting with a Loxley tilting easel
Top picks for value for money artist gifts
1. Winsor & Newton Galeria Acrylics
As recommended by Lisa Shearing
Set of ten Galeria colours
Price: A set of 10x20ml acrylics costs just £20.90
Where to buy: Art Supplies with Painters Online
ORDER YOUR GALERIA ACRYLICS TODAY!
You can also buy a set of 10x60ml paints for £39.16 by clicking here.
Galeria acrylics are easy to mix and blend and the bright vibrant colours are a joy to use.
The paints went go on thickly and smoothly allowing you to create a range of different textures. They also stay wet long enough to allow for changes to be made throughout the course of a painting.
'These value-for-money student grade paints could easily be mistaken for artist quality - I will definitely be using them again!'
Last days of Summer, Galeria Acrylics, (10" x 8") on deep edged canvas
Read Lisa's full review and demonstration by
2. Daler-Rowney System 3 Acrylics
As recommended by Shirley May
A set of five System 3 Acrylics
Price: From £3.78 per colour
Where to buy: Art Supplies with Painters Online
ORDER YOUR SYSTEM 3 ACRYLICS TODAY!
System3 Acrylics are versatile water-based colours made from high-quality pigments. The paints are lightfast, flexible and quick-drying, making them suitable for applications on multiple surfaces and working both indoors and en plein air.
The paints work well when used neat and when mixed with water.
'I will certainly enjoy using these paints again and I recommend them for their bright colours, consistency, colour mixing abilities and dilution with water. Well done Daler-Rowney!'
Grange Gardens, Lewes, Sussex, System 3 Acrylics
Read Shirley's full review and demonstration by
3. Liquitex Acrylic inks
As recommended by Fiona Phipps
Liquitex Acrylic inks
Price: Inks can be purchased individually for £6.17 per colour
Where to buy: Art Supplies with Painters Online
ORDER YOUR LIQUITEX ACRYLIC INKS TODAY!
Liquitex acrylic essential inks are a most interesting and useful addition to the artists armoury. There are many varying ways and situations in which the inks can be used. Whether you choose to use them individually in a stand alone piece of art, or whether you use them along side a range of other media, you will achieve surprising results and happy accidents.
'Value for money? Yes, undoubtably. For the simple reason, they will never sit in a cupboard waiting to be used for one purpose, they will be at hand to use in any situation and piece of art, you wish to create!'
Read Fiona's full review and demonstration by
4. Caran d'Ache 8 Gouache Studio Set
As recommended by Julie Powell
Price: £26.35
Where to buy: Art Supplies with Painters Online
The Caran d’Ache 8 Gouache Studio is a lovely starter set for anyone new to gouache, anyone looking for a lightweight outdoor painting kit or someone wanting to try something different.
The colours are vibrant and they lend themselves to landscape, still life, illustration and many other applications.
It is possible to achieve transparency and opacity in equal measure and they mix happily with ink as I was pleased to find.
Looking for a bigger set? There is also a set of 15 available for £40.79
Upturned Boat Shed, Lindisfarne
Read Julie's full report and demonstration by
5. Rosa Gallery 12 Full Pan Watercolour Set
Price: £25.19
Where to buy: Art Supplies with Painters Online
ORDER YOUR ROSA WATERCOLOURS HERE
The Rosa Gallery 12 Full Pan Classic Artists' Watercolour Set is encased in a sleek turquoise metal case.
Crafted with precision in Ukraine, these watercolours are a testament to quality and artistic excellence and all at an extremely affordable price.
The 12 set contains a vibrant range of colours: cadmium lemon, cadmium yellow light, cadmium red light, madder red, green, emerald green, cobalt blue, ultramarine, yellow ochre, umber, sepia, and natural black, all crafted with high-quality organic and inorganic pigments for pure, transparent hues.
With more sets available, try Rosa Watercolours for yourself or introduce a loved one to a new art product by
Top picks for something different artist gifts
1. Pan Pastels
As recommended by Chrissie Havers
Pan Pastels
Price: Pan Pastels can be purchased for £8.37 per colour
Where to buy: Art Supplies with Painters Online
The Pan Pastel range is available in 92 highly pigmented colours including metallic and pearlescent colours. Each colour is contained in its own pan with a screw top style lid.
'Pan Pastels are a very welcome addition for pastellists and artists who enjoy experimenting with mixed media. The quality of the pigment is really excellent with very good covering power.'
Read Chrissie's full review and demonstration by
2. Sennelier Oil Pastels
As recommended by Marjorie Firth
Sennelier oil pastels
Price: Pastels can be purchased for just £2.21 per colour
Where to buy: Art Supplies with Painters Online
ORDER YOUR SENNELIER OIL PASTELS TODAY!
With 120 colours to choose from Sennelier oil pastels can be used on a variety of surfaces, have a high pigments quality and don't crack or fade.
'I would certainly recommend Sennelier oil pastels - they are vibrant in colour with a lovely rich consistency. While oil pastel may be a little harder to get used to, it’s worth persevering to widen your experience of another art medium.'
Read Marjorie's full review by
3. Edding Acrylic Paint Pens
Price: £3.39 per colour
Where to buy: Art Supplies with Painters Online
Edding permanent acrylic paint pens are perfect for any artist who enjoys sketching, drawing and mixed media work.
With 20 vibrant colours available these pens can be used on a wide range of supports from paper to canvas.
Top features:
- Vibrant colour palette
- Fine round nibs from just 1-2mm
- Premium pigmented paint for opacity, lightfastness, and permanence
- Smooth and quick-drying
- Ideal for use on both light and dark backgrounds
- Spare nibs available
- Permanent and waterproof
- Low odour
- Wear, heat and smudge-resistant
4. Hahnemühle Zig Zag Book
Price: From £6.70 to £20.80
Where to buy: Art Supplies with Painters Online
The Hahnemühle Zig Zag hardback books feature 18 pages of premium watercolour paper, meticulously folded in an accordion style, facilitating the creation of more spacious artwork in a conveniently portable format.
All artists need paper and, with four sizes available, from just 5cm square to A5, a Zig Zag book is a gift that's just a little bit different.
Top features:
- Fine-grain 300gsm natural white watercolour paper
- A protective, durable hardback cover with red elasticated fastening in the corner
- Suitable for all wet painting techniques with brush or pen
- Eraser-friendly
- Ideal for use with masking pens and masking tapes
- Both can be removed without residue
- Large sheet size with safe portability
- Age-resistant, vegan and acid-free
5. Wallace Seymour Oils
As Recommended by Alan Bickley
Price: From £8.10 per colour
Where to buy: Art Supplies with Painters Online
DISCOVER WALLACE SEYMOUR OILS HERE
I’ve used most of the well known brands over the years, from student quality (during my college years) to the finest quality oil paints available on the market and these are, without doubt, amongst the finest oil paints that I’ve used, and will be forming the backbone of my palette in future.
Some of the paint names won’t be familiar to many of us, such as Plumpton Iron Red and Vert Paolo Veronese for example, but that all will add to the enjoyment of exploring this range of colours - you can’t fail to be impressed!
Abandoned Bottle Kilns, Burselm, Wallace Seymour oil paints on Jackson’s Belle Arti canvas board, (40x50cm)
Read Alan's full review and demonstration by
6. Daylight Artist Studio Lamp 2 and Easel Lamp
Daylight's Artist Studio Lamp 2 and Easel Lamp are designed for artists to help their creative process by providing perfect contrast and detail with a remarkable 95+ Colour Rendering Index (CRI). This level of CRI brings you as close as possible to the natural daylight, letting you to work with ease for long hours without any eyestrain.
Enjoy a fantastic 15% discount on Artist Studio Lamp 2 and Easel Lamp Go until 10th December 2023. Enter code PAINTER15 at checkout!
Where to buy: Daylight
Products subject to price change and availability. 15% discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. For full product information visit www.daylightcompany.com
Top picks for books and more
1. Artist Painting Techniques from Dorling Kindersley
Price: £18.75
Where to buy: Painters Online book shop
Perfect for anyone wanting to try their hand at painting for the first time or those looking to brush up on their artistic skills, Artist's Painting Techniques will show you how to work with watercolours, oils, and acrylics and discover everything you need to know about tone, colour, pattern, brushwork, and composition with detailed advice for beginner, intermediate, and advanced painters.
Know someone who wants to take up or improve their painting in 2024? Then this is the perfect gift!
2. The Organic Painter by Carne Griffiths
Price: £12.74
Where to buy: Painters Online bookshop
Know someone who likes to experiment with their art? An artist who is interested in using natural products for their art? If so this book by Carne Griffiths, published by Quarto, will teach them innovative techniques for using non-traditional materials like coffee, tea, fruits and vegetables in expressive watercolour-style painting.
3. How to Frame Your Own Pictures by Jane Warren
Price: £11.24
Where to buy: Painters Online bookshop
This book is perfect for any artist looking to display and/or sell their artwork in frames.
Jane Warren introduces readers, with no previous knowledge, to simple techniques for creative home picture-framing, showing how investing in a few essential hand tools and basic materials can save hundreds of pounds on framing costs
4. An annual subscription to Leisure Painter or The Artist
Price: *£56.99 for a year
Where to buy: Painters Online store
*Other options for Direct Debit, continuous card payment and digital subscriptions are available.
A subscription is a gift that lasts all year. Inspire a loved one every month of the year whatever their level of painting and drawing expertise.
Choose Leisure Painter for beginners and those looking to improve their skills.
CLICK HERE FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS TO LEISURE PAINTER
Select The Artist for those with more painting and drawing experience and those looking to build a career from their art.
CLICK HERE FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS TO THE ARTIST
Please note that paper subscriptions must be ordered by December 4 for guaranteed Christmas delivery
5. An Art Supplies with Painters Online gift voucher
Still not sure what will make the perfect gift for the artist in your life? Let them choose for themselves with a gift voucher from our brand new art shop.
You pick the value and they pick the gift!