Last Updated on August 24, 2023 by bethrmartin
If you’re on the hunt for the perfect gift for the artist in your life, you’re in the right place! This guide has a wide variety of artistic gift ideas for any occasion or budget. From birthdays to holidays to just because you’ll find something that will truly inspire and delight the creative mind.
As someone who has always never found an art project she didn’t love, I know something about what makes an excellent present for an art friend or creative. Read on for a list of my favorite items I have received, purchased for myself, or plan to gift in the future.
Whether your budget is large or small, I have great gift ideas that every creative person on your shopping list will absolutely love.
So keep reading and find the top gifts for artists this year!
What Are The Best Gifts For Artists This Year?
​​Here are my top picks for gift ideas for artists:
- Faber-Castel Artist Pen Set
- Custom Stationery
- Hues and Cues Board Game
- Skill Share Membership
- Angelus Leather Paint Starter Kit
- Yayoi Kusama Book
- Audible Membership
- Posca Paint Pen Set
- John Derian Silk Scarf
- Moleskine Notebook
- 600 Black Spots Pop-up Book
- Case For Making Watercolor Set
- History of Chairs Print
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Every artist needs good quality pens, and Faber-Castel has been my favorite for drawing and sketching for years. This set offers all the nibs available, including the brush tips, making this a thoughtful gift for all types of artists.
The price of this set is low, but the quality is excellent, making this a great gift idea for many types of artists. Creative people can never have too many pens around for when inspiration strikes!
This custom stationery set from Minted is a dream come true for the artist who appreciates sending handwritten notes. It’s modern, bold, and fun, and you can customize the colors to make it fit your artist friend’s style perfectly.
Artists will love writing letters on these beautiful cards, and the contemporary design will make a lasting impression. You can never have too much stationery, making this one of the best gift options for any artist.
If you are looking for a fun gift idea for your favorite artist in your life, then the Hues and Cues Board Game is perfect. This incredibly innovative game will test your friends’ color knowledge and get the creative juices flowing.
You match specific color hues with swatches on the board to win. This game promotes collaboration and is one of the most unique gift ideas for anyone who loves color. Who’s ready for the next game night?!
A membership to Skill Share would be the best present for that artist in your life who always loves to learn a new art or craft and hone their creative skills. Skill Share offers online classes led by experts in various fields, so your favorite creative person can explore anything that interests them.
With over 30,000 art classes and other courses available, there is something for everyone, and new classes are constantly added. What’s a more fantastic gift than knowledge?
Painting on leather is a fun and easy skill, and these acrylic paints from Angelus are a fantastic starter kit. For anyone with some painting skills who likes to learn new techniques, this is a great craft that doesn’t require many additional supplies.
Your friends will love this thoughtful gift while embellishing all their leather items. You may even benefit from some future creative gifts!
Yayoi Kusama is one of the most famous artists in the world, and her work is instantly recognizable. Her work often features intense colors and patterns that can be quite overwhelming and glorious.
This book is perfect for artists who already love her artwork or are yet to be introduced. It is a great coffee table book and makes for excellent conversation starters.
For artists who often work alone in their studios, an Audible membership can be a wonderful gift to provide some entertainment and help ensure those creative juices flow. Even the most dedicated creators need to mix things up occasionally!
Audible offers virtually endless knowledge (or distraction!), which any artist in your life will appreciate. You can gift either 1, 3, 6, or 12 months sent right to your favorite artists’ inbox. This makes it not only thoughtful but also the perfect last-minute present.
These markers are just so fun! They are perfect for any artist who loves to add a pop of color to their work. The Posca Paint Pen art set comes in various colors and widths, so your artist friend will only be limited by their imagination. Even better, they are non-toxic!
They are also great for adding embellishments or details to artwork, making them a versatile tool for any artist – especially painters or related mediums. If you are shopping for someone who loves new art supplies, these are a must-have item for their toolkit.
This beautiful silk scarf from John Derian would make a great present for the artist who loves to accessorize. The vintage-inspired watercolor paintbrush motif on this scarf is from Derian’s photo collection and looks like it popped out of an artist’s studio.
Anyone with a love of art supplies is sure to love this beauty. Silk is practical for everyday wear but luxe, making it the ideal gift for that fashion-savvy, art loving friend.
No artist’s toolkit is complete without a trusty notebook, and Moleskine is my absolute favorite brand. Since college, I have been using these to jot down all my ideas and sketches, and I’ve yet to find anything that comes close to the quality and convenience of a Moleskine.
Their high-quality notebooks come in various sizes and styles, making perfect on-the-go sketchbooks. Sometimes the best gift is practical, and you can’t go wrong with a handy sketchbook.
The paper quality is ideal for drawing or painting, so they are a great gift for anyone.
But if you buy for an artist, get plain paper inside. It’s much easier to draw without pesky lines getting in the way. Artists don’t like to be contained! (at least this one doesn’t)
This book is #1 on my list of best pop-up books and one of my favorite gifts for artists of any age. Even though it may look like it’s just for kids, the design is very modernist, with Mondrian and Memphis-style vibes.
The primary colors will delight young artists, and the unique construction will inspire creatives of all ages. This book is one of my favorites in my collection, and it’s always sure to break me out of a creative rut.
If you are shopping for a gift for artists who adore watercolors or love collecting new art supplies, this luxurious handmade paint set by A Case for Making is absolutely worth every penny. It’s a true gem in the world of watercolor paints.
This set comes with 14 hand-poured half pans of paint and a travel case that will make painting on the go a breeze. It is the perfect gift for that special painter who loves to get lost in their artwork. Other sizes are also available, and you can even choose the specific colors in each paint palette.
When art supplies don’t feel like the right gift idea, this History of Chairs print is a lovely option for the creative in your life who loves furniture design and modern imagery. The bold silhouettes give just enough detail to appreciate the beauty of these classic designer chairs, while its abstract style keeps it from being too literal.
An ideal addition to any home or office space, this print will bring a touch of creative elegance wherever it’s displayed. This is a digital file, so you can print it to whatever size you desire and pick the perfect frame to make this present feel extra personal.
Final Thoughts
As an artist, I love buying art gifts, but finding the correct item can be challenging. The easiest way to make sure your search is fun and manageable is to consider the skill level of the person you are buying for.
Young artists will likely not have the same wishlist as a professional artist. Consider the use of each present, whether it’s a new set of paints, a fancy journal for sketching and note-taking, or a specialized tool for a specific medium.
Extremely experienced artists will likely have many opinions about particular art supplies, so an Audible membership or something else to support their craft would be a better gift. A budding artist will likely have fewer ideas about their favorite tools, so a new type of craft or an introduction to new art mediums is a great idea.
Just be sure to consider the preferences and needs of the artist in question and put some thought and care into your selection.
I hope this gift guide has been helpful in your search for the perfect present for the talented artist in your life. Whatever you choose, they will appreciate the thought and creativity you put into the gifts you select.
If you want more gift ideas, check out my post about gifts for plant lovers.
Thanks for reading, and happy gifting!
Cheers!
