Ann Shen’s Artist Gift Guide
I get asked all the time about my favorite art supplies and my recommendations for artists of all levels. So I decided to put together an artist gift guide filled with all of my favorites! I’m an artist and gouache painter and have been making art professionally for over a decade. These are the art supplies and gifts that I would love to receive.
If you’re looking for the best gifts for artists, this post will give you a good overview of the gift ideas the artists in your life will love. And if you are an artist and want to drop some hints to your loved ones, feel free to send them the link to this post! Let’s dive in!
Paper & Sketchbooks
What better gift to give than a blank canvas full of creative possibilities? Here are some of my favorite sketchbooks and paper that artists will love.
You can’t go wrong with Moleskine! These sketchbooks are portable and high-quality. Perfect for the artist on the go!
This is my (and many other artists) preferred paper brand. It’s 100% cotton and perfect for watercolor and gouache painting. It’s a bit on the pricier side, so the artist in your life will appreciate getting this essential painting supply as a gift. Valuable and useful!
This versatile sketchbook is one of my go-to gifts for artists. They’ll be able to use it no matter what medium they create in, and it’s also super chic and classic with its soft black cover!
Brushes, Pens, and Colored Pencils
Brushes and brush pens are always a good gift idea. An artist can never have too many! Here are some of my favorite brushes for gifting. These make great stocking stuffers or “just because” gifts.
These are my favorite acrylic paint pens! They’re vibrant and fun to use.
These dual-sided brush pens are an artist’s best friend. They come in lots of fun colors and can be used for hand-lettering and sketching alike!
You can’t go wrong with a classic set of round brushes! This set is both affordable and high quality.
HIMI Watercolor and Gouache Brushes
These brushes from HIMI are both adorable and functional! They’ve become some of my favorite brushes to use as a gouache painter.
Colored pencils make a great gift and Prismacolor is the cream of the crop when it comes to colored pencils. These high-quality pencils are on lots of artists’ wish lists!
This portable little brush pen is the perfect companion to the sketchbooks above! It is great for hand lettering or sketching with varying line weights.
Gouache Paint
I am a gouache painter, so I have to include a section of my favorite giftable gouache sets! Whether the artist you’re shopping for paints with gouache or not, you might consider gifting them this unique type of paint. It’s water soluble, so watercolor artists will enjoy it and be comfortable using it. But it also is opaque so acrylic and oil artists will enjoy the fact that it can be layered and used for traditional painting projects too!
This is one of the top gouache brands and a great set for serious artists. This is one of the main brands that I use for my professional illustrations.
This is my preferred gouache brand. The intro set gives a great range of colors, and the pigments are high-quality enough for everyone from beginners to professionals.
If the artist in your life is a beginne, I’d suggest a set of Jelly Gouache! It’s affordable, comes in an adorable package, and includes a wide range of colors.
Seasonal Color Sets
Shopping for someone who has a particular style? Try one of these sets with colors selected to match the vibe of certain seasons. These also make great seasonal gifts! For example, if you’re shopping for someone who has a birthday in the fall, the fall set might be the perfect thing for them!
Looking for more gift suggestions? This is just the tip of the iceberg! Check out my Amazon shop to see all my recommendations. It includes more art supplies, lifestyle items, travel essentials, and more!
