A few Gifts ...
Cool gift ideas for yourself or your artist friends
I think we all have at least that one person for whom it’s really hard to come up with a gift. Luckily, artists and illustrators can be gifted many different things that will put a smile on their faces. So, if you’re looking for a perfect gift for a creative friend, an artist, or an illustrator, or if you’re looking for a special gift for yourself, I hope my guide will help you with finding the perfect one!
I divided all the gift ideas into categories. Let’s start with books and, as I always do, you’ll find a direct link to each one of them.
BOOKS
There are many beautiful books out there aimed at illustrators and artists. Here are some of my recommendations
‘How to be a children’s book illustrator’ is a great introductory book for anyone interested in illustration for kids. So if you, or a person you know, are starting in that field of illustration or want to get better and get some advice from children illustrators themselves, that’d be a great gift. 👉Get yours here
I hope I’m not mistaken when I say that every visual artist will be happy to get a good book about art history. This particular one is on my personal wishlist, I read it multiple times but don’t own a copy, and I think it’s an awesome general overview of the most important art history facts and art movements. You will find many different editions, starting from simple paperback ones and ending with luxurious ones for a few hundred dollars.👉 Get yours here
‘Find your artistic voice’ by Lisa Congdon is a great read for any artist. Finding our visual language and artistic voice is something essential for every artist. This is every artist’s personal and individual journey, and there are no shortcuts to it, but publications like this one can definitely help to shed some light and inspire their creative readers. 👉 Get yours here
Austin Kleon is the author of widely recommended books for artists. I have the one titled ‘Show your work’ and I can really recommend it, as I think it has some great advice when it comes to showcasing your work online. I especially recommend it for people who are starting out with publishing their work online or to those who feel a bit lost and scared when it comes to having an online portfolio or presence. 👉Get yours here
I’m also a big fan of buying books by fellow illustrators. I always say that it’s important to support each other, plus it’s really great to see beautiful work done by other artists.
If you’re looking to get some beautifully illustrated books or wanna see some of my favorite ones that I recommend, I’m leaving below a video about my illustrated book collection.
ART SUPPLIES
Every artist is obsessed with art supplies. We restrain ourselves from buying them constantly but having a new set of pencils, paints, or a new sketchbook is the best thing!
Here are some of my art supplies ideas:
Set of gouache paints. The gouache paints I recommend to you below are on my personal wishlist, but they aren’t easily accessible in Europe. You can get them online and in selected art stores if you’re lucky. My recommendation is that, when in doubt, always go with a set of primary colors as this is what we need to create any other color we wish for. But if you want to go for something bigger, there are beautiful sets of colors that I’m linking below.
Holbein Base starter set, I’ll be purchasing it myself! 👉 Get yours Here
Luminance color pencils are among the ones that artists like the most. And I’m not surprised because the colors are vibrant and saturated. I’m usually buying them one by one every time I visit an art store and can’t resist the temptation to get another beautiful color, but it’s no secret that buying sets like the one below pay off in the long run.
Caran D'ache luminance, this set has everything: 👉 Get yours Here
Prismacolor Premier, I’ve heard great things about this brand 👉 Get yours Here
Prismacolor Soft, if you’re looking for a handy set, here’s a great one that’s also on my personal wishlist. 👉 Get yours Here
Prismacolor Erasable. for those like me, who appreciate the easy erasing, consider this option. 👉 Get yours Here
In case you’re unsure about what kind of art supplies to give someone, I feel like there’s this general selection of things you can’t go wrong with. So, if your artist friend likes to paint, I’m sure they’ll appreciate a handmade ceramic palette. They’re resilient and easy to clean, plus they’re a beautiful and aesthetic addition to every art studio. And I feel like a beautiful or fun pencil case will always be a great and useful accessory for any creative person.
GADGETS!
I get questions to recommend individually an iPad or a tablet way too often, especially considering that I’m not a customer service nor a tech help :D But overall, if you’re looking for a self-gift or good electronics for a loved one, here it goes:
The latest iPad mini is a great iPad to start with if you dream about an iPad but are on a budget. It has everything for a starting out artist, such as pencil support; it’s very mobile and handy.
The iPad Pro is the one I’m using for all my professional and personal work, I find it super comfortable and very professional, so if it’s something within your budget or you’ve been considering getting it, it’s a great choice. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
I also get many questions about the iPad accessories I use, and here I can recommend two pretty awesome things:
This screen protector is for when you need to reduce reflections or flares or prefer working on a matte surface 👉 Get yours Here
A simple case, but with a very important detail of a stand function. I always use my tablet lifted up, and it’s something I always look for in an iPad case.👉 Get yours Here
One of my favorite things in my studio and the one that I use every day are my headphones. I love them cause they’re comfortable and have good sound quality; the battery lasts a few days. I’m not tired of recommending them cause having comfy and good-quality headphones is essential when you like working accompanied by music, podcasts, movies or series. 👉Get yours Here
One of my latest purchases, when it comes to electronics, is a new external hard drive. You could never be too cautious when it comes to backing up your work.
This one is good value for money and keeps your work safely backed up and organized. 👉 Get yours Here
SHOP SMALL
Something that I always, always recommend is to shop small from independent artists, fellow illustrators and local craft makers. The way I see it, if we, artists, aren’t willing to support art and handmade stuff, who else will? If we don’t appreciate handmade objects, the time, work and talent that goes behind art prints and other handmade objects, we can’t really expect non-art related people to appreciate it, so make sure there’s at least one handmade something in your gift bag!
Visit online or local stores of your favorite artists. A thing you will buy from them, will make happy not only the receiver, but also the maker! Think that by getting something from an independent creator, you’re supporting them, while also giving a unique and one-of-a-kind present.
🌳So don’t wait any longer and support your fave artists!🌳
SANTA’S MESSY BAG
Here I gathered other art-related gift ideas you might like. Those are all things I’ve been enjoying myself, and I’m positive any art-lover would be happy getting any of those. Check them out!
Art games: These card games are a fun gift for any art history buff. They’re beautifully made and published and are a lovely detail:
The Art Game: you can get your copy Here
Show me the Monet: you can get your copy Here
Online art class: I’ve been recommending some of the classes I took and really enjoyed over the last two years and I think it’s a great gift for yourself or a fellow artist. This is also a perfect occasion for me to mention my illustration class with Procreate, where I share with you the most important tips and steps of my process; you can check it out here.
Puzzles: Jigsaw puzzles with beautiful illustrations always make for a beautiful gift! Once again, check work by your fave artists and it’s highly probable that you’ll find their work on puzzles too!
Anything made from the heart: I love personal touches and handmade gifts made by my family and friends. If you have time on your hands, making a handmade gift is one of the best things you can give to the other person! If you’re out of ideas or time, which in those hectic pre-holidays moments is often the case, consider making a personalized card or even handmade wrapping paper! I’m 100% sure it will be greatly appreciated and will add that special unique touch to your presents!
I would loooove to know what gifts you like receiving or giving the most! Don’t hesitate to leave a comment, I’m super curious!
Quick note in case you feel like shopping.
A short note only to let you know that there’s a discount on EVERYTHING in my online store. You can choose a print of many different sizes and designs, stickers or a tote bag, all illustrated and packaged by with lots of love and passion for art. Just use the code: XMASS22 for 20% OFF on anything. As always, free international tracked shipping.
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