Looking for the perfect gift for an artist or creative person?
It’s shopping time and you need help!
You search online for “artist gift ideas”. You’re probably not an artsy kind of person; you don’t know much about pencils, paint, paper, and art supplies… you’re just hoping for a few good suggestions.
But hoo, boy! There are a lot of junky articles out there, full of ads and annoying pop-ups. And the actual gifts? Ugh.
Hello, my name is Amy Shulke and I’m a professional freelance illustrator and an art instructor. I basically popped out of the womb with a beret and moustache, so in my forty-umph years of life, people have always given me art supplies for birthdays and Christmas.
Can I share a secret with you?
Here’s what the artist in your life is afraid to say:
The Starry Night coffee mug you gave me last year? It’s cute but it has been sitting in the back of my kitchen cupboard for months now.
And the trendy rose gold pencil & paper kit for my birthday? The pencils are weak and I use the paper for grocery lists.
I’m always touched when someone gives me art supplies. I appreciate the thought and I know they mean well.
But I’ve been given a lot of art materials I simply can’t use. For years, I would add the items to my children’s art supply stash but now that they’re older, these unusable gifts just gather dust.
Ultimately, they’re a waste of your money.
So let’s start buying gifts which your artist can actually use.
You’ll notice, there are no ads on the side of this article. I didn’t lure you here for Ad-Sense clicks. There won’t be blinking announcements popping up and no limited time offers.
I’m just sharing information here.
I’ve gathered a list of reasonably priced art supplies below and I’ll give you a blurb about why it might be a good gift for your special person.
If you want more information, there’s an Amazon link for you to use. The links are part of the Affiliate program but relax, it doesn’t affect your purchase price.
I encourage you to shop around for the best price or find something similar but more suitable. And please, be sure to check out local independently owned art stores in your area! They’re full of great ideas.
Remember, in this article, I’m just giving you a starting point.
Now let’s find your artist a really good gift!
This article contains affiliate links. Vanilla Arts Company is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for use to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com.
Gifts #1: Tech, apps, & Software
Adobe Creative Cloud
I must start here because I use this every single day. I use Illustrator, Photoshop, Lightroom, inDesign, and Premier Pro.
This is software. Expensive software. But I’d have a hard time running my art business without it.
Because of the price, I do not want you to buy it today. The reason I mention it at all is because when I was first starting out, the price of Adobe Illustrator was a gigantic hurdle for me. For years, I could not afford the entire suite of programs.
If your artist is in high school or college, or if they’re just starting their art career, talk to them. They may dream of having this.
I’m linking to the subscription at Amazon but talk to your artist first! If they’re a student, they can get a better price. They also might not need/want the entire Creative Cloud suite. The yearly membership is the best value but you can also purchase by the month as a smaller gift.
Procreate
Another software item, this time an app for the Apple iPad. As I’m writing this today, Procreate retails for $9.99, which makes Procreate the best ten dollar gift ever!
Procreate is another industry standard tool and I’ve been slowly introducing my students to it for the past few years. Kathy, our tech expert here at Vanilla Arts, wanted to make sure we included it on the list but truth be told, I already had it on my list. We love it!
Procreate allows artists to draw and paint on an iPad. It’s fun but with lots of potential for both learning and business! I have students who draw and sell their own digital stamps using Procreate. I use it to create experimental thumbnails (a big timesaver!) and to sketch on the go.
Your artist needs an iPad and an Apple Pencil to use Procreate. Purchase an iTunes gift card which your artist will then use to purchase and download the Procreate app on their iPad.
Apple Pencil
I mentioned above that to use Procreate, your artist needs an iPad and an Apple Pencil.
Personally, I use the iPad Pro 12.9 inch. It requires the 2nd Generation Apple Pencil shown here. If your artist has an older iPad, they may need the 1st Generation Apple Pencil.
We also recommend the MoKo Pencil Case because it’s easy to misplace the Apple pencil.
Tablet Stand
We use a lot of photo references in my classes. Viewing the references on an iPad or tablet device allows the artist to zoom in and out on the photographs as needed.
I can’t tell you how many times a student has dropped their tablet.
And I can testify how hard it is on the neck to keep looking straight down for hours at your device.
I’ve tried several stands but our Art Doodling Expert Pam found the best stand ever. The entire Vanilla Voices team agrees!
The KabCon Tablet Stand is heavy enough to not fall over as you touch and zoom. The soft bracket holds even my large iPad Pro secure. Best of all, the KabCon safely raises your tablet up to a comfortable viewing level and angle. I love this stand!
Shutterfly Gift Card
Confession time: I’ve got twenty years worth of artwork stuffed in file drawers. I simply can not frame and hang everything that I produce each year.
Kathy, our tech wizard here at Vanilla Arts suggested Shutterfly a few years back and I was floored. The ultimate lightbulb moment!!!
Shutterfly bills itself as the place to print your family photography in books, on bags and shirts, and on mugs or blankets.
But you don’t have to print vacation photos! Why not artwork?
This year, I’ve ordered fleece blankets printed with my favorite floral projects from 2019. I’m also tempted to make my own phone case soon. Your artist would love the opportunity to print their best work on something unique and wonderful too!
Canva Pro
I mentioned above that I use the Adobe Creative Cloud suite every day. The software I use the most is Adobe Illustrator, to make graphics. The product photos you see in this article plus all of the graphics you on my website were made in Illustrator.
Elena, one of our Vanilla Voices uses Canva Pro instead.
Canva (free) and Canva Pro (paid membership) are apps for desktop, laptop, or portable devices like tablets or phones (both Apple and Android),
Canva Pro offers a wide selection of pre-made templates, fonts, and stock photos. It also has photo editing and some animation options. It’s great for beginners with no design experience and those who don’t mind working from popular templates.
Canva Pro has a monthly subscription or yearly option. It’s available as in in-app purchase, so you’ll need an iTunes (Apple) or Google Play (Android) gift card for them to purchase the app.
Affinity Design & Affinity Photo
Years ago, our Tech guru Kathy let her Adobe Suite membership lapse in favor of the lower priced Affinity Suite. She’s a big fan of Affinity software.
Affinity Design helps you create for vector based graphics and designs.
Affinity Photo is their photo editing software.
Both are reasonably priced one-time purchases rather than a membership subscription.
If you’re looking to gift your artist with Affinity, talk to them first. Yes, that spoils the surprise but it prevents you from buying the wrong version or something they don’t need.
Available via iTunes for Mac/Apple devices. I was not able to find Affinity in the Google Play store but it is available for Android & PC from the Affinity site.
Read more gift ideas for artists:
This article contains affiliate links. Vanilla Arts Company is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for use to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com.
