Creative Christmas Gifts for Artists: Art Supplies for Every Budget

What makes a good gift for an artist? You want to spark their creativity and encourage their practice, plus surprise them with something special they might not buy for themselves. To give you some ideas on what artists really want, we’ve asked Cheap Joe’s resident artists what they’d like to receive and why. We divided it into lists according to budgets under $30, $50, and $100 plus a luxury gift section.

Art Supplies Under $30

Miller’s Pseudo Sable Quill - “A quill watercolor brush can do anything I ask of it, and to have just 1 really nice one would be a luxury.” - Abby

Yasutomo Bokuju Sumi Set - “I don’t necessarily want to do traditional sumi-e, but I love the preciousness of the materials in this set and the versatility of the ink for all kinds of brush sketching.” - Catherine

Sennelier Half-Stick 6 Pastel Sets - “I love the 6 color set collections and kind of want to collect them all.” - Bryant

Arches Watercolor Travel Journal - “You can’t go wrong with a 100% cotton watercolor sketchbook from Arches. I want 5 to create a journaling theme with each one.” - Taylor

Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolor Marker 5 Color Set - “These are my favorite illustrating brush markers because they can be used wet or dry and layer well to make in-between colors. I always need more.” - Amanda

J. Herbin Fountain Pen Inks - “The glass bottles are luxurious and the detail of the built-in pen holder is *chef’s kiss*. I love the French color names and want to collect them all.” - Erin

Silver Point Drawing Tools - “I’ve always wanted to try this centuries-old drawing technique but probably need the encouragement to go ahead and do it.” - Nicole

Etchr Mini Porcelain Palette Kits - “These are perfect for travel. A customer commented that these are "Annoyingly worth the money," and I couldn't agree more. Yes it's small, yes it's compact, yes it's totally and completely adorable, but it's well made, it's well thought out and it's beautiful.” - Julie

Speedball Canvas Pencil Cases - “I have 1 and carry it with me everywhere, and now I want one for each of my collections of pencils and pens.” - Ashleigh

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Essential Supplies and Gifts for Artists Under $50

Posca Marker Set of 16 - “I use these to draw on anything and everything and can never have enough. I want all the point sizes.” - Amanda

Cheap Joe’s Maker’s Crossback Apron - “I’m very impressed with the functionality and style of these. I think it would last me forever. So many pockets!” - Julie

Golden SoFlat Matte Acrylic Paint Sets - “Love the idea of these, but I haven’t tried them yet. The matte finish appeals to me more than regular acrylics. The appearance of gouache without the struggle.” - Bryant

Etchr Field Case - “I would never invest in this for myself but it would be so nice to have one to carry out all the time. I really like the minimalist style and it would satisfy my organizational obsession.” - Erin

 Williamsburg Handmade Oil Color Sets - There are some interesting color collections in these sets and it's such a great handmade oil paint.”

Etchr Black Graphic Pen Collection - “It’s every line type that I could want and I like that the ink is waterproof and won’t fade.” - Nicole

Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolor Pencil Set of 24 - “Faber-Castell’s Polychromos Colored Pencils are my favorite for their lay-down properties and color range, so I know I would love their watercolor pencils” - Catherine

Cheap Joe's Sketchbook Set - “I like the idea of volumes of sketches. I can see myself growing my own library of these over time.” - Donnie

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Gifts for Artists Under $100

American Journey Field Series Sling Bag - “Ever since I saw Amanda’s that she painted herself, I wanted to make my own!” - Ashleigh

Koda Art Dual Tip Brush Marker Set of 48 Classic Colors - “I didn’t know how much I liked drawing with brush markers until we got the Koda markers. All of my recent artwork has been made with these.” - Amanda

American Journey Voyager 18 Color Mixed Pan Set - “Such a solid set that I would never buy for myself but could see myself using a lot. I like that it’s easily refillable and I can shift the colors around to suit myself.” - Leslie

Etchr Watercolor Starter Kit - “I’ve never done watercolor before but now that I work at Cheap Joe’s, I want to. I like that this kit has all the materials I’d need plus classes.” - James

Schmincke Super Granulating 15 ml Sets - “Angels sing when I open these boxes. I already have a few of these colors and want them all now for my abstract watercolors.” - Leslie

American Journey Brush Combo Set - “I would like a brush set that comes with everything already, including the brush holder that stands up.” - Amy

Cheap Joe's Mighty H-Frame Easel “I would love to graduate from my table easel to a real artists’ easel.” - Aiden

American Journey Sidecar Porcelain Palette - “I already have a porcelain palette, but I like the idea of this extra one that I can use for extra colors and mixing up large washes.” - Tippy

 

Escoda Travel Color Brush Sets - “I like the mix and match of different Escoda brush lines in these travel sets. Escoda is one of the best brush makers out there for performance and longevity.” - Leslie

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 $100 and Above Gift Ideas for Fine Artists

Schmincke Horadam Half Pan Set in Leather Case - “The leather carrying case is a nice touch. I like that there’s room left to add my own pans of other colors. This is the kind of metal palette that lasts a lifetime.” - Lori

Tombow Dual Brush 108 Marker Set - “I want all the colors to print my tiny block prints and illustrations.” - Erin

 

Kilimanjaro All Media Studio Easel - “I tend to go through phases of media. I never know what I’ll want to make in the future and I don’t have much space so this seems like the best easel. I like that it can go completely horizontal and that it can be moved easily on wheels.” - Catherine

Cheap Joe’s Legend Kolinsky Sable Brush Sets - “A whole set of real sable brushes would be an amazing luxury.” - Amy

Toyo ST-350 Steel Toolboxes - “These make me want to reorganize all my art supplies into these retro boxes.” - Ashleigh

American Journey Artists' Acrylic Set - “If I want to learn how to paint in acrylics, this seems like the best set to start. It has everything.” - Mark

 

Holbein Yuko Higuchi Artist Watercolor Sets - “Holbein is my favorite brand of watercolor, and while photographing these sets, I had so much fun looking at the fantasy animal and plant illustrations on each tube. This isn’t your average watercolor set.” - Leslie

Unison Handmade Pastel Sets - “These are next-level pastels that I would love to try. The color palettes make me want to draw!” - Abby