36 Best Gifts for Artists That Will Help Spark Their Creativity

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The holidays have arrived, and so has the stress of shopping for Christmas gifts for your entire family. To help you narrow down the options, a good plan of action is to consider the professions and hobbies of those you're shopping for. After all, choosing the best gift for a gardener or the best gift for a musician feels a lot easier than picking the best Christmas gift out of all the possible gift ideas in the world.

Which brings us to this guide to the best gifts for artists. Whether your loved one is a professional artist or simply enjoys spending their free time drawing, painting, crafting or sculpting, we've rounded up plenty of unique gift ideas for the artistic person in your life. Of course, you can always go the practical route by purchasing supplies they need for their next artistic endeavor, or, get a little creative yourself by opting for a personalized gift, like custom watercolor painting of their art studio.

But no matter what gift you choose to give this year, just remember it's always the thought that counts — and you can always hedge your bets by including a personalized Christmas card or a homemade holiday treat along with your present, too.

Art Dice

Both playful and practical, this set of dice is a great way to generate artistic inspiration. This set is specific to drawing and painting, but the possibilities it provides for creativity are endless.

642 Tiny Things to Draw

Simple, thoughtful, fun: This book is a great gift for any type of artist — not to mention it makes the perfect stocking stuffer!

Gift Card

Don't know exactly which art supplies they need for their next project? A gift certificate to an art supply store is the perfect balance of thoughtful and practical. A Blick Art Materials gift card can be purchased in values from $5 to $500.

Spark Creativity: 50 Ways to Ignite Bright Ideas

No matter what their favorite medium, this affordable gift will help inspire their next big idea. Each "matchstick" offers up a prompt designed to get their wheels turning, like "give yourself a complete change of scenery" or "collect advice from three creative heroes and use them as inspiration."

The Reverse Coloring Book

Never heard of a reverse coloring book? Instead of filling in the colors, this adult coloring book lets you fill in the lines around the already-existing watercolors.

Fine Arts Advent Calendar

Yes, this is an advent calendar made specifically for artists! For 24 days, they can unpack all kinds of art supplies and creative inspiration, including paint, markers, canvases, brushes and so much more.

Mini 2 Color Sensor Colorimeter

Digital artists are sure to love this handy little gadget that allows them to scan any IRL item or surface to find its digital color code.

Mezzo Artist Brush and Paint Tube Organizer Rack

Mezzo's storage racks are affordable, well-reviewed, and offer modular storage options for almost any type of artistic medium, from paintbrushes to paints to pencils and more.

Paint Brush Rinse Cup

This is a great gift for kids or people who are newer to the art of painting. With a rating of 4.7 stars on Amazon with almost 5,000 reviews, it's hard to argue with its efficacy! Choose from five colors and two sizes.

175-Piece Deluxe Art Set

While it's generally good practice to let professional artists buy their own supplies (they tend to have pretty specific preferences, a.k.a. why a gift card is a good idea), gifting a full, multi-faceted set of art supplies to a young or budding artist is a great way to encourage them to experiment and find the medium they love the most.

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles

If you're unsure about gifting the artist in your life art supplies, consider giving them a book about art and creativity instead. This highly rated pick will help them improve their creative discipline.

Water Drawing Set

This inkless drawing board is fun, effective, and great for both creativity and relaxation. Dip the bamboo brush in water and swipe it across the board to create art that also doubles as a mindfulness practice.

Acryl Gouache Yusuke Nakamura Set

Turner, a Japanese brand beloved by artists, offers this set of a dozen concentrated acrylic gouache paints that dry to a vibrant matte finish in a beautiful limited edition box featuring the art of Yusuke Nakamura.

Watercolor Pad

This 9 x 12-inch pad only costs $20, but when you consider how much paper prolific watercolor artists go through, you can understand how the cost can really add up — and how much they'll appreciate receiving an extra pad as a gift!

366 Days of Masterpieces 2024 Day-to-Day Calendar

This calendar is an artist's dream, featuring one famous, beautiful piece of work per day of the year. Talk about a way to stay inspired!

Nähe General Purpose Case

Organization is always a good idea. These cases are wonderful options for artists for organizing and transporting materials, and if you do want to gift them some specific supplies, you could store them in this pouch for a fun, multi-part gift.

Paint Brush Holder

Whether gifted on its own or with a set of brushes, this portable canvas roll-up can store up to 100 (!) paint brushes.

"Brief History of Art" Coffee Mug

Art history majors will certainly appreciate this coffee mug, which highlights some of history's greatest works of art all on one cup, from Da Vinci to Koons, Picasso to Degas.

Highlights from The Museum of Modern Art

If there's anyone who's going to appreciate a coffee table book full of gorgeous art, it's an artist. Don't think they'll like this MoMA pick? Just ask who their favorite artist is or what their favorite type of art is, then search for a coffee table book that features that artist or medium. They'll appreciate the thought and the inspiration.

Aero SM Portable Waterless Diffuser

This portable diffuser is great way for them to add the comforting, relaxing smell of essential oils to their art studio or crafting space. Plus, the minimalist design is super-chic.

Gouache Paint Set

Not only is the case of this 24-color gouache paint set absolutely gorgeous, but the reviews of these paints on Amazon are outstanding (4.7 stars) and numerous (almost 5,000), so you can rest assured you're purchasing a great product.

The Principles of Uncertainty

Maira Kalman's book is sure to be unlike anything they've ever read. It's part art, part narrative, part coffee table book, and part something else entirely... but fully charming. If you are friends with an artist who says they don't need anything and a gift card just won't cut it, consider giving them this book.

Classic Notebook

This gift is a classic option for anyone who lives creatively, from artists to writers. Moleskine journals are a crowd pleaser for a reason — and they're not particularly cheap, either, so it will feel like a real treat to whoever you're shopping for this holiday season.

Watercolor Bowl & Brush Caddy

Completely handmade, this watercolor bowl and brush caddy will be a stunning addition to any artist's studio. Plus, it's dishwasher safe, which makes clean-up even easier.

French Easel

If you know that the person you're shopping for uses easels, this could be a great gift for their future work. (You may want to check with them first to see if they prefer a specific brand before you buy, though!) If not, this French easel has great ratings on Amazon and is large enough for a variety of canvases.

Sketchbook Marker Paper Pad

Every artist needs a sketchbook, and this one includes a leather cover and 79 sheets of thick, double-sided pages.

6-Drawer Wooden Artist Storage Supply Box

Give the gift of organization with this six-drawer storage supply box. It's gret for pens, pencils, pastels, paper, or anything else your favorite artist wants to keep safe and organized.

Large Art Portfolio Tote

If you know someone who's heading off to art school, this art portfolio is a practical gift that shows you support their studies and dreams.

Handmade Leather Sketchbook Cover

This leather sketchbook cover (with strap) is perfect for the artist who's always on the go.

50 Fearless Creatives Who Inspired the World

For the young female artist who's just discovering the world of art and the possibilities ahead of them when it comes to creativity, this is the perfect gift.

Sleep Mask

Obviously, most art is visual, so at the end of a day, the artist in your life might want a way to unwind, relax, and shut out the world. Enter: A weighted blanket for your eyes. This product would help them get some quality shut-eye.

The Story of Art

The cover says it all: With more than six million copies solid, this is the art book to end all art books. Anyone who appreciates art will appreciate this famous tome by E.H. Gombrich.

Irises Glass Vase

Fans of Van Gogh's work will instantly recognize his famous irises on this beautiful glass vase.

"It's Hard to Get a Handle on Modern Art" Coffee Mug

Modern art fans will appreciate this mug, which features some of the most famous modern artists to date.

Little Dancer Ornament

Based on the famous ballerina in Degas' The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer, this ornament is absolutely darling and would make a wonderful gift for an artist and/or fan of Degas' work.

Woven Cozy Throw Blanket

No matter what type of artist you're shopping for, every creative person likes to feel cozy and comfortable while working. This colorful blanket could be a great addition to a chilly studio — and what artist doesn't love that?

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