Let me help you this holiday season to find the perfect gift for the artist in your life! Maybe they’re a newbie to art or a new craft, or have many year of experience behind them. I wanted to share some art supplies — both affordable and a splurge — that would be great options for the artist in your life! Between my experiences teaching art privately and in a public high school, I’ve tried lots of different supplies and I am so excited to share this wealth of knowledge to help you fulfill that Wish List for the Artist in your life!

Each option below has a link to Amazon. Prices not provided due to price variations from day to day. I do obtain a small commission from items purchased through the links provided — thank you for supporting my art business!

GRAPHITE PENCILS & ERASERS

Does your artist love to draw? Then you must start with some great quality graphite pencils. A private art student introduced me to a new brand of Graphite Pencils — Pandafly — that I was so impressed with their quality and value, I recommend them to all my students now, and even own a set of my own! The softest pencil 14B is darker than any pencil in my profession set. I’ll share both brands so you can make the call!

PROFESSIONAL: Derwent Graphic Drawing Pencils 12 ct.

STUDENT: Pandafly Drawing Sketching Pencils 12 ct.

At a third of the price, Pandafly pencils are an incredible buy for beginning artists, or even an artist at the professional level!

Now let’s talk erasers!

NECESSARY: Faber-Castell Kneaded Eraser, 1 pack

ALSO NECESSARY: Genera’s Pencil Tri-Tip Eraser

PERFECT FOR DETAILS: Tombow Mono Zero Eraser Set

SPLURGE: Electric Eraser

*My SAKURA KOI Studio Kit with master sheet created to show actual colors.*

FUN WATERCOLOR FINDS!

These are some incredible watercolor finds, great quality for the value!

BRUSH CLEANER: Paint Brush Cleaner with Water Circulation

MY FAV PAN WATERCOLOR SET: SAKURA KOI Studio Kit, 60 Colors

GREAT STARTER PAN WATERCOLOR SET: SAKURA KOI Pocket Field Sketch Kit, 12 Colors

The colors on this set are the BEST I’ve personally used for the price! The movement of the watercolors and the vibrancy of the colors are incredible. I highly recommend to create a master sheet of colors — they are so vibrant compared to what they look like in the pan (please see my example above within image).

WATERCOLOR BRUSHES: Watercolor Brush Set, 6 piece

Hands down, the BEST brushes for the price. Great watercolor brushes can be SOOOO EXPENSIVE and these rival the best at a fraction of the cost.

SKETCHBOOKS

Sketchbooks can be one of the hardest decisions for any artist! This brand was introduced to me and I haven’t looked back! The pages are thick and can handle mixed-media application — not all sketchbooks advertised as mixed-media are actually thick enough to handle mixed-media. I’ve given you a few options below and they will be a hit for any artist in your life!

Ohunu Mixed Media Pad, 8.3”x8.3”

Ohunu Spiral Bound Mixed Media Pad, 8.9x8.3”

These are my favorite but other sizes are available!

ART DICE

One of my MOST USED fun items I use for my art, are my Art Dice. I 2024, I created my Polaroid Project series, with over 70 artworks, guided by my weekly art dice rolls.

GET CREATIVE: Art Dice

This is just the tip of the iceberg on great art supplies. I hope you can find that special artist in your life the perfect gift this holiday season.

Need more suggestions? Ask below and I’d be happy to recommend another product to you!

The Perfect Gift for your Artist!