Finding useful gift ideas for artists sounds easy until you actually start looking. There are endless art supplies for sale, but that doesn’t mean an artist needs or wants them.
Most experienced artists already have their favourite pencils, paints, brushes and paper. Buying more of the same can be a waste of money.
A better idea is to buy something practical that they would love to have, but keep putting off buying for themselves.
I’m thinking about the things that make drawing and painting easier, more comfortable or more enjoyable. A decent easel, a proper drawing table, a comfortable chair or a complete set of quality coloured pencils can make a real difference.
Some of these gifts for artists aren’t cheap, but that’s the point. They’re the sort of things an artist might look at for years and think, “I really should get one of those,” then carry on making do with what they’ve got.
So if you’re looking for practical gift ideas that will actually get used, these are the things I’d consider.
looking for practical gifts for artists that will actually get used, these are the things I’d consider.
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A Proper Artist’s Easel
A good easel is one of those things you can manage without for years. You find ways around it, prop your drawing board against something, work flat on a table, or make do with a cheap easel that wobbles every time you touch it.
That makes a decent easel a genuinely useful gift.
The important thing is to buy the right type. A large studio easel is great for someone with a permanent workspace, but it’s useless if they have nowhere to leave it set up.
A tabletop easel makes more sense when space is tight. You can put it away when you’ve finished, and some models fold flat enough to store in a cupboard.
If your artist friend/loved one likes working outdoors, look at field easels instead. They’re lightweight, portable and designed to be carried around. Some come with a box (French easels) for storing art supplies, which makes them even more practical.
Before buying an easel, find out what size artwork they normally produce and where they work. An easel should make life easier, not become another piece of art equipment gathering dust in the corner.
As gift ideas for artists go, an easel can be a great choice, but only when you know they actually need one.
An Adjustable Drawing or Drafting Table
Working flat on a normal table is fine for a while, but it’s not ideal. You tend to lean over your work, and after a few hours your back and neck know all about it.
A proper drawing table lets you tilt the working surface to a comfortable angle. Some models also adjust in height, which gives you much more freedom to find a good working position.
Size matters. You need enough room for the artwork, plus some space around it for pencils and other art supplies. At the same time, there’s no point buying a huge table for someone working in a small room.
This is the sort of purchase many artists put off. A kitchen table or old desk does the job, so it’s easy to keep making do.
That’s exactly why a drawing table is one of the more useful gift ideas for someone who spends hours at their artwork. It solves a real problem and should get used every day.
Just check the available space before buying one. A surprise present loses some of its charm when there’s nowhere to put it.
A Good Adjustable Artist’s Chair
A decent chair isn’t the most exciting present, but anyone who spends hours drawing will appreciate having one.
Artists have a habit of concentrating on their work and ignoring how they’re sitting. An old dining chair might be perfectly usable for half an hour. Spend most of the day in it and it’s a different story.
Look for a chair with adjustable height, good back support and enough freedom to move around. A swivel chair is useful because you can reach your art supplies without constantly getting up.
Armrests can actually get in the way, especially when you need to get close to a drawing table. If possible, choose a chair without them or one with adjustable arms.
This is one of those practical gift ideas that an artist might never think to ask for. They may happily spend money on pencils and paper while putting up with the same uncomfortable chair for years.
It might not get the biggest reaction when they unwrap it, but give it a few weeks and they may wonder why they didn’t buy one sooner.
Air Purifier
If you work with pastels or charcoal, you’ll know how quickly dust builds up.
It gets on the drawing, the table and everything nearby. The temptation is to blow it away, which usually sends it somewhere else.
A small dust extractor / air purifier can help keep the working area cleaner. It draws loose dust away from the surface instead of letting it settle over your work.
This is probably one of the more unusual gifts for artists, but it’s useful for anyone who regularly works with dusty art materials.
Check the size and noise level before buying one. You don’t want something so bulky that it takes over the desk, or so noisy that the artist switches it off after five minutes.
It’s hardly a glamorous present, but that’s the whole point of this list. It’s the sort of useful bit of kit you might want, but never quite get around to buying for yourself.
An Adjustable Drawing Board
If a full drawing table is too big, an adjustable drawing board is a good alternative.
You can place it on an ordinary desk or table and tilt it to whatever angle feels comfortable. When you’ve finished, you can move it out of the way or store it somewhere safe.
That makes it particularly useful for artists who don’t have a dedicated studio.
Look for a board that feels solid and stays firmly in position when tilted. It also needs to be large enough for the size of paper the artist normally uses, with some extra room around the edges.
Some boards have clips or a straight edge built in. These can be handy, but a simple, sturdy board is often all you need.
It’s one of those art accessories that doesn’t seem very exciting until you start using one. If someone is still balancing their drawing board against a pile of books, this could be a very welcome gift.
A Good Studio Light
Good lighting makes a huge difference when you’re drawing or painting. Natural daylight is ideal, but you can’t rely on it, especially during the winter.
A good studio lamp lets you work in the evening or on dull days without straining your eyes. It also helps you judge colours and fine details more accurately.
Look for a lamp with adjustable brightness and a head or arm you can position over your work.
If colour matters, check the CRI rating. CRI tells you how accurately colours appear under a light compared with a natural or standard light source. A CRI of 90 or above is a good choice for artwork where colour accuracy matters.
You don’t necessarily need an expensive specialist artist’s lamp either. High-CRI LED bulbs are available with standard fittings, so you may be able to use one in an ordinary desk or floor lamp.
Pay attention to colour temperature as well. CRI and colour temperature are two different things. Look for a neutral or daylight LED rather than assuming any high-CRI bulb will give you the light you want. (source)
This is another piece of art equipment that’s easy to put off buying. You can struggle along with an ordinary desk lamp for years because it works well enough.
That’s what makes a decent studio light one of the more practical gift ideas on this list. It’s something an artist can use every time they sit down to work.
Flat Storage for Artwork
Finished drawings have an annoying habit of piling up. If you work on paper, sooner or later you need somewhere safe to keep them.
A flat paper cabinet or set of wide, shallow drawers is ideal. You can store drawings, prints and sheets of paper flat without rolling them up or cramming them into folders.
This gift ideas is insanely useful but do check the size before you buy. You don’t want to buy a cabinet for smaller paper than an artist needs.
That also mean checking the available space for a larger cabinet. A bit of homework is required.
For a smaller workspace, an artist’s portfolio case is a cheaper and more portable option. It keeps finished work together and makes it easier to carry drawings around without damaging them.
This is another gift that solves a boring problem, which fits the whole point of these useful gift ideas.
It may not be the most exciting thing to unwrap, but if their artwork is currently stacked under the bed or leaning against a wall, they’ll probably be glad to have it.
A Large Cutting Mat and Cutting Tools
A large cutting mat is one of those things you don’t realize you need until you need one.
It gives you a proper surface for trimming paper, mounting artwork and cutting backing board without damaging the table underneath.
I’ve ruined so many tables!
Buy the biggest self-healing mat that will comfortably fit the artist’s workspace. The extra room is useful when working with larger drawings and prints.
Add a good metal ruler and a sharp craft knife and you’ve got a simple set of art tools that should last for years.
This is particularly useful for artists who mount their own work or sell prints. I use a cutting mat regularly for preparing my own artwork for sale, so it’s far more than another bit of art stuff that gets shoved in a drawer.
It’s a practical present, reasonably affordable and likely to get used. That makes it one of the better gift ideas for artists if you’re not sure what else to buy.
12 Useful Gift Ideas For Artists: Final Thoughts
The best gifts don’t have to be exciting or unusual. Sometimes the best present is simply something useful that an artist has wanted for ages but can’t quite bring themselves to buy.
That’s the thinking behind these useful gift ideas. They’re things that can make drawing or painting easier, more comfortable or more enjoyable.
You don’t need to know much about art to choose a good present either. Pay attention to how the artist works, what they already use and what they’re always complaining about.
Maybe their chair is falling apart. Perhaps they’re working under a terrible lamp, balancing a drawing board on a pile of books or storing finished artwork under the bed.
Those little clues can lead you to the best gifts for artists because you’re buying something they actually need.
And if you’re still unsure, ask. It might spoil the surprise, but it’s better than spending good money on something that ends up gathering dust.
This is a unique gift. An e-book explaining how to sell art for a living from a simple market stall.
If you’d like to read my reviews from previous posts, read these:
- Best Drawing Pencils For Beginners
- Best Easel For Drawing and Painting: How to Choose
- Best Erasers for Drawing: The 9 Eraser Types for Artists
- Best Mechanical Drawing Pencils For Artists
- Best Pastel Pencils For Beginners: 7 Top Brands Review
- What is The Best Paper for Graphite Pencil Drawing?
- Are Proko Courses Worth It?
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Hi, I’m Kevin Hayler
I’ve been selling my wildlife art and traveling the world for over 20 years, and if that sounds too good to be true, I’ve done it all without social media, art school, or galleries!
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