The Best Gifts for Artists, According to Artists

These colored pencils write on anything — paper, metal, glazed ceramics, and glass — and would be especially useful for someone who works in multiple media. They’re a favorite of artistPeter Shire: “I use these for normal pencil-type things like taking notes. But they really come in handy when I’m making stuff,” he says.

Many artists enjoy experimenting with watercolors from time to time. So unless watercolor is their specialty (in which case they may already have preferred brands and palettes), a set like this one, recommended by artistAshley Longshore, is sure to be a hit. “It has one of the widest ranges of colors and the best pigmentation,” Longshore says.

Regardless of their medium of choice, they are sure to be inspired by a set of rubber stamps like these from Areaware’scollaboration with illustrator and designer Rilla Alexander. The simple, abstract shapes and five different-colored inks add up to endless creative possibilities.

We included this portable light box in our list of thebest art supplies to give to artists.Folks who draw for a living, or as an essential part of their art practice, will often use a Porta-Trace to refine drawings from sketch to final artwork.It’s also a handy tool for photographers, who can use it to look at their negatives.

“I’ve been using Krink for years,” says artistShantell Martin. “They’re really smooth, the quality of their ink is amazing, and you can use them on anything from clothing and leather to walls for larger murals.” Krink paint markers also happen to beon the deskof Sant Ambroeus creative director Alireza Niroomand, who likes them in blue.

Musician and author Neko Caselearned about the Rapidograph pen from her parents, who were archaeologists: “They would use them to write on very small fragments of bone,” she says. It’s designed to make very precise lines and is highly adjustable — you can use different inks, and the nibs can be swapped out to make lighter or heavier marks.

No matter their medium, they can find a use for a good black ink. This bottle from Yasutomo is Strategist senior writer (and illustrator) Liza Corsillo’s favorite: “It doesn’t fade over time, and it’s waterproof, so once it’s dry you can go over it in watercolor and it won’t bleed,” she says.

I love these hand-marbled Portuguese notebooks so much I went to their workshop in Lisbon on my way to the airport. I’m not the only fan — they’re a favorite ofdrag artist Sasha Velour, who loves their “Memphis Group, ’70s-meets-’90s kind of chaotic, colorful fantasy look.”

“Every artist always has a piece or two that needs to be framed,” says artistKent Monkman. He recommends picking up a gift card to a local framing shop; you could also try Framebridge, a framing company thatwe testedand found to be one of the best online framing services out there.

Another color reference full of beautiful, unexpected palettes. I love using it as a reference for interior-design projects.

“As an artist, you spend a great deal of your day in isolation, with a lot of time to consider your own thoughts, feelings, and emotions — for me, the unholiest trinity!” says artistJanie Korn. She suggests gifting this guidebook by illustrator Jordan Sondler, which contains advice for navigating loneliness, career, and self-love. “Reading this book has helped me feel mentally healthier and better equipped to create meaningful art,” says Korn. “Beyond the self-improvement part, it’s a really stunning, visually compelling book that you will want to read in a sitting.”

Graphic novels offer a wealth of inspiration to visual artists. Painter and illustrator Nasir Young especially recommends volume one from theAkiraseries: “Simply looking at how the pages are inked helps inform how to build value even if you’re not drawing comics,” he says.

This reference book contains over 2,500 photographs of the facial expressions of 50 models. It’s a useful tool for sculptors and animators, and it’s also pretty fun to flip through.

I found this book in the online shop of Hudson furniture companyLikeMindedObjects— it’s a collection ofchindogu, a Japanese concept of amateur inventions that are silly but theoretically functional. It would be a great creative reset for any artist.

You could also give them the gift of a new soundtrack for working: a limited-edition green vinyl ofPlantasia, Mort Garson’s beloved album of synthesizer music for plants.

“A fun stocking stuffer that I give as a gift all the time are these little nuggets made by my old studio mates Chen Chen and Kai Williams,” says ceramicistHelen Levi. “Each one is completely different.” (Chen and Williams are also the designers of a popular ring-shaped ceramic planter, which we named thenext status plantera few years ago.)

Art-making is often physically taxing — just ask anyone who draws, paints, or works in sculpture. Giving an artist something to soothe their aching muscles is always a thoughtful gesture. This S-shaped back-massage tool comes recommended to us by writerOttessa Moshfegh,who, like any other kind of artist, spends a lot of time bent over her work. “I would do it all day if I didn’t have to use my hands,” she says.

If the artist you are shopping for works in a medium that involves getting their hands dirty, they’ll appreciate an extra-rich cream. “In the past, I’ve been to people’s studios and I’m like,Oh shit, that feels really good. What’s that lotion?Weleda Skin Foodis really popular,” says Josephine Heilpern, aceramistand founder of the Bed-Stuy-basedRecreation Center.

If you want to give them a gift that helps set a creative mood, try a scented candle. “Ambience is super important to a productive working environment,” says Korn. “I’m always burning or misting something (stale air equals stale thoughts).” This Keys candle is ourfavorite overall for sensitive noseswith an impressive 65-hour burn time and the clarifying scent of sage.

Or gift them Nippon Kodo’s “world’s bestincense” — I burn the Japanese cypress scent constantly.

Take it fromillustrator Maira Kalman— bouncing a ball against your wall is a great mental reset. (She likes this one especially because it doesn’t leave marks on the wall.)

For artists who share their studio space or make work from home, the best gift you can give is sound insulation. This pair of noise-cancelling headphones comes recommended by Strategist tech writer Jordan McMahon: “Nobody nails the mix of sound quality and noise-cancellation quite like Sony,” he says. They have a transparency mode, which reduces volume when you start talking, useful if your giftee has a studio mate.

For something more interactive, Martin suggests this portable synthesizer, which will let curious artists noodle around in a new medium. “Teenage Engineering is creating amazing products that are super-modern but also strike some great emotional nostalgia chords,” Martin says.

Or gift them a less expensive synthesizer that comes loaded with hundreds of sounds from the Middle Ages, like hurdy-gurdies and Gregorian chants.

For a less fancy piece of music tech, gift them an Otamatone, a slide-operated mini-synthesizer with a cute little axolotl-like face. It won the “High Target Toy Prize” at the 2010 Japanese Toy Awards.

Ourbest-in-class turntable— because any artist can tell you that the sound quality of vinyl is just better.

It’s a splurge, but if they make a cup of tea and then immediately forget about it and let it go cold, this temperature-controlled mug will change their life.

If they have a habit of forgetting to feed themself while working on a project, give them delicious, snackable protein from Portuguese tinned-fish company José Gourmet, one of Strategist writer Dominique Pariso’s favoritegifts for wine lovers.

Artist and poetSamuel Jablondescribes CBD sweets as “a great way to cut through stress.” These tastystone-fruit Turkish delights contain ten milligrams of CBD apiece and come in a box pretty enough to gift.

This Italian snack is one-third of an espresso shot contained in a dark-chocolate shell. “It’s the perfect portable caffeine and sugar kick,” writesStrategist contributorand Italian grocery enthusiast Caroline Weaver.

If your artist friend is also creative in the kitchen, give them something that will inspire new courses both sweet and savory. Lindsay Collins, host and creator ofEffin B Radio, recommends this “delicate, floral, and ultranuanced honey” that she discovered while working at Per Se. Though you can use it in a million different ways, she suggests drizzling it on fancy blue cheese or a bowl of fresh figs.

Sometimes the best gift is one you get to pick out for yourself via a gift card to a local bookstore, ideally one with a good stock of art books. If they’re in New York, Kaminski suggests giving a gift card to Aeon Bookstore in Two Bridges, which has a consistent, reasonably priced selection of art and design books, magazines, and hard-to-find records. (For a directory of local bookstores across the U.S., check outthis map on Bookshop.com.)

I’m a massive fan of the Criterion Channel — they should team up with Letterboxd on a dating service — and a subscription to the platform would make a great gift. PainterCassi Namodatold us that she would gift another artist a subscription to the Criterion Collection’s streaming service. “I recently got it for my household,” she says. “It just opened another world for me. I watchedSeveral Friendsby Charles Burnett and it inspired me so profoundly.”

Artists love getting art as a gift; it’s beautiful and it supports other artists. This subscription for limited-edition, artist-made postcards fromSummertime Galleryin Brooklyn, a nonprofit space for artists with and without intellectual disabilities, showcases a different artist each month. Proceeds go both to the artist and toward the gallery’s operations. “It’s the perfect way to say hello to loved ones and learn about an artist you might not have known,” says Paige Wery, director ofTierra del Sol Gallery in Los Angeles.

For artists who love learning new techniques, Baker recommends a membership to the online learning platform Craftsy. “You can buy classes on how to paint a portrait, cook a soufflé, or make a vase on a wheel,” she says. Craftsy classes are mostly taught by other artists, so there’s a community feel.