Gifts for Artists and Painters That Get Used, Not Stored
Artists are hard to shop for because they already have opinions about their supplies - and a drawer of gift sets they never opened. The gifts that get used replace something they run out of, upgrade something they use every day, or open the door to a new medium. These picks come from brands working artists already trust, with a note on each about who it suits and when to skip it.
Mixed
Budget picked
For Artists
Right fit
Handpicked
Curated with care
Updated
September 2026
We'll tell you when not to buy something. Every pick below lists its honest catch, and we say who should skip it. We'd rather talk you out of the wrong gift than push you toward a sale โ how we choose.
Our 10 picks
Best overall
#1
Twenty-four Cotman watercolors in a compact case with mixing palettes and a brush - a proper set that works at the desk and on the road.
The catch: Cotman is a student range, and several colors are hues - stand-ins for costlier pigments - so a professional watercolorist may prefer an artist-grade brand.
Best for acrylics
#2
Thirty-six tubes of lightfast student acrylic from a name painters trust - a full palette with metallics, ready for canvas or wood.
The catch: The 22 ml tubes are small, so the most-used colors like white run out first - a larger tube of titanium white is a smart add-on - and student paint carries less pigment than professional lines.
Best for a home studio
#3
A solid beech tabletop easel with a drawer and palette that folds into a box - a real painting setup on any table.
The catch: It needs some assembly, and 11 x 14 inches is the biggest canvas it holds - anyone working larger needs a floor easel.
Also worth a look
#4
Twenty-nine opaque paint markers that work on paper, canvas, wood and rock - bold color with no brushes or cleanup.
The catch: The paint is permanent on porous surfaces like wood and paper but can wipe off smooth ones like glass or plastic unless it is sealed - and each marker needs shaking and priming before first use.
Best for digital art
#5
A pressure-sensitive pen tablet with a battery-free pen - the affordable, well-made way into digital drawing.
The catch: It is a screenless tablet - they draw on the pad while looking at the monitor - which takes some hours to get used to, and the small size suits a laptop better than a big desktop screen.
Also worth a look
#6
An ultra-thin A4 light pad for tracing, transferring and inking over sketches, powered by any USB port.
The catch: It is thin and light, so it can slide around on a lap and needs care not to be dropped - and only the USB cable comes in the box, not a wall plug.
Best under $20
#7
Thirty pieces covering every common brush shape, in a case that stands up on the table - a tired, splayed collection replaced in one go.
The catch: It is an affordable synthetic set, not hand-made professional brushes, so a serious painter may still keep a few premium brushes for fine work.
Also worth a look
#8
Fifteen heavy 184 lb sheets that take watercolor, ink, marker and pencil - one pad for an artist who mixes media.
The catch: Fifteen sheets go quickly, and very wet watercolor washes can still make mixed media paper ripple - dedicated watercolor paper handles soaking-wet work better.
Also worth a look
#9
Twelve triple-primed 8 x 10 canvas panels for practice and studies - blank starts they won't feel precious about.
The catch: These are flat panels, not canvas stretched on a frame, so finished pieces need a frame to hang - and watercolor behaves better on paper than on primed canvas.
Best small gift
#10
The small tub of brush soap that makes every brush last longer - a stocking stuffer every painter uses.
The catch: It works best as an after-every-session habit - brushes left to dry hard with acrylic may not fully come back - and 1 ounce is a small tub for a heavy painter.
How to choose
Find out their medium first. Watercolor, acrylic, oil, marker and digital each have their own supplies, and a gift for the wrong one ends up in a drawer. If you can't ask, look at what they post or hang on the wall - or choose something that works for any medium, like an easel, a light pad or brush care.
Buy one good thing over a big cheap kit. Artists spot bargain-bin sets immediately, and most giant everything-kits go unused. A trusted student range like Cotman or Liquitex BASICS, or a single upgrade to something they use every day, lands far better.
Supplies that get used up are never wrong. Paper, canvas panels, brushes and brush cleaner all run out, so even an artist who has everything will use more. It is the safest choice when you don't know what they already own.
For a digital artist, match the tool to the computer. A pen tablet like the Wacom Intuos plugs into a laptop or desktop and draws on the screen, so check it works with their system before you buy.
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