2012 Holiday Gift Ideas For Artists

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If you have a starving artist or two on your holiday gift-giving list, we’ve assembled some creative accessories to amuse, surprise and delight the artistic spirit in anyone.

Whether you’re looking for something practical, a little luxury your recipient may not be able to afford, or an amusing stocking stuffer, we have some great holiday gifts that will earn you an original piece of handiwork from an appreciative artist.

Da Vinci Maestro Kolinsky Sable Brush

Da Vinci Maestro Kolinsky Sable Round – Short Handle Jumbo Round, Size 50 ASIN: B002ZCS698

If you’re looking for the ultimate gift for a deserving artist, there’s nothing better than a Kolinsky sable brush. This top-of-the-line round brush by Da Vinci is made from the male winter hair of Siberian Kolinsky Red Sable.

This very large, size 50 brush tapers to a needle-like point. The structure of the hair allows the brush to hold a large amount of paint and work with precise detailing.

The Maestro line of Da Vinci brushes is the crème de la crème of brushes, and your artistic friend will be stunned and probably wordless when he or she opens your gift. Make sure you have the smelling salts handy.

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Da Vinci 5360 Kolinsky Red Sable Deluxe 3 Brush Set

Da Vinci 5360 Kolinsky Red Sable Deluxe 3 Brush Watercolor Set Of Series 36 Rounds ASIN: B0069FC9D6

If that expensive brush isn’t quite in your budget this year, but you’d like to give a practical gift that’s sure to please, Da Vinci’s three-brush set of Kolinsky sable brushes will certainly fill the bill.

This set includes three rounds in sizes 8, 10 and 12. The Da Vinci 36 series brushes are handmade from Harbin Kolinsky Red Sable winter tail hair, which is soft and resilient. The hairs hold their shape, spring back and have a natural ability to come to a sharp point. With their exceptional paint holding capacity, these reasonably priced brushes are great for detail work and fine blending. The short handle brushes have black lacquered handles and nickel-plated brass ferrules for long, durable wear.

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Sennelier Egg Tempera Set

Sennelier Egg Tempera Set In A Beautiful Wood Box ASIN: B0006TUA64

This holiday season, give your favorite artist a whole new way to express their creativity with a complete set of egg tempera paints. This handsome boxed set is filled with Sennelier paints, a frosted Plexiglas palette, a 60 ml bottle of binder, two Isabey brushes and a set of palette cups.

Sennelier is the name artists count on when it comes to quality paint. Their classic egg tempera formulation dates back to the days when Botticelli painted “The Birth of Venus” with egg tempera prepared in the same manner.

Today, egg tempera is a great alternative for artists who may have problems with the toxic effects of solvents and chemicals associated with some mediums, and it offers a highly pigmented, satin finish that is highly archival.

If the artist in your life is ready to try a new medium, this professional, all-in-one kit is perfect for experimenting with the best Sennelier has to offer.

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Snazaroo Ultimate Party Face Painting Kit

Snazaroo Ultimate Party Face Painting Kit ASIN: B00026ZEDK

How about a gift that’s just for fun? Snazaroo’s Ultimate Party Face Painting Kit will add color and pizzazz to 65 faces. Whether you’re an artist that’s bored with white canvas supports or a parent planning a big birthday bash, this face and body paint kit supplies you with enough paint, gel and sparkle to paint a room full of living canvases.

The set comes with 10 colors and includes black and white. Also packaged in the set are two glitter gels, two sparkle water-based paints, four sponges, two brushes and an instruction booklet. The resealable colors can be blended to create a rainbow of hues and the paint will remain fresh and usable for up to 18 months after opening.

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Art Advantage Aluminum Field Easel

Art Advantage Aluminum Field Easel With Case ASIN: B00269X64K

This metal field easel is perfect for plein air artists, students and folks whose studios tend to be the corner of a kitchen or bedroom. The reasonably priced, black matte powder coated aluminum easel has telescoping legs and comes with a zippered black nylon carrying case.

Weighing in at only 3.3 pounds, it’s light enough to carry anywhere. The easel adjusts in height and can be used whether the artist is seated or standing.

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Color Mixing Bible

Color Mixing Bible: All You’ll Ever Need to Know About Mixing Pigments In Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Gouache, Soft Pastel, Pencil, And Ink By Ian Sidaway ISBN-10: 0823007235

Learning to mix colors accurately takes time and experimentation. Years ago, an artist had a relatively small number of pigments available, so color formulations were a simple task.

Today, an explosion of colors has given artists more choices than they ever dreamed possible. However, with all these wonderful pigment choices, learning to create just the right shade has become an art in itself.

Ian Sidaway’s Color Mixing Bible gives artists a visual directory that saves time and money by providing a basic color palette for every medium. Whether you’re working with acrylics, oils, watercolor, pastels, inks or any other medium, you’ll find guides that demonstrate two, three and four color formulas to create any color in the spectrum.

Each section includes full explanations of paints and pigments. The chapters provide thorough discussions on methods to determine color strength and opacity, choosing a color palette, blending color with white paint and mixing colors. Throughout the book, you’ll find scores of color images to illustrate each step simply and clearly.

This book’s price is similar to the cost of a good tube of paint, which you will recoup time and time again by knowing the correct colors to use on your palette. Wasting paint from poor color choices will be a thing of the past with The Color Mixing Bible. This is one reference that should be on every artist’s bookshelf.

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Why Cats Paint

Why Cats Paint: A Theory of Feline Aesthetics By Heather Busch ISBN-10: 0898156122

For cat-loving artists and non-artists alike, Heather Busch has created a captivating look at the secret world of feline artists. Her exposé and history of cat art is enhanced by a great collection of historical and contemporary photographs that portray the feline artist in all its guises.

From the 5000-year-old mummified remains of cat painters found in Egyptian tombs to today’s foremost avant-garde trend setters, you’ll find captivating cats portrayed as you’ve never seen them before.

This curious book makes a special stocking stuffer that’s sure to bring a smile to your cat-fancying friend’s lips.

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