A Gift Guide for Artists Big and Small, Serious and Dabblers — Part 1
For kids and beginner watercolor artists of any age!
I’ve received questions about gift ideas for artists, both experienced and new. Here is post one of a few that contain some of my favorite products. This post isn’t sponsored and has no affiliate links; it’s just a list of items I’ve used and liked! If you can, please support your local art supply store. I’ve included links to some of my favorite shops that offer a great selection of quality items!
For the little watercolor artists in your life who deserve to use nice things
I’m a firm believe that kids should learn with high-quality materials, but you don’t have to break the bank. (These are also great supplies for a beginner artist of any age!)
Fabriano Studio Watercolor Paper. These are great for experimenting! I usually keep this paper in my studio, sometimes in the Fat Pad version, for classes as it holds up pretty well to wet painting. Cold press is traditionally used for watercolor, hot press has a smoother surface if you’ve got someone who’s interested in mixed media.
Beam Travel Card (For Seattle folks, her line is available at Push/Pull in Ballard). I adore Anong and the work she’s done to utilize indigenous and environmentally-conscious practices in material-making. Her paints are creamy and bold, just straight up fun to work with and come in beautiful formats, whether a simple travel card like this, or her beeswax-wrapped paint stones or birch palettes. I have one similar to this and it’s really nice and compact, perfect for painting postcards.
Derwent Inktense Blocks and Sets | BLICK Art Materials. I have loved playing with these over the last year or so. Their color payoff is so rich and you can use it like a crayon or a watercolor stick. While teaching, I’m also really conscious of trying to encourage kids to experiment with tools that develop a variety of hand muscles and these blocks really encourage a diversity of motion and handling.
Princeton Snap Brushes. These are my all time favorite cheap brushes (second to the illusive synthetic brushes at Daiso). They handle a dream and are comfortable to hold. For a starter set, I’d recommend a round 4 and/or 10.
Do you have questions about other kid-appropriate mediums? Leave a comment!