Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, retirements … it seems there’s always a need to buy someone a gift. And every so often you might get one back, too – so it’s not all bad! If you’re the type of person who struggles to think of appropriate gifts for people, though, you’re not alone. But this might help: lurking in most families, possibly even your own, is a type of person with an insatiable appetite for gifts – the artist. You can usually spot them as they will be wearing a beret and have a habit of comparing things with their outstretched thumb.

But why are they so easy to buy gifts for? Well, one of the features of the creative process is that they use things up. The word consumables could have been invented for artists as they’re constantly wearing out their supplies. When they’re not putting the finishing touches to their latest masterpiece they’re doodling, sketching, experimenting and coming up with ideas, and they will often find themselves bereft of a particular colour just when they need it.

Imagine your hobby is drawing and painting. You like to do sketches and you love to paint, so you’re a regular visitor to you local art supplies shop. You are also not a millionaire. Do you always buy the best quality equipment? And do you always ensure that your own art supplies are as well maintained as the shop’s? Of course not. You’ve got other things to buy like food, and you’ve got bills to pay, possibly children to raise, a spouse to keep sweet. You leave the shop happy, but you’ve probably chosen mainly from the budget range.

Now imagine you’re buying a special present for that artist friend or relative. You might think at first that they will already have anything you could think of getting them, but you’d be wrong. You can take this opportunity to really get them a special gift, something they just wouldn’t buy for themselves but which will help them enormously with their craft.

A great idea to start with is some kind of set. A boxed, portable set of paints or good quality pencils will not only keep everything in order but will be a cherished gift for years to come. Long after its contents have been used up and replaced, the set will still be “your gift” – and you could even use other gift-buying opportunities to do the replenishing yourself.

For younger budding artists, why not try a different kind of set, a more playful starter kit featuring some craft that might become a hobby for them? They often come with everything required to get started; for example, a painting set will have not only the paints but also the brushes, cleaning solutions, a palette and a mixing tray. It really is a hobby in a box, and if they enjoy it, you’re sorted for many a birthday to come!

So don’t assume your artist friend has everything they need, all the time. They probably muddle along just like we all do with our hobbies, getting by and occasionally dropping hints to potential gift buyers whenever a special event is on the horizon.

Author Bio: Tracey Morgan created this review of art gift ideas for Pullingers, a painting art supplies company offering a range of art and craft materials for the professional artist and hobbyist.

Category: Arts and Crafts
Keywords: art gifts, craft gifts, art supplies