Artists and creatives art spaces are filled with tiny treasures so really you could probably fill an artist friend or family members stocking with their entire wish list. From tiny tubes of luscious granulating watercolor paints to handmade washi tape, or a new pair of sharp scissors, they are perfect for stocking stuffers and sure to please because artists LOVE art supplies.
Many of us used to worry about being art supply hoarders but we’ve changed that title to a new artist pursuit we like to call “Art Supply Curators.” And it fits!
How to Choose Art Supplies for Mixed Media Artists
We love color but usually artists have a color palette they call their own so if you look at their recent art you will notice that they always use certain colors or combinations. Some love neutral tones, others can’t get enough of opera pink or florescent colors, pinks oranges & yellows, nature colors or a cool ocean palette with blues, greens and brown. Notice what their style is to be sure they will use what you pick out.
Mixed Media Artists use ALL the things with maybe the exception of oil paint.. for me because it takes entirely too long to dry and I need to get on with my next layers.
Is their style vintage with loads of antiques and old papers or modern with lots of black & white.
By noticing these things you are better equipped to choose something they will love.
Scissors
We really can never have enough scissors and they make perfect stocking stuffers. We lose them on a daily basis so we will be excited. You can see my favorite selections for sharp stencil & fussy cutting scissors here. I’ve also fallen a bit in love with these ridiculously inexpensive Fiskar scissors for kids because they come with a cover so you can stash them in your purse, art bag, car, etc and always have something to cut with. Walmart Amazon So easy to stash in the stockings!
Best Paint & Inks for Mixed Media Artists
Paint covers a huge variety of types, from acrylic to watercolor to acrylic inks, printing ink, spray inks.
Best Watercolor Paint
A basic set of good watercolor paint is better than a huge cheap set. My favorite is Daniel Smith at Blicks. The colors are vibrant and many of them are granulating which for me is the MAGIC. You can purchase small to large sets or buy individual tubes of yummy colors. Also available at Amazon.
If you prefer a flatter more perfect consistent color, a brand Renesan’s made in Poland gets raves reviews in the groups I belong to and you can get them from the American connection April Mathis “A Little Creative Me” here on Etsy.
Best Acrylic Paint
Acrylic paints don’t need to be fancy for Mixed Media Art. The craft paint that comes in small tubes and is available everywhere is just fine for most purposes. If you are a volume painter the larger tubes are a better value. I love Amsterdam & Liquitex equally, and for a more budget friendly option, Blicks Studio paints are great too. So just choose your favorite artists favorite colors.
Posca Paint Pens
Paint Pens are perfect as stocking stuffers and my favorites are Posca Paint Pens. You can’t go wrong with Black or White.
Blicks Joggles Amazon
I highlight the best glue to use in mixed media art here Best Glue and Stencils are always fun.
Artists Storage
I used to want my art space to be super cute with old tins and baskets but it just wasn’t practical for me because I need to see my stuff to process what I want to use. SO I love the clear acrylic stackable types of storage like Home Edit shows. Ikea has great options, lots of options on Amazon here.
I hope this list helped you find some fun gifts to stuff in your favorite artists stocking. If you have suggestions please let me know in the comments below.
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