Buying a gift for a beginning artist could be overwhelming because of the excessive variety of art supplies that are out there to choose from.

Drawing or painting?

Watercolors or Acrylics?

Student grade or professional grade?

High quality or low quality?

What does a beginner artist need? start with these questions:

1) What type of medium has the budding artist recently taken interest in learning? Drawing? Watercolors? Acrylic painting?

I suggest on focusing in one specific area when gathering your list of supplies, for example, purchasing watercolor supplies only or acrylic painting supplies only. If possible, find out which art supplies the artist has already invested in.

In general, an artist could always use more paper, canvases, and paint.

2) How serious and how long is this beginning artist going to pursue art? Is it just an exploratory phase? Is this just a hobby? Or are they pursing art or design as as a profession?

Depending on your budget, this might be a good time to treat the artist with high quality artist’s tools. Some beginning artists start with student-grade art supplies. But, if they are in it for the long haul, it is worth the investment to purchase high-quality, professional-grade supplies.

An artist who takes their craft seriously typically invests in quality supplies that last for quite a long time. This includes everything from marking tools (pens, pencils, markers, and paints) to substrate (archival paper, canvas, etc.) This is beneficial both for the artist and the person investing in the completed artwork itself.

Are they just doing it for fun? Perhaps an inexpensive starter kit might be more appropriate. If they decide to go the professional route, they can easily upgrade their tools, depending on their needs.

Best Art Supplies for an artist’s studio

Below you’ll find a list of basic art supplies that I highly recommend for sketching, illustration, design, art journaling, painting (watercolor + acrylics), and mixed-media. I’ve personally curated this list myself, and these are quality artists’ tools and supplies that I’ve used and collected over the years.

Sketchbooks + Journals

Drawing Pens, Pencils, Markers

Pastels

Watercolor Supplies

Acrylic painting supplies

Now, this is just a little taste to get an artist started with beginning applications. The art world has a myriad of art supplies, all used in different ways, for different projects and needs. So if you need any more recommendations beyond this list for specific projects, please let me know, and I’ll be happy to lead you in the right direction!