Last minute Christmas art gift ideas for young artists
Okay, so Christmas is only 9 days away - yikes - and if you are like most people, you still have some Christmas shopping left to do. Let me help you out with a couple easy gift ideas for the young (or not so young) artists in your life. Most of these items can be sourced easily from department stores like Big W, or even from $2 bargain stores. Officeworks is another great place to find good and affordable art supplies, and of course you have great speciality art suppliers like Art Shed and Eckersleys.
Drawing Kit
* Start with a sketch book. Derwent is a good (and affordable) brand, but most brands are good. Just make sure the paper feels nice and isn’t too soft or rough.
* Add some graphite/lead pencils - at least a HB and 2B pencils. If you wish to add a little more, look for a set of drawing pencils. These usually have a number of H pencils (2H, 4H, . . . ), and some B pencils (2B, 4B, . . . ), and sometimes an F pencil. (The letter refer to the hardness or softness of the lead.)
* Don’t forget to add in an eraser - Staedtler Mars Plastic is a great option that does not leave messy smudges.
* Add a sharpener. Look for one with an attached container for the pencil shavings.
* Throw in a permanent fine liner black pen which is great for Zendoodling and outlining before adding colour.
* A pack of colouring pencils is a great addition. I like Faber Castell brand as they have great colour pigments.
* Maybe even add a little ‘how to draw’ book on a topic that interests your little artist.
These items will create a great starter kit for any young artist.
Acrylic Painting Kit
* Start with something to paint on - this could be a canvas, but a sketch book is also a good option as it provides plenty of pages to paint on (just paint on one side), and it keeps all the paintings safely together.
* Add some paints - I like Chromacryl acrylic paints (you will find these at Officeworks, or speciality art supply stores). Mont Marte paints are another affordable brand and are readily available at $2 Stores and at the Art Shed.
* Your young artists will need some brushes. Look for brushes that are for acrylic paints. These will have softer bristles rather than the stiff hog hair bristles which are difficult for neat work and will only frustrate your young artist. Mont Marte Gallery Series multi packs of brushes can be found at most $2 Stores and provide a good mix of brush sizes and shapes.
* Add in a water container.
* A paint palette (this can be a plate or use a pack of paper plates for easy disposal after painting).
* Some paper towel for drying brushes between washes, and for cleaning up.
Now you have the basics to keep your young artist busy for hours.
Gift Vouchers
If you would like to enrol your young artist in some after school art classes with me, please contact me via the “Contact Us” button at the top of the page, and I can send you a gift voucher that you can give to your little artist, or add to their gift pack.