Looking for a real treat for your artist friend?
This year, why not treat the artist in your life to something special? Show them how much you appreciate their talent, or help empower them to create something they haven’t been able to make before. We guarantee they’ll love you for it.
(Or just treat yourself… you deserve it, right? 😉 )
Honest Disclaimer: Want the perfect excuse to treat yourself or your loved ones to a gift? Here it is:
We’ve included a few affiliate links below, meaning for every gift you buy, you’ll also be earning us a tiny commission to help support our free tutorials (at no extra cost to you). It’s not much, but every little helps – so gift away, it’s for a good cause! 🙌
Hardware & Gear
Do you ever miss the spring and feel of a real, bristled brush? This stylus is the closest you’ll get to the feeling of traditional painting. It’s compatible with most touch-screen devices, and works with almost any painting app. Just don’t accidentally dip it in paint!
Realistic, highly posable, 6” male and female figures with detailed hand gestures and acrylic pedestals. Unlike a stock photo, you can turn and twist this into any position, and paint it from any angle.
If you’ve ever painted on an iPad Pro, you’ll know what all the fuss is about. Fast, accurate, and highly responsive, the smooth surface of the iPad is an absolute pleasure to paint on. It’s also incredibly lightweight, so you can take it wherever you go and paint from virtually anywhere.
Turn your 3rd generation 11-inch or 12.9-inch iPad Pro into a canvas or notepad, with the 2nd generation Pencil. This latest version pairs and charges wirelessly by magnetically attaching to the side of the iPad!
Looking for a real treat? If portability and budget aren’t an issue, think about making this investment in the ultimate tool for your workstation, and become the envy of every digital artist. The responsive 22″ screen will allow you to paint incredible details, and is perfect for artists that miss working on large canvas or paper.
Charge all your digital painting equipment at once and keep your desk clutter-free. This charging station is made of eco-friendly bamboo, and perfectly designed for charging phones, tablets and even rechargeable stylus pens.
Turn any iPad into a drawing tablet! A pressure-sensitive stylus pen with palm rejection feature. Rest your hand naturally on the screen while you write, and you won’t have to worry about leaving stray lines.
Doodle on the go! This portable mini stylus works with any tablet or smartphone, and attaches through the audio jack.
If you’ve painted for any length of time, you’ll know how quickly your hard-drive can become bloated with PSDs and other files. Keep everything safely backed up on this compact and incredibly affordable external hard-drive.
To capture inspiration & references for your digital painting while you’re out and about.
Beautify your work-station with an illustrated mouse. Available in a number of bold and artistic designs.
Here’s a Stylus that works on many different devices- iPad, iPhones, Surface, HP Touch Screen tablets, and more. Comes with Micro USB cable and magnetic charging station.
Do you struggle to remember the many keyboard shortcuts for Adobe Photoshop? This might help…
When I really need to spark creativity, it helps to take my tablet outside! Take this floor chair (with adjustable backrest) with you, and settle under your favorite tree on a sunny day. It’s the perfect recipe for fresh inspiration.
Having to deal with so many devices, it’s easy to run out of free USB ports quickly. This compact 4-Port Aluminum USB port will give you extra slots to comfortably plug everything in at once. No more plugging devices in and out like a switchboard!
A flexible power strip and surge protector, perfect for small studios and workspaces. You can bend it into different shapes to match the angle of your wall, devices or furniture. It also holds large adapters in every outlet – no more having to make decisions about which wall warts to put on which outlets. And it comes in some great colors!
Scans and returns accurate values of the colors around you. A real-world Photoshop eyedropper tool.
Recommended as the go-to tablet by many top artists and school, the Wacom Intuos Pro is the perfect tablet for both beginner and intermediate digital artists.
Gift the freedom to work and paint from anywhere with Wacom’s new and much-coveted portable graphics tablet. This lightweight tablet will run even the most demanding 2D and 3D applications, thanks to it’s astonishing computing and graphics power.
Apps & Brushes
Hands-down our favourite plugin for Adobe Photoshop, Coolorus will revolutionise the way you pick colors. Easily build beautiful palettes with the many great features, including built-in Color Harmonies, Luminosity Lock, Gamut Masks and a much-improved Color Mixer & Sliders. Check out our recent tutorial to see just how great it really is.
If you’ve ever wanted to use decent hand reference without having to awkwardly pose your hand in front of a mirror, this app is for you!
> Available on iTunes, Google Play, or Windows Store
The ultimate app for studying facial expressions! Features include unlimited customisable facial expressions, full emotion & viseme set, pinch, zoom & orbit including a stunning face model with 2 texture modes.
The most powerful drawing and painting app for your iPad. Create beautiful sketches, inspiring paintings, and stunning illustrations wherever you are.
Though not the only program for digital painting, Adobe Photoshop has undoubtedly become the industry standard. It’s incredibly powerful and versatile, and you’ll find far more training on Photoshop than any other digital painting program.
For artists on the go, this app lets you be as creative as you want to be, wherever you are, with your iPhone and iPad. The Photoshop brush engine includes brushes from the master Kyle T. Webster.
Another popular set of professional brushes, Roman Melentyev’s brushes are another great option if you’re looking for just one brush set to cover all your bases.
> Get this on CreativeMarket
Books & Magazines
A beautiful hardcover book by the incredibly talented digital artist Lois van Baarle, aka Loish. Learn how she developed her distinctive style, from her childhood all the way through to her professional illustrations, and soak up the many great tips, lessons, and breathtaking inspiration.
A manifesto and collection of life lessons for creativity in the digital age. “You don’t need to be a genius, you just need to be yourself.”
A massively inspiring collection of over 300 striking artworks from some of the worlds best digital artists. Guaranteed to get your creative juices flowing!
Learn the ins and outs of sketching, from early concepts through to poses, designs and compositions. An essential skill for any digital artist.
The latest and greatest in the ‘Digital Painting Techniques’ series, showcasing the latest digital painting trends and techniques from industry experts.
Lot of tips and insights on how to thrive in the modern art world. Though it is partly geared towards designers, illustrators will also find lots of value in the many lessons on finding your style, promoting yourself, collaborating, and building your brand as an artist.
Catch a glimpse into the mind, thoughts and creative process of 44 accomplished artists and designers, and learn about the fascinating ways each of them develops ideas and concepts.
Picture by Julia Rothman
Lots of great tips & lessons from established artists like Charlie Bowater and Derek Stenning, who share their industry experiences and learnings for creating concept art characters.
Gift a subscription to this popular online magazine and get a monthly dose of artsy goodness – tons of guides for absolute beginners and more experienced artists alike.
The world’s best-selling magazine for digital artists! Get a fresh dose of tutorials, tips and life-lessons from industry leaders every month.
via CreativeBloq
Lifestyle & Funny
Elevate your laptop in style! This beautifully designed laptop stand will put your screen in a more ergonomic position (important if you paint for long stretches of time), and keep your workspace de-cluttered.
When you’re feeling stuck or low on inspiration, sometimes the best thing to do is just kick back and take a break. Whether it’s with a book, a YouTube binge or several hours on Netflix (be honest, it’s usually the last 2), this comfy foot hammock will help you relax and forget all about your creative block.
The unofficial mantra of digital artists all over the world.
Wanna paint in front of the TV? In the garden? Go portable with your workstation – though balancing a tablet may take a little finesse.
This premium, environmentally certified leather organizer might just be the single most elegant way to keep your tablet and digital painting gear safely stowed away. Fits your tablet, phone, cables, earbuds, and cards. Comes in black or caramel.
Record your best ideas before they get away, or just spend your morning doodling away in the shower.
Wake up and smell the coffee! Or tea.. your choice. Kick-start your brain into creative gear every morning with an alarm clock that will wake you up with a fresh brew by your bedside.
These funky socks come in a set of 4 designs: Feetaso (pictured), Andy Sock-Hole, Frida Callus, and our personal favourite.. Vincent van Toe.
Like doodling for 3D artists. Give your ideas depth and dimension, and experiment with tangible concepts before turning them into fully-rendered 3D graphics.
Release the death-grip on your stylus, and pamper your hands after a long day of painting. Side effects may include a sharp drop in productivity, so be warned.
Don’t forget your feet! They may not be directly involved in the painting process (please message us if they are.. we want to see your technique), but we all do our best work when we’re comfortable. And what could possibly be more comfortable than a pair of S’more-shaped, USB-powered heated slippers?
For the travelling digital artist. Keep your cords, stylus, phone, USB sticks, and more from getting stuck at the bottom of your bag.
Ok, so this TV Easel might cost more than the TV that it’s meant to hold… but as the coolest-looking accessory for a digital studio we’ve ever seen, we couldn’t not include it.
The Gift of Knowledge
Objects may break, but this is a present that will truly be forever.. What could possibly be more thoughtful than empowering a loved one to finally learn a skill they’re passionate about?
Whether it’s for yourself or the artist in your life, this world-class library of premium tutorials, workshops, and hands-on exercises is your golden ticket to mastering the art of digital painting.
10 'MUST HAVE' BRUSHES FOR PAINTING
Free Download:
- Flowing & life-like hair
- Freckles & beauty spots
- Stubbles & beards of all sizes
- Realistic skin textures
- ABR Brushes (Photoshop & Procreate)
- SUT Brushes (Clip Studio Paint)
4 thoughts on “50 Wonderfully Creative Gifts for Digital Painters and Artists”
Love this list! Found some items I didn’t know existed – but now I WANT. Thanks for putting this together.
Hah, I feel you Vonda.. putting it together felt a little like window shopping for everything I want in my stocking this year 😀
#34, 2dartist, ceased publishing last April.
I had no idea what to get my digital artist friend and this was extremely helpful! I decided on Digital Art Masters: Volume 9. Thank you!!