ART LOVERS GIFT GUIDE
Sometimes it’s difficult to know what exactly to buy someone
who loves art, especially when you know absolutely nothing about art yourself.
That’s where we come in. We like to think we know a thing or two about art, but
more importantly about gift giving. If you’re reading this, you’re already
thinking about your giftee’s interests and hobbies - which is a great start!
The next step is to look at a few different options, gift ideas and price
ranges to get a good idea of what you’re looking for. We’ve compiled a list of
some of our favourite gifts, some smaller gifts, arty tokens and more expensive
experiences days for serious artists.
Art Gifts for Beginners
If your giftee has only recently taken up art as a hobby, these
are our top experiences for them! Everyone needs to start somewhere, and no
matter how much natural talent they may have, it’s always nice to have a
helping hand.
Beginners’ Mindful Art Class in London
This beginners’ art lesson in London uses lightbox
technology and an image of the participant’s choosing as a helpful way to start
learning to draw! The participant will be able to copy their image in great
detail. Next, they’ll be taught how best to paint this image using the basics
of colour. This studio acknowledges that art is not only helpful for getting
creative, but also for relaxing. For many, art is its own unique form of
meditation. With this experience, your giftee can sit back and enjoy the
beautiful calm studio, while learning some new art techniques in a friendly and
laid-back environment. They’ll be offered bottomless Prosecco and nibbles
throughout the class if they wish, and whether they want to do this as a pair,
a group or on their own, it’s certainly a very fun way to delve into the
artistic world!
Adult Colouring Books
Although colouring books have always been a popular way to introduce
children to the world of art, adult colouring books are currently a massive
trend across the United Kingdom. You name the fandom, you can bet there’ll be a
colouring book for it! Get familiar with art materials, different colouring
techniques, design and creativity. Adult colouring books supply the opportunity
for someone who hasn’t had any art training to begin letting out their creative
side. These come in many different variations of styles and themes. For example,
there are colouring books for the Sherlock BBC television series, as well as
adult colouring books full of swear words, funky patterns and more. My personal
favourite is the Pizza Eaters
collection of small ‘rainy day activity books’, with a selection of themes to
keep you entertained for a small price!
Blu Print is the ideal way to learn drawing from home, with
online drawing lessons taught by expert artists. Students pay per tutorial, and
can re-watch lessons as many times as they need.
There are a range of different beginner’s lessons to choose
from, including more general lessons such as ‘Learn How to Draw’ and more
specific ones such as ‘Learn Fashion Illustration’. The site also has artists
and tutors to subscribe to, plus projects such as ‘make your own colouring
book’ and ‘create a mini comic book’. Purchasing someone a lesson or a
subscription is a lovely gesture to show that you support their ambition,
especially if it’s in a niche area they’ve expressed an interest in already.
Gifts for Art Lovers
Loving art isn’t always about being artistic yourself.
Plenty of people are in love with art who don’t enjoy putting pencil to paper.
Everyone has their own unique tastes when it comes to art, as it is famously subjective!
So, when buying art for someone, it is advisable to do a
little research beforehand to make sure you’ve got a good feel for what they
like. Yes, there is expensive art in galleries and famous artist’s work is
undoubtedly too expensive for the majority of the population. However, the way
we consume art has changed with the rise in popularity of social media, and
with it, there is a platform for more art than you could ever imagine. There
are also plenty of small novelty gifts that art fans will love.
Art Merchandise
If your giftee is a big art fan, the chances are they follow small artists on Instagram and Facebook. If you don’t know their favourite Instagram artists, it’s not difficult to have a search through their followed pages and see! All these artists will have their own websites where they sell all kinds of merchandise. They’ll usually always have prints of art that you can buy and frame, but a lot of them sell much more than that. Here are a few examples of some of my favourite artists and the kind of things they sell:
Polly Nor is an artist known for her cartoon-like art, depicting women and their inner demons. She’s a great example of how artwork can be political and humorous as well as appealing to the eye. She sells phone cases with her artwork on, which is something a little different that any fan would be proud to show off!
Pink Bits is a page that celebrates women, men and everything in between in all their natural beauty, expressing body positivity with cute pink cartoons! They recently collaborated with The Feminist Shop where you can find water bottles and even baby grows with their unique art print.
Lois O’hara
is a Brighton based artist who has paired with both the council and local
businesses to paint many famous outside works of art around the city. She also
frequently collaborates with clothing brands, such as Lucy &
Yak and Boardies
Apparel.
Fan Art
If you know that your giftee loves art, but they also love
Harry Potter for example, then there are plenty of bespoke small-time artists
on Etsy providing prints,
birthday
cards and more. Harry Potter is just one obvious option, but if there’s a
TV show, film franchise or book series that you know they’re keen on, it’s
always worth having a browse to see what’s around!
These playing cards from Genius each have a unique famous
artist printed on each card. If your giftee is a big fan of these classic
famous artists, they’ll love these! Everyone always needs to have a good pack
of cards lying around the house, and this quirky pack adds an extra element of
fun.
Art Experience Days
An art experience day is the perfect gift for any outgoing artist that not only wants to learn to improve their skills, but also loves being out and about meeting new, like-minded people. We offer multiple beginners and intermediate art lessons all over the country.
Our best-selling art experience day (and it’s easy to see
why) is the drawing workshop at the V&A. This experience is suitable for artists
of any level, as the expert tutor is available to give personal tips and tricks
to everyone individually, as well as answer any questions and help students work
on any specific aspect of drawing they’re interested in. The Victoria &
Albert is not only one of London’s most famous art museums, but also has the
largest collection of art in the world. This particular class focuses on their
renowned sculpture exhibit in a gorgeous room with tall ceilings, dating back
to 1852. It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and historic locations for
an art class in London, and something any art fan would love!
Northumberland National Park Art Walk
Northumberland National Park is the most northern park in
England, just below the Scottish border and just south of Hadrian’s Wall. The
park is a beautiful expanse of rolling hills and natural countryside, and on a warm
day, it is an inspiring and peaceful location to get those creative thoughts
flowing. This experience will take you through Breamish and Ingram Valley where
you can take inspiration from the beautiful natural landscape. You’ll be
provided with your own bag of supplies including sketch pad, graphite,
watercolour pencils, sharpener and eraser (and you get to keep it all!) This is
more than just an opportunity to be shown some beautiful locations, your expert
guides Patrick and Jane will give you a full, in-depth tour of the surrounding
area from an artist’s point of view. They’ll be on-hand throughout to offer any
insight and professional tips where you may need them. Finally, you’ll get to
enjoy a packed lunch of local Northumberland produce before heading back to
show all your family and friends your artwork! This is perfect for anyone
interested in wildlife and landscape art.
Art Experience Days with a Difference
Art includes a much wider scope of creativity and expression
than simply drawing with pencil on paper. Many artists aren’t a fan of the most
conventional art medium, but they love getting stuck in with their hands instead.
For example, collages, sculptures and everyday materials like rubbish or
fabrics may be less conventional, but are also perfect for expressing oneself.
Fused Glass Workshop for Four in Brighton
Fusing together different pieces of glass in a variety of
shapes and colours to make a beautiful pattern is a lot harder than it looks!
But it is a lot of fun. This private lesson in Brighton is perfect for groups
of 4, 5 and 6, making it a great workshop for a close group of friends, family
or colleagues! The class will begin with your expert instructor giving you a
demonstration of the variety of different techniques you can use, and how to
get the most out of your equipment. It’ll then be down to you to get creative
and make your own design. The workshop is two and a half hours long, and
depending on how fast you work, you’ll have the chance to make both coasters
and wall hangings. Your hand-made works of art will look amazing in your home,
and definitely create a unique talking point amongst visitors.
StoneCarving Experience in Stafford
Stone carving is one of the oldest art forms. The material’s
durability means that many ancient art works from across the ages have been
well preserved throughout time. This is a beautiful thought for any artist, to
know that their creations will be able to be shared for so long into the
future. Stone carving has come a long way since prehistoric times, and there
are many different types of stone carving and sculpturing still practiced
today. This full day course will firstly introduce the participant to the tools
needed for the day. They’ll then work on a block of high-quality limestone or
sandstone specifically chosen for the perfect canvas. The expert instructors
will always be on-hand for guidance and advice throughout the day. At the end
of the day, they’ll get to take their carving home to display as they wish!
Introduction
to Pottery in London
Pottery is a unique form of sculpturing using wet clay. You
often need to work quickly and efficiently to mould your clay into your desired
design. Pottery requires several different steps and quite a lot of skill to
perfect. This is because you need to have control over the speed of the wheel
and the wetness of the clay as you mould your design. This lesson will teach
participants the basics of pottery, including how to throw their clay and
create their own pot, plate, bowl or cup. The perfect experience for artists who
love to get stuck in and interactive with their art. Once a glaze has been
chosen, their creation will then be sent off to the professionals for firing.
Artist Subscription Boxes
There are loads of monthly subscription boxes out there to choose from, but it can be hard to know which ones are the best. Subscription boxes are an excuse to get your giftee new art equipment and high-quality supplies in a fun and distinctive format. You can choose from gift subscriptions of one month or more, depending on what your budget may allow. They won’t know what’s coming in their box until it arrives, adding an extra element of excitement.ScrawlrBox
Scrawlr art subscriptions are by far my favourite. Not only
do they include amazing art supplies in each box, each box is always themed
too. It will include a featured artist for the month, and your giftee will receive
a print of one of their works in a style that fits in with the rest of their supplies.
This way they can take inspiration from the artist when using their new medium
to create something different. Each box also includes: paper, sticker, a
product list & guide of all the new supplies, a sweet treat and, finally,
the monthly challenge.
The monthly challenge is one of my favourite parts to
subscription boxes! They allow access to a community of other artists as well
as the opportunity to gain recognition for artistic achievements after each
month.
Thank you for reading!
I hope that we’ve helped give you some gift inspiration when
buying for your arty friends. If you haven’t found what you’re looking for, you
can find a full list of our crafty experience days on our site here.
