14 Best Gifts For Watercolor Artists (Personal & Affordable)

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It can certainly be difficult to buy gifts for watercolor artists if you don’t know what you’re looking for.

There are literally hundreds of bottles of paint and different types of brushes out there and a lot of them are also super over-priced.

If you need a great gift for a watercolor artist but you’ve been searching the internet to no avail, this list is here to help!

With gifts to suit every skill level as well as every budget, these are all really personal, beautiful gifts to suit any artist.

Unique Gifts For Watercolor Artists

1. Field Artist Pro 12HP – Complete Travel Watercolor Set

Whether you are an artist yourself or not, you will know that great watercolor paintings require great inspiration.

This can be hard to find whilst staring at the blank wall of an artist’s workroom! This travel watercolor set is a staple item. It can simply be thrown in a bag and taken anywhere so that you can paint wherever you go.

It contains 12 very high-quality paints and space to mix them as well as a couple of great brushes and even a sea sponge for creating different textures in the painting.

2. ARTEZA Watercolor Artist Bundle

ARTEZA Watercolor Paint Set and Expert Watercolor Pad Bundle for Artists & Hobby Painters
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ARTEZA Watercolor Paint Set and Expert Watercolor Pad Bundle for Artists & Hobby Painters
  • Highly Pigmented Colors - These paints are rich with pigment and will stand out on your canvas or watercolor paper.

The ARTEZA watercolor kit is an essential for any watercolor artist. It includes 60 high quality paints and a 3 pack of watercolor pads, providing everything needed for a watercolor artist to start creating. Paired with the high-quality, quick-drying paints, artists have full reign to explore their imagination.

If you’re looking for a premium gift for a watercolor artist, you can’t go wrong with this fully inclusive Watercolor Artist Bundle by ARTEZA.

3. Yasutomo Porcelain Mixing Dish Porcelain Mixing Dish

All watercolor painters will have experienced the frustration of accidentally knocking their paint palette off in a flurry of inspiration and throwing paint splatters everywhere.

This will almost never a problem with this heavier weight, sturdy paint mixing dish. These ceramic mixing dishes make great gifts for watercolor artists! More than just their practical use, they are also a very pretty flower-like shape which doesn’t stain and is really easy to clean.

I bought this for my friend who said that it has meant that her cat has finally stopped knocking her palette off the desk mid-painting!

4. Modern Watercolor Botanicals: A Creative Workshop in Watercolor, Gouache, & Ink

This is a really impressive looking, botanical themed watercoloring book that any watercolor artist would love to have on their shelves.  

Written by artist and illustrator Sarah Simon, it is widely described as the best book of its kind available on the market. This book serves as a comprehensive guide for every skill level with natural and easy progression throughout. Even the most experienced of watercolor artists sometimes like to refer back to templates and to be prompted to explore their creativity further.

Modern Watercolor Botanicals would make a really special gift for artists of any skill level.

5. Watercolor Crayons

Watercolor crayons allow watercolor artists to achieve similar effects as paint, but from a simpler source. The crayons are used by drawing or blending as usual and then adding water, which transforms them into the watercolor palette so loved by artists.

The kit includes 24 different gorgeous colors with rich pigments for intense color. They come in a compact but durable tin that can easily be slipped into a tote or backpack, making the Watercolor Crayons ideal for students, or travelling artists who draw or paint.

6. Allen Designs “Art Time” Whimsical Artist Palette Pendulum Wall Clock

At $60, this is the most expensive gift on our list, but it is also arguably the most unique and would also make an excellent gift for artists who paint.

With a quirky design that resembles a paint palette and a paint bottle squirting out paint, this clock is truly one of a kind. Placed in an office or workspace, the ‘Art Time’ clock is sure to inspire an artist to paint. At the very least it will certainly liven up a boring wall and create a cool arty vibe! It also has a really effective protective layer.

I have had this clock for a number of years, and it has aged really well.

7. ARTEZA Professional Watercolor Pencils

ARTEZA Watercolor Colored Pencils for Adult Coloring, Set of 120 Colored Pencils, Art Drawing...
  • Add Depth to Your Masterpieces With a Bright Colored Pencil Set: With just a dab of a wet brush, these professional colored pencils for artists allow you to blend, layer, and create unique effects...

Most people picture paint when they think about watercolor, but pencils can achieve a similar effect with much less mess. This set by ARTEZA includes 120 different pencils in a full range of gorgeous colors that can be transformed into true watercolor with a few drops of liquid.

The pencils themselves are water-soluble and resistant to damage, allowing years of reliable use. They also come in a durable metal tin that keeps the premium pencils safe from damage, allowing watercolor artists to enjoy endless projects with the ARTEZA Professional Watercolor Pencils.

8. The Struggle Is Real Artist Paint Mug T-Shirt

The Struggle Is Real Artist Paint Mug T-Shirt
  • Are you a professional painter or art teacher? Then your life is likely made up of coffee and canvases! Make sure not to put your paintbrush in your coffee in your sleep deprived state! Choose acrylic...

All artists definitely do understand the struggle of mixing up mugs while painting!

For watercolor artists this is perhaps even more of a problem because those pale colors can often look even more like water than regular paint water… This T-Shirt makes a funny but also very stylish gift for any artist to wear in day to day life or as a very apt painting shirt. Though the T-Shirt is less than $15, it is very high quality.

It’s made mostly of cotton and the quality of the graphic is excellent too.

9. Jane Davenport Inkredible Ink

Watercolor paint is transformed and brought new life with Inkredible Ink by Jane Davenport. The dye-based liquid is available in 12 different striking colors and emulates a watercolor effect once dry, but with stronger color. It’s easy to mix the ink to produce new colors and it is compatible with watercolor brushes that are used by many professional and serious artists.

For an innovative and playful approach to traditional watercolor, introduce the watercolor artist in your life to Inkredible Ink by Jane Davenport.

10. Faber-Castell Clic & Go Artist Water Cup – Dark Green

Faber-Castell Clic & Go Artist Water Cup - Dark Green, 1 Count (Pack of 1)
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Faber-Castell Clic & Go Artist Water Cup - Dark Green, 1 Count (Pack of 1)
  • TRAVEL FRIENDLY ARTIST CUP - The Collapsible Water Cup has collapsible and expandable feature which makes it the perfect cup for travel and storage.

If you’re just looking for a little something for the watercolor artist in your life, this is an ideal option. 

This Faber-Castell cup can be folded up and taken to any painting location and then, when unfolded, you can use it for paint water whilst keeping your brush stable with the inbuilt brush holder. The dark green color is not only very stylish but actually blends in with nature which means that you can more easily paint wildlife without standing out.

This is great value at less than $6.

11. Watercolor Dinnerware

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Watercolor artists can show off their artistic passion with this gorgeous watercolor dinnerware set. The 28-piece set is hand-painted with an environmentally friendly glaze on high quality ceramic.

The dishes have a nano-glass surface, which makes cleaning up even easier than ever. This combination of simplicity and high quality design is what sets the watercolor dinnerware set apart from the competition and makes it such a great gift for watercolor artists.

12. Metallic Komorebi Watercolor Paint Set, with 6 Shimmery Colors

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Komorebi Metallic Watercolor Paint Set – Set of 6 Shimmery Premium Colors – Portable and...
  • 6 Classic Metallic Colors - Our Metallic Komorebi Watercolor paint set features pearlescent colors. These Japanese-style watercolors are highly pigmented and shimmery in color. Fun to use especially...

Traditional watercolor paintings tend to be really subtle in their color schemes but if you’re looking for a gift for a watercolor artist who likes to be stand out or experiment with their art, these shimmery colors make a great gift!

The metallic Komorebi watercolor paint set is comprised of 6 colors- from silver to rose gold- which are all highly pigmented. These are really unique colors that most watercolor artists will not already have in their collections.

The packaging is also really nice, so this definitely makes for an exciting gift to unwrap!

13. Portable Watercolor Paint Set

For watercolor artists on the go, there’s nothing better than a portable paint set. Each set includes 24 different colors and a refillable water brush, in an extremely compact design that is easy to take in a tote, backpack, or other art supplies bag. At less than $20, this is an extremely affordable and great value for money set that is best suited to travelers, young artists, and other watercolor artists who will benefit from portability.

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly and practical gift for watercolor artists, you should add this Portable Watercolor Paint Set to your shopping list.

14. SHINHAN Professional Watercolor Paint 7.5ml Tubes 30 Color Set

If you’re searching for a gift for someone who has just got into watercolor painting or is a relative beginner, this is perfect.

With 30 bright and beautiful colors, the recipient of this gift will be able to paint to their heart’s content! This is a fairly affordable watercolor paint set too, at just over $30, but comes really well presented in a lovely box.

While the colors are really of a great quality, you should probably avoid buying this for professional or very experienced watercolor artists because the colors may not be quite to their standards.

Gifts For Every Budget

So, there you have it, a list of gift ideas for watercolor artists to suit every budget. There’s now no need for you to spend ages figuring out the what the best options is from the list of expensive paints that you weren’t even sure of the quality of anyway!

This list is full of affordable but, more importantly, thoughtful gifts that will please watercolor artists of all abilities!

From comprehensive watercolor sets to unique and cool office accessories, you might even find yourself tempted to try out watercolor painting yourself!