Christmas List 2019
Christmas List 2019
Last year, I completed a list for you guys, well, for me as well, to gently guide our loved ones into getting us artists the right present for Christmas, not the tie that will sit in the closet for the next 30 years or the Christmas socks that will only be wore on Christmas day and never again. So my plan this year as with last year is to help us all get what we want for Christmas or if your loved one is the artist and you have no idea what to get them, show this issue of COLOR Magazine to them and they will soon start dropping hints.
Throughout this list, there are some luxury items however I have tried to ensure that there are some really affordable yet desirable items. We all have different levels of disposable income and if anyone is aware of that it is me, so I am always conscious when compiling these Christmas lists that there needs to be affordable items present but they also need to be excellent quality and something your loved one is actually going to want.
1. COLOR Magazine Subscription
Okay, so I am just going to get this one out of the way first, apart from all the awesome featured colored pencil artists, amazing tutorials, excellent reviews and showcasing of the most outstanding colored pencil work, you can’t miss out on the Christmas list next year and hopefully the year after that and beyond.
To give your loved one a subscription to the finest magazine dedicated to all things colored pencil, Ann Kullberg’s COLOR Magazine, simply follow the link and then select the subscription package that best suits your loved one.
2. Watercolor Travel Brushes
For all you watercolour pencil artists, who love to get out and about in the grate outdoors, this gift idea might be right up your ally. I purchased this set before going on my holiday during the summer and although they are technically travel brushes, I have used them at home on watercolour paintings, I absolutely love them.
This set comes with a gorgeous leather pouch for the brushes to be placed after use. The brushes are excellent quality and the metal cover which protects the brushes has a small hole in the top to allow any excess water to escape. The metal covers are also used as the handles which adds beautiful balance to the brushes.
3. Derwent Lightfast 100 Set
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I have added a few luxury items throughout the list and this is one of those items. Derwent have recently blessed us all with their newest pencil the Derwent Lightfast. The sets were released over the past year two years with the most recent release being the 100 Wooden Box Set.
If you would like to know more about the Derwent Lightfast, you can check out my many reviews on the pencil, however, if you are fully aware of their awesomeness, simply follow the link to purchase the 100 set. Whoever is fortunate to get this set for Christmas will be the happiest people alive.
4. Eono Battery Eraser
There is a common misconception about erasers, most people think they are for getting rid of mistakes, however us colored pencil artists know better. Of course the old eraser can be used for getting rid of mistakes or as our patron saint of art Bob Ross might say, “Happy Accidents”, however this beauty is perfect for any colored pencil artist.
There are a few excellent battery erasers, however the really excellent feature about the Eono Battery Eraser is that the eraser tips come in two sizes 2.3mm and 5mm. The 5mm eraser tip is the most common size and does an excellent job for highlights etc, however, that smaller 2.3mm size is phenomenal for creating skin blemishes, wrinkles on skin, the smallest highlights on eyes etc. The powerful motor in the Eono Battery Eraser also allows for excellent precision and removal of colored pencil.
5. Caran d’Ache Aquarelle Palette.
I included this amazing tool in last years Christmas list and I just couldn’t not included in this years and I will more than likely add it to next years list. Watercolor pencils are such versatile art mediums, you can use them dry or activate them with water and they also allow you to create many more colors than you may have in a 24 set of watercolour pencils.
You can do this on the paper you are working on, however, when mixing on paper you have a limited time period before the paint starts to dry and you can make mistakes. With the Caran d’Ache Aquarelle Palette, you can take your time and get the colors that you exactly need. The palette in my opinion is a must have for any watercolour pencil enthusiast and really inexpensive.
6. Koh-I-Noor Woodless Colored Pencils
I have said it may times before, Koh-I-Noor are a wonderful company and they have an amazing array of art products most of which are incredibly well priced. I have tested, demonstrated and reviewed quite a few products from Koh-I-Noor and whilst many of their products stay in my mind, the Woodless Colored Pencils are one product I come back to time and time again.
I have a full review of the product on The Art Gear Guide should you wish to find out more information about the pencils, however what I can tell you about them now is that despite their inexpensive price, they have really very good lightfast ratings on the pencils. My only issue is that I would love to see larger sets of them and that is only because I enjoy using them so much.
7. Colored Pencil Storage Drawers
Whether you are a professional colored pencil artist selling your work to clients and galleries or you are a colored pencil enthusiast, one thing is for sure, we all love to keep our precious pencils safe and organised. I have tested and reviewed a few different storage systems for colored pencils over the years, however this item is not only practical but looks beautiful on any studio desk.
For the most part these drawers go under the name of pastel storage, however I think colored pencil artists have taken over the originally planned pastel medium and conquered with colored pencils. There are quite a few different versions of these draws around the internet, however I can only talk about these as I have personally purchased them and use them,, lots of them. You can purchase then in two or three drawer systems.
8. Tom Bow Mono Graphite Pencil Set
TomBow is another wonderful company and in particular I love their Mono Graphite pencils. I personally am no graphite artist, however, I absolutely love seeing graphite art. With a really good set of graphite pencils, the sky is the limit.
In this set of TomBow Mono Graphite pencils, you get a Mono Eraser and Sharpener as well as a fantastic range of graphite grades from 4H all the way up to 6B, which gives the artist an excellent range to work with. Of course this gift is not just about the Mono eraser, sharpener or excellent graphite range, it is also the quality of the graphite. Occasionally graphite sets on the cheaper spectrum can be a little bit scratchy and this can cause issues with your work, however, this is a problem I have never experienced with the TomBow Mono Graphite, in fact considering graphite is such a hard medium, this graphite is silky smooth.
9. 24 Set Stabilo Carbothello
There is a real special quality to pastel pencils, quite a lot of artists love the effects achieved by pastels but can’t stand all the dust or even the texture when rubbing the pastel into the paper, however, for a lot of people, pastel pencils can help overcome that problem while still allowing the artist to achieve beautiful pastel paintings.
One such pastel pencil is the Stabilo Carbothello, such an incredibly popular pencil among pastel artists and with good reason. The Carbothello is slightly more chalky than traditional pastel pencils, but it is this chalkiness and hardness that lends this pastel pencil to providing excellent detail. If you are unfamiliar with the brand you can also find my in-depth review on The Art Gear Guide.
10. Enya Handmade Leather Journal
This is a gift that is not only luxurious but reasonably priced and well to be honest, will look gorgeous once filled. I have always wanted to complete a full sketchbook, I have watched many YouTube videos of artists showcasing their gorgeous sketches. If you are like me and want to complete your own sketchbook, let me tell you why this is such a perfect option for Christmas and to help start your New Years Resolution of completing a sketch pad.
Paper made from 100% cotton is the best type of paper you can get, tough durable and wonderful for mixed media, this sketchbook is perfect for pretty much any medium including light watercolour use. The sketchbook itself looks gorgeous with its hand made leather cover, this combined with the excellent quality paper and once you have completed the sketchbook you will have a wonderful record for life of your artistic progress.
11. Derwent Pencil Wrap
So I have already added a storage option on this list for in the studio, however, when you are out and about it is a good idea to have all your supplies safe and tidy and all in the one place. The Derwent Pencil Wrap is one option available to artists and a fantastic choice.
The Derwent Pencil Wrap is a canvas roll which when rolled up is secured with a pop stud, the edges of the roll are stitched with leather adding extra durability to the roll. Although the Wrap rolls up into a tight compact tube, it actually holds quite a substantial amount of supplies. I have included an image showing an example of the content.
12. M&R Manual Crank Sharpening
With all the wonderful pencils I have included in this list, you are going to want a fantastic sharpener. Of course there are loads of excellent sharpeners on the market, this is not the only one, however this one out performs most and is incredibly well priced.
M&R is a German brand and they make quite a few different types of sharpeners, even their hand held sharpeners are incredibly sharp and slice through pencils like butter. The M&R Manual Hand Crank is perfect for the pencil artist. On the back of the sharpener there is a button which allows you to determine whether or not you prefer a short point of long point and this comes in very handy depending on the type of pencil you are sharpening.
13. LED A3 Lightbox Ultra Slim
There is a huge debate about whether or not tracing is right or wrong, but as far as I am concerned, any aid that helps you create beautiful art, helps you develop as an artist is only a good thing. This LED A3 Lightbox is an excellent tool for helping artists get proportions right or refining your skills.
There are of course different sizes of light boxes that you can purchase however the A3 sizes is perhaps the best, if you go too small you could encounter problems, but with an A3 size you are always covered. The LED lighting provides the perfect strength of light required and this particular model is incredibly slime line making storage easy.
14. Derwent Inktense
The Derwent Inktense blocks are very similar to large watercolour pans, however, Inktense has a few adorable qualities that makes this such a fun medium to work with. First of as the name suggest, these blocks are ink, so when you activate the blocks with water, you are essentially painting with ink.
The Inktense blocks are also incredibly versatile, you can of course use them on traditional watercolour paper, but you can also use them on fabric, canvas bags and loads of other interesting surfaces. You can also get Inktense pencils which are awesome however the blocks allow for so many cool ideas when it comes to expanding your mind and creating beautiful art.
15. Prismacolor Premier 150 Set
There is a lot of talk about Prismacolor pencils and breakages, however, what a lot of people seem to have lost in the discussion, is the beautiful art work that can be created with the pencils and the amazing palette of the 150 set. Another amazing quality of the Prismacolor Premier pencils is the amazing price.
I think it is a fair to say that the Prismacolor Premier pencils are a classic and a reliable old friend to the colored pencil artist. Given the price of the 150 set, this is an excellent set to have in your arsenal.
16. Arteza Real Brush Pens
I tested and demonstrated the Arteza Real Brush Pens quite a while ago and they are one of my favourite art supplies to use. I would hate to hold out on any artist and not tell them about these beauties. As the name suggests the Arteza Real Brush pens sport real brush tips.
The Arteza Brush Pens are basically pens, with watercolor paint in the barrels and real brush tips on the end. this wonderful combination allows you to easily use create beautiful paintings, but you don’t always have to activate the paint with water, simply using just the pain in the pens creates excellent result.
17. Caran d’Ache Grafwood Graphite
The Caran d’Ache Grafwood Graphite pencil range is most certainly one of the luxury items in the list. Caran d’Ache is a fantastic company with incredibly high quality products. Their graphite range is no exception however there is one incredibly unique quality about the pencils that will help the artist visually select the correct grade of graphite.
There a few different sets in the Caran d’Ache Grafwood range, but the set I am recommending is the cheapest but with the best range. In this tin set the graphite grades range from a gorgeous dark 9B all the way through to a light 4H, that is of course a total of 15 pencil grades. Also, as you can see from the image, the wood on each pencil is lacquered according to the pencil grade, light silver grey for the 4H and dark grey for the 9B grade.
18. TomBow Mono Eraser
As I mentioned with the other eraser in this list, colored pencil artists use erasers to help them create highlights as opposed to simply getting rid of mistakes. This TomBow Mono Eraser is a must have tool for any colored pencil artist
Although not battery operated, the TomBow Mono Eraser is perfect for working in the studio or taking with you out on the road. This tiny pen like eraser can slot into any pencil case or pocket but it also provides the artist with perfect control and precission.
19. A5 Seawhite Watercolor Pad
In this list I have added a luxury sketchbook and it is only right that a beautiful watercolour pad should also be added for those watercolour pencil artists out there. I personally purchased this Seawhite Watercolor Pad before going on our holidays to the Lake District this summer.
I have added an A5 size pad but the Seawhite Watercolor Pads are available in quite a few other sizes just incase the A5 is too small for you. There is 60 pages in this pad and the paper is 200gsm and Acid Free, the cover is a hard back with a ribbon page finder and elastic retaining band.
20. Faber Castell Albrecht Dürer Watercolor Pencils
The Faber Castell Albrecht Dürer Watercolor pencils are a solid choice for so many artist, with strong pigment, well made pencil bodies, excellent color palette and fantastic availability all over the world. The Faber Castell Albrecht Dürer Watercolor pencils are available in sets up to 120 and they are also available open stock.
As with a lot of the items in this list, I have added a link back to my review of the pencils on The Art Gear Guide if you are interested in learning a bit more about them before going ahead and purchasing them. The set I have chose for this years list is the 24 set, given that they are water soluble pencils, although there are 24 individual pigments, you can create many additional colors and tones which is just another wonderful feature of water soluble pencils.
Conclusion
I hope you have found something in this list for your loved one, I hope the list has helped you find the perfect gift for the artist love in your life. Alternatively, if you are the artist and you have seen something in the list that you would love to find in your stocking, all you have to do is leave this wonderful issue of Ann Kullberg’s COLOR Magazine in a prominent position throughout your home, opened at the page the list is on with an indiscreet sticky note or huge red arrow pointing at the gift you would most like. You would be surprised at how effective this form of hint dropping actually is. If you subscribe to the digital edition of COLOR Magazine, you could accidentally on purpose leave the PDF magazine open on the desktop of everyones computer, tablet or phone.
Good luck with dropping hints all over the place to your loved ones and family members getting the perfect gift for Christmas this year. Kindest. Don’t forget to make sure you check out the amazing subscription offers for Ann Kullberg’s COLOR Magazine and make sure you never miss an issue throughout 2020.
