BINDERS Best Last-Minute Gift Ideas for Artists

Finding the perfect gift at the last minute may be difficult, but BINDERS comes to your rescue. Our experts in art materials, in consultation with countless artists have compiled this Top 10 Gift List for procrastinators. It proves you don’t have to spend lots of money to make an artist happy. (Even if that artist happens to be you!)

Lighting is a wide category that includes task lighting, light boxes and projectors, as well as floor and table lamps. An ideal example is this Naturalight Compact Lamp with its 13w Full Spectrum tube. This compact, lightweight lamp gives the best color rendering ever! Very simple to use, it switches on when opened. On Sale now under $40.

Sign-up for Art Classes and Workshops at BINDERS. To help artists continue their education we offer a variety of art classes and workshops for all skill levels. Daytime, evening and weekend sessions are available. See our list of upcoming 2010 Art Classes and Workshops. And be sure to sign-up now before they fill up. Also, every Monday at BINDERS, Instructor Kay Powell leads two separate Guided Open Studio sessions, no sign-up required.

Art Books. Books for artists, by artists, about artists -- BINDERS book selection runs the full spectrum of informative and inspiring art volumes. These great resource books teach about color, art techniques, anatomy, perspective, figures, framing, art business guides, and the lives of your favorite artists. And for kids of all ages there are Art Games and Art DVDs too. From $5 up.

Colour Shapers are useful, inexpensive, and highly versatile new painting tools, like a brush with a flexible tip instead of bristles. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and degrees of flexibility and you’ll want keep several on hand. Use colour shapers to move paint easily, apply pastel, carve images in wet paint, sculpt clay and creatively decorate walls and furniture. And because they do not absorb paint like a brush, you can simply wipe them clean. Assorted sizes $5-18.

Journals, Sketchbooks, Diaries. Since we never know where or when we’ll be inspired, it pays to keep at least one within easy reach. BINDERS has them in all sizes -- from large sketchbooks for drawing and watercolor, to blank and lined notebooks, to pocketsize journals with rounded corners that fit comfortably in your blue jeans. By famous makers such as Moleskine, Rhodia, Frabriano and Lama Li, many are crafted with imported papers and decorative covers. A gift welcomed by both artist and writer. From under $10.

Brushes. Whether they prefer the finest Kolinsky sables or the inexpensive economy kind, every artist would like to have more brushes. And BINDERS has every kind from natural bristle to synthetic, from tiny to huge, for painting in oils, acrylics, watercolors and tempera, as well as for lettering, crafts and calligraphy. Also look for Brush Sets containing several types in useful sizes. Cheap thrills from $1 up.

Manikins: Action Figures for Artists. With manikins you never have to worry about your models taking a break. They hold that pose while you learn more about drawing the human figure. Accurately proportioned and flexible enough to mimic many human positions, each is made of seasoned hardwood Choose from full male and female figures in various sizes, as well as hands, dogs, cats, lizards and dragons. Magnetic manikins can even do handstands or "climb" other metal surfaces. Priced $7 to $33.

Stylish Storage. An Alvin 10 Drawer Mobile Storage Cart makes a practical gift that is exciting to give. Drawers feature metal pulls with label slots. Glides easily into narrow spaces on 4 casters. Each drawer can hold up to 3 lbs. of paint tubes, jars, rags, bottles, brushes and more. The top is ideal for resting a palette on, or used as a palette. Come in to see our complete selection. Available with 3 to 20 drawers per cart, in Smoke $39.99 and up, or Multi-Colors $49.99 and up.

Flat File Drawers. This beautiful light oak flat file is sturdy piece of furniture. The fronts are solid oak and the tops and sides are an oak veneer. Each of the drawers is large enough to hold full sheets of artists’ paper. Inside drawer dimensions are 38.625 in. x 25.5 in. x 3 in. Shipped
unassembled. The 3-drawer Oak Flat File Package comes complete with a top cap, base and handles. Five-drawer and 8-drawer units also available. From about $350.

BINDERS Gift Cards. Art pros and amateurs alike agree that BINDERS Gift Cards are just the ticket for this or any season. These versatile little gems are available in values of $25, $50, $75, $100, $250 and $500. To give or to receive, everybody loves BINDERS Gift Cards.

Any way you picture it, BINDERS is a Dickens of a way to spend Christmas!

Visit the BINDERS website at www.bindersart.com!