Have you ever?

[Flourpie]

have you ever gotten a gift from a friend or family member who knows nothing about art? One tieme someone got me paint brushes, but they really were scrubbing brushes for fabrics. XD  

[Nonobotica]

XD Yes! People often get me sketch books, (as this is achualy all I want), they allwase buy me books that have too thin paper for drawing. I have like 3-4 very nice looking books that i cant use an eraser on or itll rip, or a sharp pencil otherwise itll burn. It doesnt matter if i request thick paper too. ;D

Err, I guess some people dont understand the difference between writing and drawing paper.  

[zosmaticy]

Yes! my friends always buy me sketchbooks also, the way to thin kinds. And they always manage to buy the wrong type of pen, stupid bich pens -_-  

[ichie-ichiko]

I tend to get a lot of canvases made for oils, even though I don't own any oil paints. Though it'd be cool if someone gave me some of those one year. ;_;

Also, my dad keeps getting me GIANT heavy tape despencers (but not tape), funny colored staplers (but not staples) and very nice straight orange scissors every Christmas. I seriously have desk drawers full of them. It makes me wonder what the average shelf life of his office equipment is.  

[Twilakam]

Hmm.. There's only the one answer... odd.

Nope, not really. My family isn't particularly creative, but they have been rather intuitive (and supportive) of my myriad hobbies.  

[Cellotastic]

My style is loosely derived from the japanese art of manga, so what does my senile grandmother get me for christmas?

Why, "How to draw manga: FOR KIDS".

It was a waste of twenty-five dollars and ten minutes of my life. But, I will give her credit for recognizing the style and TRYING to buy me something that would help me.

BUTBUTBUT. I actually HAVE gotten presents that come in handy! My dad bought me a set of really nice inking pens; the felt tip kind (nibs make my hand shake and the picture come out all scratchy), with various shades of grey for shading too. It was so nice of him...and I love 'em to death.

My mom bought me true inking pens, nibs, AND an inkwell. Or maybe it was my sudo-mom? I can't remember, but it was fun trying them out! sweatdrop

ANDANDAND. My best friend, bless her soul, bout me a very nice, good quality, hard cover sketchbook for my birthday last year. I filled it up, all the way to the end, in a matter of weeks. xD And she went out and got me another one for christmas!

sweatdrop I guess I've been pretty lucky. I'm not complaining though. ^_^ I like my art enough to be satisfied.  

[Nayumi-kuru]

Ah well, yeah, almost all the people I know doesn't know anything about art, I guess they try to avoid giving me those kind of gifts because they are scared of me not liking it xD or because it doesn't come to their minds, but my brother (who doesn't know anything about art) tries to search something good, because of him I got to know some really good pens for inking and my sister who does know a little gives me sometimes gifts like art supplies wich are really usefull, even tough I get sometimes things that aren't that good I just use them as I can : D because they are gifts from people who tried to search for something.  

[Copic-Kun]

Umm Nooo. My family always gives me pencils..For Christmas and for my brithday..LOL. I have like over 500 now :3  

[kuschie]

I usually ask for my presents from my family, so it's all stuff I like. Like copics <3

I have gotten one of those Christopher Hart how to draw manga books from a friend, and craft knives... from another friend. BUT a great many years ago, some guy I invited to my birthday party but didn't really know (I invited my whole class, it was only 11 people) gave me a watercolour set (I THINK it was just lying around his house, the box looked pretty battered) but it was one of those windsor and newton portable watercolours. I don't think he knew how beautiful they were, but I was really happy xP. I still use them. But yeah, my friends know not to buy me art stuff because I'm pretty picky about brands.  

[Laila Izuka]

My second oldest step brother is the only real artist in my family, besides me. My parents have got me some sketchbooks, and reference books. But they got me a book on how to start drawing manga '^-^, not what I was looking to get quite yet. It tells you how to start your very own manga, and I'm still working on poses, shading, and such. But I really don't get art supplies from people, and have to go out and buy my own supplies. I don't want my parents spending money on things I probably won't use.  

[.[ Cheesecube ].]

Copic-Kun

Umm Nooo. My family always gives me pencils..For Christmas and for my brithday..LOL. I have like over 500 now :3

I use that s**t up so quickly. xD Seriously, I buy a new box of pencils at least once a month. Lol.

But yeah- I give them credit for recognizing what I do, though. And actually, I, being the optim/opportunist that I am just use what they give me for things.

If I was to do a preliminary/outlines for a painting or drawing, I'll use the thin-papered sketchbooks. I use them to hold the light, sketchy ideas before they become anything else. Because I'm going to use computer paper for them, anyways.

And the acrylic paints that are thin and watery, I use them for a base coat or to dilute my other paints/be the bread of the meal, basically.

If I get poorly written 'how to draw' books, I take them as tips how NOT to draw. ^^;

Or I just cut them up and use them in an abstract collage.

Whatever works. biggrin

Though I am pretty lucky because my dad is also an artist, and he knows the good s**t from the bad. cool And my mom is attentive enough to notice the brands of paint I buy myself and get me the colors I'm missing. heart And my oldest brother seems to just recognize my taste despite how different it is from his. And it spells great success!  

[Seira Relur]

I asked for oil paints and some brushes...

I received elementary watercolor paints with the crappy plastic bristled brushes. confused

 

[Jellicle Moon]

When I would as my parents for something, i would drag them down to the art store - point at what it was I wanted, and write the name of what they should ask for down on a piece of paper for them.

Thankfully, my fiancé is also an artist, so he gets it. No need to cross my fingers and hope he gets it right.

Though, I asked my dad once for a sketch book and he bout me a couple books of tracing paper. I was horribly offended - until I realized that he probably thought that's what a sketch book was.  

[Eizoryu]

Actually, no, not really. Most of my family's not so in-tune with my artsy stuff unless I tell them specifically, "This. This right here, [insert product name here], is what I want."

Although, my fiance and my artistic best friend are both just the opposite. My fiance's gotten me sketchbooks and Prismas before, and my best friend has gotten me sketch pencils from Faber Castell. <3  

[Vodou von Prettypants]

Oh, hello there, internets!

A lot of my family used to buy me those cheaply made art sets that you find in catalogs. You know, the kind with the watercolor cakes and two-inch colored pencils? I never would use them, not even as a little kid. I'd just dump the contents out and use the wooden cases as a place to keep my excess paper or various office supplies.

Now, I make sure I request specific brands or qualities, or I just ask for money. Sometimes my grandmother just takes me with her to point out what I'd like to get.

Of course, there is always the occasional friend who'll buy me a bum sketchbook. I prefer the spiral-bound kind with slightly off-white, perforated pages (although I love to draw in a Moleskine, too), but I've gotten several thread-bound books that I just can't use because I can't bend the cover around to get it out of my way. I usually end up converting them into journals or scrapbooks.

I'm really not a media snob; I'll use anything if it covers area well.

I did not see you there.