One of the problems of trying to buy gifts for CG and VFX artist is that everything they want seems so expensive. Fear not, here are 10 ideas for stocking fillers to give your pixel pusher a present they'll love without breaking the bank.
- Christmas gift guide for 3D and VFX artists under £50/$75
- Christmas gift guide for 3D and VFX artists under £100
- Christmas gift guide for 3D and VFX artists over £100/$100
01. Imperial Walker Vinyl Decal
- Price: £9/$11.17
- Check out this gift at: Not On The High Street
02. Wooden Phone And USB Holder
- Price: £19/$23.59
- Check out this gift at: Not On The High Street
03. 8GB USB Mix Tape
- Price: £18/$22.34
- Check out this gift at: Etsy
Speaking of USB sticks, this Mix Tape example may not be particularly practical, but it would be great for pitch or client deliveries. As well as a great retro way to archive work, as it is big enough to write on clearly, unlike most USB sticks.
04. Xenomorph Wacom Pen Holder
- Price: £17.52/$21.75
- Check out this gift at: Etsy
This may gross out some, (there are other design’s available for the less squeamish), but I can’t think of any drawing tablet CG or VFX artist who wouldn’t be delighted with this is a present as it’s sculpted in ZBrush and 3D printed.
05. Industrial Light & Magic - The Art Of Special Effects
- Price: £14.66/$18.19
- Check out this gift at: Amazon
While there are countless ‘Art of’ books on Amazon for all the latest VFX films and games. Sometimes it is worth giving an older book. This book deals with the early history of ILM through to 1986. As it was written before digital VFX took over, it gives a unique insight into Analogue VFX production.
06. Simian Power Up Water resistant Power Bank
- Price: £9.99/$12.40
- Check out this gift at: Amazon
I'm a sucker for power banks as they're just so handy. This one can charge a phone, camera or usb laptop, like the new macbooks, and as it’s waterproof it can be used outdoors. It even has a torch.
07. Reeves 16-inch Wooden Artists Manikin
- Price: £12.86/$15.96
- Check out this gift at: Amazon
While most digital content creation applications now come with Human Mesh figures, it's still always handy to have a real model on the desk, which can help you work out poses, and use as basis for sketching out ideas before getting stuck into 3D. It can also act effectively as someone to talk to when you have to work through the night on your latest CG creation.
08. Lego Medium Creative Brick Box
- Price: £13.99/$17.37
- Check out this gift at: Amazon
CG and VFX artists spend an awful lot of time staring at computer screens waiting for renders to complete. To alleviate the boredom, this box of random Lego can allow practical creativity while waiting for the digital creativity to materialise.
09. Revell Star Wars Build And Play Millennium Falcon
- Price: £11.99/$14.89
- Check out this gift at: Amazon
All CG artists like to decorate their desks with models and toys. This Millennium Falcon kit is great value for money and looks great when complete. The best bit is that it requires no paints or glue to finish, but it can be enhanced by a custom paint job after.
10. Ctrl+Alt+Delete Computer Key Coasters
- Price: £12.50/$15.52
- Check out this gift at: Not On The High Street
These coasters are perfect for the copious amounts of caffeine that any and every CG and VFX artist that I know live on. They are also a very handy reminder about which keys to press when it all goes wrong.
Note: prices listed are based on exchange rates at time of writing and subject to change
