Grey Matter Under the Tree: 15 British-Made Painting Kits Worth Wrapping in 2026

Every November the same thing happens. The adverts get tinselly, the mince pies appear in the office, and somebody on a forum asks the eternal question: what on earth do you buy the painter in your life? The answer is rarely a novelty mug. It's usually something small, sharp, and made a few hundred miles from your front door.

So here's our 2026 list. Fifteen things, all produced or designed in the UK, all chosen with the same test: would a painter actually be pleased to open this on the 25th? No filler, no dubious imported tat, and nothing that requires a second mortgage. Prices drift about, so treat the brackets as a rough guide rather than gospel.

Paints and starter sets

1. A Citadel paint set from Games Workshop (Nottingham) — The obvious one, and obvious for a reason. The starter boxes pair a decent spread of base and shade pots with a brush and a couple of figures, which makes them the safest possible gift for someone who has never held a miniature before. Around £30 and available on basically every high street that still has a hobby shop.

2. Coat d'Arms 18-pot set — A quietly brilliant choice for the painter who already owns everything. These are the old-school recipes, made in Britain, in generous dropper-free bottles that suit anyone who learned to paint on a wet palette and a prayer. Lovely coverage, and the nostalgia factor is real for anyone over thirty.

3. Two Thin Coats starter collection — Duncan Rhodes' range has become a genuine fixture of the UK scene, and the introductory sets are well judged for someone stepping up from a first box of troops. Thinning-friendly, consistent, and genuinely nice to use.

4. Instar Paint sampler — A smaller British outfit making small-batch acrylics, and a great pick for the painter who likes trying things nobody else at the club owns. Order early; the popular shades go quickly in December.

Brushes that won't embarrass you

5. Rosemary & Co Series 33 kolinsky — Made in Keighley, West Yorkshire, and beloved of painters far beyond these shores. A size 1 and a size 2 wrapped together is a genuinely thoughtful gift. If you buy one thing from this list, make it this.

6. Artis Opus Series S brush set — The presentation is lovely, which matters at Christmas, but the brushes hold a point properly too. The drybrush range is a smart add-on for anyone who has been murdering cheap synthetics on textured bases.

7. Broken Toad brushes — Kentish, characterful, and packaged like something you'd find in a nice stationer's. A good 'I don't know what they need but I know they'll like it' option.

8. A decent synthetic starter bundle — Worth saying plainly: for under a tenner you can get a mixed pack that will teach a beginner more than an expensive sable ever will. Buy two and let them ruin one.

Figures with a British accent

9. Warlord Games Bolt Action starter — Nottingham-designed historical plastics with rules included, which makes it a gift and an evening's entertainment in one box. Excellent for the painter who wants to try something other than power armour.

10. Mantic Games Kings of War or Deadzone set — Great value, genuinely inventive sculpts, and a company that has quietly been one of the Midlands' best exports for years. The two-player boxes are the sweet spot.

11. Perry Miniatures plastic boxed set — Newark-based, family-run, and still producing some of the most elegant historical figures on the market. Pick a period they've mentioned in passing and you'll look like you've been paying attention.

12. North Star Military Figures Frostgrave or Oathmark box — Fantasy plastics with real personality, plus a rulebook that reads like a good evening in. Perfect for a painter who games occasionally but mostly just likes assembling things.

13. Bad Squiddo Games — Wonderful character figures, a proper independent ethos, and a catalogue full of miniatures you won't see on every club table. Support them.

14. Oathsworn Miniatures Burrows & Badgers — Northumberland-made anthropomorphic animals, which sounds whimsical and turns out to be one of the most charming ranges in the country. Buy one figure; watch a grown adult coo.

Terrain and the small useful things

15. Laser-cut MDF terrain or a basing bundle — Sarissa Precision and 4Ground have been quietly furnishing British tabletops for years, and a small building kit is a brilliant present for someone whose figures currently do battle on a bare table. Alternatively: a bag of Renedra bases, a tub of texture paste and a decent pair of clippers. Unglamorous, deeply appreciated.

A few practical notes before you spend

Buy from an independent shop if you can — the local games shop and the UK online retailers who sponsor tournaments are the ones keeping club nights alive. Order before mid-December, because the last posting dates are unforgiving and nobody wants a gift voucher printed out in a panic.

And if you're still stuck: ask. Painters are famously easy to talk into a fifteen-minute monologue about what they actually need. You'll get a far better answer than any list — including this one.