Being a colorist isn’t just a profession – it’s a passion.
A passion for perfection, for complexity and of course – for colors. Here are a list of 12, under 100$, last-minute holiday gift ideas for the color passionate colorist in your life. I intentionally made the list non-work-related (what fun is that?), but many items on it are perfect & sophisticated grading suite decorations.
The previous version of my last-minute Holiday Gifts and Stocking Stuffers for the COLORIST in your life still has plenty of great gift ideas. And is definitely worth checking out again.
So without further ado –
1. The CMY Cube
I can’t think of a cuter desk/shelf decoration than this – it’s a glass cube with colored CMY filters that mix & create RGB. Hypnotizing to play with and gaze at for hours.
2. A mini bust of Sir Issac Newton
Again, this is a desk/shelf decoration, but one with quite a weight (pun intended) – as it was Newton who first investigated colors in a modern scientific way – culminating in his famous “Experientum Crusis” where he split a beam of sunlight into its hues using a prism. – Who else to adorn your workstation than this giant of science.
3. Optiks
Staying with Sir Newton a bit. A hardcover copy of Optics – his famous epic work on light and its nature – would fit any color-lovers bookshelf “A Treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflections and Colours of Light” 1704 – yet timeless.
4. A glass prism
So simple and elegant it screams Grading Suite is this glass prism just like Newton’s that allows for the nicest light and colors games while waiting for a render to complete. It can be even used freely in front of a camera’s lens to create dreamy-looking optical effects in your selfies and videos no app can match.
5. The Theory Of Colors by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Another classic book about colors that will be happily accepted into any Colorist’s library is the monumental work Theory Of Colors by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe from 1810.
6. Cornet light stand/stick
This light-stick is beautiful and very positively reviewed ( which is important with these things). It works with Alexa & controlled by app and will give your color lover friend endless possibilities to change the “grade” of the space they use it in. There is a more advanced and slightly more expensive model that didn’t make the cut because it was over 100$ – worth checking out.
7. RGB/CMY earrings
These ROCK. And there is nothing I need to add to this.
8. 2000-Piece Gradient Puzzle (2000 pieces)
This isn’t recycling, because last year’s Jigsaw was only 1000 pcs – This one is 2000… (!)
The largest gradient puzzle in the world will blow the mind of any colorist who also likes jigsaws. You can also do a google search for “color gradient jigsaw puzzles” as there is an ever-growing selection of them.
9. Ideal-Lume Pro by MediaLight Desk Lamp
The guys at Medialight sure make nice and clean light sources – This desk lamp is an awesome gift to both decorate a grading suite & do it right – a 98 CRI 65K pure white light because – hey… its the only way colors look right 😉
10. A cool, elegant looking, color system poster like this one
You can buy this one here, but there are also some nice minimalistic ones here as well as on Etsy.
11. A Kaleidoscope
With their endless changing patterns of colors, mirrors & light, Kaleidoscopes are a beautiful and original gift to adorn a work area with – especially the well made type that looks like a prop from some Hollywood adventure blockbuster.
You can buy this one here but there are plenty others on Amazon.
12. VideoLUT
If you’re a Colorist – you must end up frustrated once in a while at the limited tools offered to correct pictures or worse, videos on your phone. If you miss your standard selection of curves, wheels, scopes, masks, LUT support & such. Check out VideoLUT – I checked many mobile grading apps over the years – and this is one of the few worth their name.
Great work by Katerina Alieksieienko, which you can buy here. Unfortunately this app (like many other color precision apps) – is currently still only available on ios and Apple devices.
And of course, everything from the 2018 list is still quite relevant and interesting. Personally, the Nix Pro (color picker in your pocket thingy) and Opal jewel are my favorites, but lots of other cool ideas there.