X-post..Thinking of getting my artist son a smock or apron...

[Merry]

My son is a sophomore and majoring in art at the state university. He will be taking five art classes next semester so I was thinking that he might like some kind of smock or apron to cover his clothes. I know I am stereotyping artists when I say smock but do artists actually wear them? Or do they prefer to draw and paint in old clothes? Or in aprons? Or are all artists different in their preferences? So far, my ds has just been wearing his old jeans and dark T'shirts but he's taken only drawing classes so far so he hasn't really needed to cover up.
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[JennW in SoCal]

I can't remember my dh or any of his art school buddies wearing any kind of smock or apron in painting or lithography classes. He may have just worn old clothes, perhaps put a big old work short on when doing something really messy. Artists are particular in their preferences in so many things that I can't imagine picking out something like this for him.

My artist dh has always appreciated gift certificates to art supply stores or really good quality art books.

[newbie]

My kids were not in college, but I would buy cheap button up collared shirts on sale.

[Lorna]

I was at Art college. Nearly everyone just wore old clothes, although one girl I remember wore overalls - like the ones you see mechanics wear. But she was unusually particular about keeping clean.
I think when you're are painting every day of the week from 9 till 7 you just want to wear real clothes. It saves changing too much and ,anyway, there is a certain kudos about having paint on your clothes when you are back in the normal world.

[Merry]

I'll get him a gift certificate at an art shop instead. Our town has Hobby Lobby and Michael's. Which has better supplies? Or should I get one from an online catalog? Which one? Thanks.

[elegantlion]

IMO Hobby Lobby has better art supplies.

Here's a good online source. http://www.dickblick.com/

[Valerie(TX)]

the art gear at Cheap Joe's and at Daniel Smith. Either one could fix you up with a gift cert.

hth

[danielle]

and he wears the worst stuff you can imagine--especially when he ends up on tv. Seriously, though, besides crummy t shirts and sweatshirts, he usually wears a leather apron when he's painting. It's a leather skin with gromments on the bib, tied with a leather thong or piece of rope. The reason this might be interesting is that when it gets really full of paint (he uses latex) and dry, he bends it and a lot of the paint cracks off.

Possibly it was originally a carpenter's apron? Looks like an artifact from the Neanderthal era.
Danielle

[Merry]

I will keep the online catalog in mind and suggest it to him later. He will need an awful lot of supplies I'm sure, as he's taking four studio classes this semester. And the leather apron sounds terrific! I'll tell him about it and let him decide if he wants something like it eventually. Or whatever else he wants to wear. I'm sure old clothes as all of you said:)