The internet has changed a lot about the way we work — and sell — as artists, and one of the best aspects is the advent of online art competitions.
What is an online art competition?
Every art competition begins with an online entry, but there are also hundreds of art competitions that offer the chance to display your work on their digital gallery or showcase your work in front of tens of thousands of social media followers.
Unlike the higher-profile art competitions, online art competitions can be far simpler to enter. That also means there are more entries to sift through, so competition can be fierce.
Where to start
In your search for online art competitions, start small and local. A regional lifestyle magazine might be looking for a cover for its new edition, or a local arts organization could need images from local artists to feature on its pages.
What to consider before entering
Click rate and audience
If the competition is online only, have a look at the site’s visitor numbers. You can use free website analysis tools, or do a quick Google search to show you how well known it is by how high they appear in the search. If it is a watercolor competition, for example, look up “online watercolor competitions.” You can also ask the competition organizers, especially if there is an entrance fee, as they may have a media kit with those numbers ready to share. If your medium or style is quite niche, smaller numbers might still make entry worthwhile.
Social media
Does the online competition/website have a good presence on social media (in particular Instagram)? If it has plenty of followers and lots of posts, the chances are it is more dynamic in promoting itself and you as a winner.
Does it cost anything?
As the saying goes nothing in this life is free — and online art competitions are no different. Identify quickly if the competition organizers are charging anything and if you want to pay.
Quite a few competitions will be open only to members or subscribers, so you might want to consider if it is worth joining/subscribing. If they hold regular competitions, like many online magazines, it can be worthwhile.
Start small
Some competitions run regularly and might be looking for little more than to promote your work as their social media featured image for the month. This might be a great way to get your work in front of thousands of followers and help build your own social media profile.
Remember: Always make the most of any competition win. Promote it, save it (screenshot it at the very least) and include the judge’s comments if available on your own site and social media accounts.
Artweb’s pick of online competitions
Artists Nework
We’ve included Artists Network/Artists Magazine in our online competitions because they have a huge roster of regular competitions open to subscribers and non-subscribers. Many of the prizes include a free subscription, a feature in their online (and often printed) magazine or publication.
PleinAir Salon Art Competition
PleinAir magazine hosts monthly painting competitions that award artists across a variety of painting mediums. Just entering can be enough to get your work featured in their web gallery.
Art and Color 365 Competitions
Art and Color 365 offers regular competitions for coverage in their international digital magazine and online. The magazine’s monthly art competitions showcase artists with the aim of to bringing their work to a greater audience. There is also a published version of the magazine that you can earn a feature in.
Sign up for their newsletter for regular updates on upcoming themes.
Monthly C4E Art Competition
Artists can get free promotion through the C4E newsletter and website. You will need a SubmitArts account to apply for free.
Submitting artists may apply from any country but must be 18 or over.
Painters Online
As the name suggests, this website offers a series of competitions throughout the year. All you need to do is create a free account. Many of the competitions offer art prizes rather than cash plus a chance to be featured online.
TIP: When you get those much-wanted wins, make the most of it. Promote your prize with photos, logos and comments!
