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Drawing is often overlooked as a simple starting point for creating a final artwork, but drawing competitions are among the most prestigious of all art competitions.
What is drawing? Drawing is simply making marks — using charcoal, pencils, graphite sticks, chalks, pastels and even oil pastels.
The good news is that most artists do some kind of drawing or sketching. And these might well be worth more attention than simple studies for major works. Some of Leonardo da Vinci’s most revered works are drawings, while Impressionist Degas created stunning drawings with pencil and chalk with his studies of ballerinas in Paris.
Before you enter a drawing competition, consider your drawing style. Review your sketches and decide whether they stand alone as works of art. If they don’t, why not? Next time you get out the charcoal or pencil, try and create a work worthy of wall space, regardless of whether it is for a larger work or not. And invest in some decent drawing paper!
While there are fewer specific drawing competitions out there, many painting competitions will also accept drawings as entries — always read the small print.
NOTE: Always check when you enter a competition what they consider “drawing.”
Best international drawing competitions
Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize
Among the most revered competitions is the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, now in its 30th year.
It has undergone a few different names since it was founded in 1994 as the Rexel Derwent Open, then the Jerwood Drawing Prize.
It is open to UK and international artists and historically has held the largest prize fund celebrating drawing practice in the UK. Top prizes start at £10,000 with a range of smaller prizes and the chance for a solo exhibition. There’s usually a fee for entries, with a maximum of three entries per person.
More info: https://trinitybuoywharfdrawingprize.drawingprojects.uk/
Sketch For Survival
A chance to win a prize and help save the world at the same time! This annual competition picks 100 finalists to exhibit at London’s prestigious gallery@oxo. Work is also sold via online auction in aid of 21 For 21 Projects.
While there are no giant cash prizes there are plenty of prized titles, including Wildlife Artist of the Year and The Artist Award which includes a profile piece in the eponymous magazine.
In last year’s event, artists were invited to depict one or more animals featured on the endangered species list (IUCN red list). You could also feature species of threatened plants, flowers, trees or even coral.
More info: https://explorersagainstextinction.co.uk/initiatives/sketch-for-survival/
RBSA Drawing Prize
This UK-based biennial competition will be back in 2025. Alongside cash prizes, there’s space in an exhibition up for grabs.
The competition also takes a wide view on what makes drawing. They will accept digital drawing and 3D works from professional and emerging artists. The only restriction is that the technique must be drawing.
More info: https://rbsa.org.uk/event/rbsa-drawing-prize/
The Discerning Eye
This (usually) annual competition is open to UK residents only and has a baffling number of categories and prizes on offer. Among them is a Drawing Bursary Prize worth £1,500 (in 2023). Five artists will be shortlisted for the Bursary and an exhibition of their selected work will be shown at the Mall Galleries, London.
The competition also accepts drawings on iPad.
More info: https://www.discerningeye.org/exhibition
The Manifest Prize
This annual competition run by the Cincinnati-based Manifest Creative Research Gallery and Drawing Center gets a mention for its Drawing Center which champions drawing in all its many forms.
The prize is open to works of any media working in any genre or style. There’s a cash award of $5,000 and a four-week solo exhibition up for grabs.
More info: https://www.manifestgallery.org/studio/
This competition boasts a £10,000 top prize in its 2024 competition, and has a £250 prize set aside for drawing/illustration.
The annual event is open to both amateur and professional artists based in the UK and internationally.
More info: https://www.visualartopen.com/
Society of Graphic Fine Art
The annual open competition is now in its 104th year and continues to showcase the best in contemporary markmaking.
Competition organizers consider drawings in any medium, monochrome or color: pencil, colored pens and pencils, pen and ink, pastels and oil pastels, charcoal and conte.
More info: https://www.sgfa.org.uk/
Bath Society Of Artists Open Exhibition
This UK-only art competition includes a £250 Drawing Prize buried in its many categories. There’s also an exhibition at Victoria Art Gallery with other winners.
More info: https://www.bsaorg.uk/open-exhibitions.html
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