I recently selected a shortlist of digitally submitted artworks and while it was fresh in my mind I wrote out the decision criteria that I had used.
Although every selection process will be different I thought it might be helpful to artists submitting to competitions or juried exhibitions, to know what I, as a selector, might be looking for and the thinking behind the decisions.
These are the questions I asked myself as I looked at the artworks:
1. Is it a good photograph of the artwork? In focus, sharp and clear, no glare, large enough to be seen well, and cropped to just the artwork (no frame or mount or table), with no watermark/copyright text on the image, so the photo can be used as it is when announcing the winner.
Poor photographs were the first to be eliminated. If the photo cannot be used as it is to announce a winner that the judges will be proud of and the sponsor will be happy showing large at the top of their page, then the photo isn’t good enough. (The rare exception to the ‘just the artwork’ rule is if the work needs to have scale to be understood, something else in the picture to show its unusually large or small size, but even that is questionable – if the selector looks at the measurements in your text that should be enough.)
2. Does it comply with the entry requirements (theme and medium)?
It would make people angry if the winner did not follow the rules; people would not have faith in the judging system. So these are the next to be eliminated.
I would say about 20% of the submissions did not make it past the first two criteria.
Then I started looking at the quality of the artwork of the ones that were still left.
The next criteria are more subjective, but people will agree on them surprisingly often.
3. Subject matter/idea – is it compelling? (This is the creative part, the art part, the inspiration, the reason the artist went to all the trouble of making the work. The most important part.)
4. Does it make the most of its medium, use the medium to its advantage? (Is the idea created in the medium that best expresses it, or forced into the one the artist is most familiar with? Do you say of an etching: ‘this would not work nearly so well if it were painted in oil, being an etching is perfect for this idea.’)
5. Is it an excellent example of the medium, level of expertise?
6. Composition, design elements, colour – do they all work well in the artwork?
7. Is it overall a strong image?
The five questions above are the words I would use to describe the thoughts going through my mind during the process and the things that made an artwork stand out so that I chose it.
Over a period of a few hours I kept removing the ones that didn’t measure up to those criteria. The shortlist was made up of artworks about which I could answer ‘yes’ to all seven questions.
I guess the thing to remember is that a good photo and reading the rules will at least give you a chance to get through to the actual judging stage.
59 thoughts on “Art Competition Selection Criteria”
How do I submit a future entry?
Not for me but for someone’s work I admire… 🙂
Hi John.
For future competitions please keep an eye on our blog where we announce a large competition every other month and a smaller one the alternating month. Submission may take place on Facebook, Twitter or our blog.
The work must be submitted by the artist who created it, so your friend would need to do the submission.
Hi there!
What pixel/inch size should we submit on longest side? I assume you want JPEG at 72dpi?
Thanks!
Hi Johanna.
800px wide .jpg should be big enough for us to see it well.
I have added that info to the entry form.
Thanks and good luck!
First time entrant. Not used this ipad much..do not know how to turn the submission to ‘portrait rather than ‘landscape’,
grey has many shades and is a colour, is it not?
Hi Nancy
I’m sorry, we can only help on this side. We can’t help with your device.
Perhaps someone can help you with your iPad?
are we allowed to submit more than one entry?
thanks,
Keira
Hi Keira
If you are referring to the Coloured Pencil Competition-
It is one entry per person. It is in the Eligibility bit at the beginning.
Good luck with your entry!
thanks – I was sure I’d read it somewhere & couldn’t find it again. 🙂
Hi Julie,
Do pastel pencils comply with the requirements?
Thanks
Jenny
Hi Jenny. If you are referring to the Coloured Pencil Competition – yes pastel pencils are accepted.
Hi I sore from your answers that you have a pastel pencil
competition, I used charcoal and Othello coloured pencils,
on a portrait and would like to submit it in one of your
competitions.
What competition would I submit it into, and what date
would entry be.
Many Thanks
Jack
Hi Jack
Right now we are having our big JOPP competition. The deadline is 16 March. When the shortlist is announced a few weeks later we will also announce the schedule of monthly competitions for the rest of the year.
So check back on the blog at the beginning of April – the top right tab on the menu has the competitions.
We look forward to seeing your submission!
Hi
Re JOAP2016: How closely are you defining ‘painting’? Do mixed media (charcoal, ink) drawings qualify or only traditional wet media?
Also must the work be framed or ok to pin to a wall unframed in the event of being selected?
Thanks
Hi Louise
The page reads:
“The first annual competition offers an on-line showcase and impressive prizes for contemporary and traditional visual artists, both emerging and established, working in any 2D media (except photography, unless used as a component of a painting or original print).”
It is not a painting competition, it is for all 2D media except photography. So a mixed-media artwork will be fine.
It is only an on-line exhibition this year, so the display method will not matter.
Good luck with your entry!
Great, thanks for your help Julie.
Another question – do you need the jpg to be titled in a certain way? Couldn’t see anything about this.
Thanks again
Hi Louise
No, it is automatically linked to your form.
Thanks Julie
hi
when I do submit, form is rejected.
why?
what do I do?
Hi
When I do submit, form is rejected.
Why?
What do I do?
Hi Faezeh,
Sorry to hear you are having difficulties, may I ask what form you are submitting please?
Thank you,
Christine
Are we supposed to receive a confirmation email for our application?
Hi Joy,
You will receive an email confirmation, all those that have entered from Thursday onwards are yet to receive an email and will do so shortly.
Hope this helps and best of luck with your entry!
Many Thanks,
Christine
Hello!
How much artworks (pastel) can I send on competition?
Best regards, Alexandr.
Hi Alexander.
It is one entry per person.
Here is the FAQ page that you might find helpful: http://www.jacksonsart.com/blog/joap-16-faqs
Hi Julie!
Thank you!
When I upload the image to the form, it looks very small, should it?
Hi Jenny
Yes that is the little thumbnail to let you know the image has been uploaded.
I checked and your image came over at full size.
Thanks for your submission and good luck.
Would a scan of work instead of a photograph, if it is clear and a good representation of the artwork be considered acceptable as an entry?
Hi Kay, Thank you for your message. If you feel that a scan is the most suitable way to present your work, then yes – the requirements of the scan would be the same as per a regular photograph (ie. as stated in the article, no glare, sharp/clear, cropped, etc). Best wishes from Jackson’s Art.
Thank you Sophie. Much appreciated.
hi
I want to submit my art but I want to know if there is any particular medium or theme ?? I saw someone asking on face book and the answer was no theme so please let me be sure
Hi Mohammad, There is no theme. Entries must be in any 2D media (except photography, unless used as a component of a painting or original print). For more detailed info, we invite you to the following link: http://www.jacksonsart.com/blog/jacksons-open-art-prize-2016/ Many thanks, Jackson’s Art
Which competition category would a graphite
and pastle drawing thats finished in acrylic ink
fit into?
Hi Sue,
In terms of where it would fit within a competition category, it would depend on what would be the most dominant medium, so if it you used pastel the most and it looked like a pastel drawing with elements of other media then it then it would be classed as pastel. Obviously if you used them all equally it would be classed as a mixed media piece. Hope this helps 🙂
Hello!
If I am not from England, may I take part in a competition?
Hi Anna
Yes, you can!
That is one of the great advantages of an online competition; it can be international!
We look forward to seeing your entry. Good luck!
Hi,
Is batik accepted as a medium?
The winning artworks remain in the possession of the artist?
Thank you.
Hi there,
Thank you for your message, in terms of Jackson’s Open Painting Prize Competition we are accepting encaustic/wax paintings so therefore batik would come under that and would be accepted as a medium. If chosen as a winner, the artwork would remain in the possession of the artist, all we would ask for is a photograph of you with the artwork for publicity purposes. I hope this helps, here is the link for this years competition if you wanted to find out more information: https://www.jacksonsart.com/blog/jacksons-open-painting-prize-2017/
Many thanks and best of luck in the competition, Christine
Hi there,
Thank you for your message, in terms of Jackson’s Open Painting Prize Competition we are accepting encaustic/wax paintings so therefore batik would come under that and would be accepted as a medium. If chosen as a winner, the artwork would remain in the possession of the artist, all we would ask for is a photograph of you with the artwork for publicity purposes. I hope this helps, here is the link for this years competition if you wanted to find out more information: https://www.jacksonsart.com/blog/jacksons-open-painting-prize-2017/
Many thanks and best of luck in the competition, Christine
Hi I have a question about the Pastel
Portraits competition and it is –
Does the portrait have to be a human
or can it be an animal. Thanks
Hi Amanda, the Pastel Portraits Competition is not yet open for submissions, but we will be happy to accept either human or animal/pet portraits, yes. Looking forward to seeing your submission!
Hi this is my first time entering a paintings ,
I want to ask a question please, l would like to submit a small watercolor painting size 4×4
inches. Do l frame this ?
It’s painted on water colour paper 300g.
What would be the best thing for me to d.o
Thank you.
Hello! Thank you for your question. Yes, you should have it framed, but the image you submit should only be of the artwork itself. The reason it should be framed is that if your work is selected for the shortlist, you will have to post it to our Dalston shop (London) ready to hang within 7 days. You can read more about this in the terms and conditions and delivery content on our website: https://www.jacksonspaintingprize.com/enter-1/
Hello. I have already submit 3
paintings on line for the competition
but I would like to double check with
you that the fotos are ok. Please can
you let me know if the fotos are
correct?
Hello Panayiotis,
The photos are perfect thank you, I’ve just checked them. Thank you for submitting and we can’t wait to see what the judges think of them.
Hi! I have mixed-media pieces and they have sharp edges
from flat pieces of glass. Is it still eligible?
Thanks!
Hi J.S,
As long as people are able to safely handle your piece and they are properly presented this shouldn’t be a problem when entering competitions or open calls. For the Jackson’s Open Painting Prize Competition it would need to be predominantly a 2D piece with the glass just adding texture, rather than a sculptural work, so it would be fine to submit.
Hi,
I’m having problems registering for the 2018 Art
Competition.
I have filled in the form and haven’t received a confirmation
email. I have checked my spam.
The contact debbie can’t be reached as it is deemed as
spam.
I can’t see a contact email on the Jackson’s site.
Any suggestions please
Alan
Hi Alan,
Thank you for notifying us about the issue. Apologies for the hassle, our software was experiencing a slight glitch this week. We’ve contacted our tech team and it’s all fixed now. We manually confirmed your account while it was working so now both your accounts are active. Sorry again for the delay and I look forward to seeing your submissions.
You can always contact [email protected] or email [email protected], she’s been on holiday which is why your email was not responded to.
I hope that helps and that you’re having a lovely day.
Let me know if you have any more issues.
Tegen
Hi JOPP2018
Can only one entry per artist be long listed or is it possible
you have more than one entry longlisted under different
categories?
Eg. Can you have a portrait and a landscape long listed?
Thank you
Jess
Hello Jess! An artist can enter as many works as they like – each work is judged as individual entities meaning one artist technically could win every prize. There is no limit on the number of works one artist can have longlisted.
Dear Julie, for those who are selected for Shortlists,
will all the framed works be exhibited? Or only those
winners selected within the Shortlist’s? And what
would happen to the framed works? Will they be sold
or returned to the artists, especially international
ones?
Affordable Art Fair:
If you’re selected for the shortlist you will be asked to post your work to our London Shop. From the works received, the Jackson’s Judging Panel will choose a series of works (the number isn’t set yet as we have a set space at the fair so it depends on the size of the works) which we will transport, curate and install at the fair. All works at the fair must be for sale for under £6,000. We will return any unsold works to the artists.
Posting your work to us:
If you’re based in the UK and your work is under the dimensions specified on our Delivery Page (https://www.jacksonspaintingprize.com/postage/) we will pay for your postage as we have a strong network with our couriers. If you’re an international artist or your work exceeds these dimensions, you are responsible for posting your work. All artists are responsible for the packaging and insurance of their artwork. While we will do our very best to take every care of your work, we are not responsible for damages or if the parcel gets lost in the post.
Framing:
If you’re sending your work to us to be judged (as explained above), you must send your work ready to be hung. If you normally frame your work for exhibitions, it must be framed. If you normally leave your work unframed (e.g. deep-set canvases), please send it completely ready to be hung.
I hope this helps! 🙂
Hi,
Could you please differentiate between emerging and
amateur artists. I have been painting for a few years and
have participated in 2 exhibitions, selling some of my
paintings there and privately. I’m assuming that would
make me an amateur artist but could you please confirm?
Thank you.
Hi Geri
Generally, this is something you need to decide for yourself, which term do you have more affinity with? I personally think of the two terms as very similar but maybe an amateur has less aspirations to become professional – but this is just my interpretation. Where competitions ask you to state which you are, you really need to just go with your heart, as there is no definitive set criteria for each definition.
Many thanks
Lisa
Hello!
I just entered five paintings for your 2019 competition. I
was wondering if you could check on the photos to make
sure they are acceptable?
Thank you for all of the accommodations you have made
for international submissions!
Rebecca
Hello Rebecca,
Having just checked your entries, I can confirm that the image files you have uploaded of your artwork look perfectly acceptable. You have taken great shots.
If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me here: [email protected]
Kind regards,
Clare
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