The 2020 Procreate ArtPrize called for artists to delve into the notion of 'illusion' as inspiration for an original artwork.
To everyone who entered, thank you so much for your hard work and dedication. Once again we were flooded with entries from artists all over the world. The standard of creative and technical excellence never ceases to amaze, and seeing how our subject is interpreted is constantly surprising and inspiring.
The 2020 Grand Prize of $5,000 USD is awarded to Barindoma for their work ‘The Bay'. This moody and mystical piece conjures feelings of Rio de Janeiro on a moonless night. The sense of illusion seems obvious at first, but rewards the viewer with more and more revelations the deeper one peers into the detail of the piece. The deft use of color and strokes creating the illusion of lights at night is masterful and gives the work a look more akin to oil on canvas rather than pixels on a screen. Which is an illusion in itself.
The Second Prize of $2,000 USD goes to ‘CAT’s Another Tiger’ by 127. Exploring the relationship between artist and subject in a fun and lighthearted way, the simple illustrative style belies the huge amount of detail and thought that has gone into every stroke. With a bold, yet light palette and strong composition of geometric shapes, everything is finely crafted and balanced in this clever piece.
Developers’ Choice The forced perspective illusion of Muhammed Sajid's ‘Stay Home’ is instantly apparent in this bold illustrative piece. The way it messes with the mind’s perception of perspective is endlessly entertaining and keeps you staring and staring, pulling you into the work and into an almost meditative space. The topical subject matter was both inspired and appreciated by all of us at Procreate.
Student Winners Papag’s ‘Tales of Reality’ is our inaugural Student ArtPrize winner and picks up $1,000 USD. It’s another piece that reveals more of itself the longer you look. The clever use of light and shade helps mask its many hidden mysteries. 'The Illusionist’ by Isabel Burke was a very close second with a completely different interpretation of ‘illusion’. Its use of strong lines and vintage style was a perfect match for the subject matter, and the nod to the work of MC Escher is a great reward for those who soak in all this work’s detail.