The 2020 Procreate Art Prize is now open for entries! This year's theme is 'Illusion' and we're looking for original artworks with the power to tease the eye, trick the mind, and twist reality.
The Open Category welcomes entries from everyone, with a grand prize of $5,000 USD and a second prize of $2,000 USD on offer.
Competition winners, the Developer's Choice awards and a selection of honourable mentions will be featured on the Procreate Art Prize Showcase and across Procreate's social media platforms.
With the addition of a new Student Category, the 2020 Art Prize is now bigger than ever before. Designed to foster emerging talent, the Student Category is open to anyone currently enrolled in a formal study program, and offers a first prize of $1,000 and a second prize of $500 USD
We checked in with last year's winners to find out how the Procreate Art Prize changed their lives.
"I entered last minute, thought it was a long shot and just left it at that, no expectations," Grand prize winner Nas said. "When I received the email to tell me I'd won first prize I honestly thought it was a mistake. I couldn't believe it!"
Ayda, the artist behind the powerful 'Visiting Hour', said, "When I first found out about it, I jumped from my desk, shouting with joy, surprising almost everyone in the office. Definitely one of the best highlights of 2019!"
Both artists remarked on the surge in followers and an increase in new clients following their win. "Now I have a steady flow of projects that I work on with new clients," Ayda said.
Nas and Ayda were thrilled to share their tips for creating a winning artwork for the Prize.
"Research first," Nas said. "I work heavily around metaphors, phrases and lyrics. Before drawing anything, I write down notes to develop the idea. Then I move to the sketching stage, look for references, and take photos for positioning and composition. Then I look at colours. Procreate has been great at helping me with that - working out complementary colours and adjusting tones."
Ayda added, "For the brief, what works for me is to keep it as simple as I can. I want the viewers to understand what I drew on first glance. Sometimes it takes more than a week to get a strong concept before I actually start the thumbnailing process.
Regardless, its best to not stress over it too much and always try to make it fun!"
With six weeks to create your piece, you've got heaps of time to plan, explore and play.
To be eligible, your artwork must creatively interpret the brief 'Illusion', must be original and unpublished, and must be created in Procreate or Procreate Pocket.
Entries open on May 20, and can be submitted via the official Art Prize website anytime before the closing date of July 1 2020. Winners will be announced on July 20.