We are excited to begin 2026 with our very first art challenge of the year, and we would love for you to join in. After a wonderful festive countdown, this is the perfect moment to pick up your pencils, paints, or brushes and start the year with creativity. For this challenge we are giving you three ideas. You can choose one, or even combine them!
Challenge Options
1. New Art Materials
Did you receive new art supplies for Christmas? Perhaps a brush, a colour set, or a sketchbook? Use something new to you, to create a piece of art. If you did not get new materials, simply pick up a tool or medium you do not use often and give it a try.
2. New Year, New Inspiration
Create artwork around the theme of fresh starts. This could be dawn breaking, spring shoots, new journeys, or even a personal resolution for the year ahead.
3. Symbol of 2026
Choose an object, animal, or scene that symbolises what you want this year to represent for you, and turn it into an artwork.
We cannot wait to see how you interpret these ideas. Whether you choose one idea or try all three, this is a great opportunity to set the tone for a creative and inspiring year ahead.
If students would like to find photographic reference, we always recommend using Pexels – copyright-free images:
https://www.pexels.com
Simply use the search box and you will find thousands of high-quality images to save and work from.
We cannot wait to see what you come up with and we will be sharing the results on Thursday 15th January on our blog.
The idea of these challenges is to help students improve their skills by drawing, painting and creating regularly.
So try to submit work that you have created specifically for the challenge – or course work you are currently creating for your art course. Sometimes our challenge themes cross over with what students are learning. Our challenges are great practive for your coursework too!
Remember to submit your artwork to us via email if you would like it posted on our blog next week.
Email your artwork to us for inclusion on the blog next week. We sometimes take challenge posts submitted to our Facebook group to add to the collection, however we may miss some, so if you really want to see your work here, make sure you email it to us!
All students can take part and they can post their artwork on our main Facebook Group to share with fellow students.
If you would like your work included in our weekly Thursday blog post Email it to Melanie on
techsupport@londonartcollege.co.uk
Please only post new artwork that you have created specifically for the challenge.
The idea of these challenges is to help students improve their skills by drawing, painting and creating regularly. Most of all, have fun!!
All of the photos we post on our London Art College Weekend Challenges are copyright free. Feel free to use the artwork you produce however you wish. If you would like your artwork posted here on our blog, email it to Melanie at techsupport@londonartcollege.co.uk. If you have any Weekend Challenge requests let us know too! Best of luck and happy drawing and painting!
For those who are new to our challenges, we post them every Friday, so that students have a chance to pick up their pencils, pens, brushes or tablets to create artwork in their downtime over the weekend.
The results are the posted here on our blog on the following Thursday.
We love it when students add text to go along side the artwork, we will always post it on the blog if included.
If you would like to receive a roundup of all of our blog posts once a week to keep you inspired in your inbox, why not sign up to our newsletter. You can access our sign up at the top of our page. If you are a London Art College student and you would like your artwork featured here, drop us a line at any time.
