Yes, it is that time of year again, and we are absolutely thrilled to announce that the London Art College Art Competition 2026 is officially open for entries! This is one of our favourite moments in the college calendar, and we cannot wait to see what our wonderfully talented students have been creating.
The competition is open to all current London Art College students, as well as anyone who completed their course from September 2025 onwards. You can enter any piece of artwork you have created in any medium, from watercolour, oils and pastels to illustration, digital art and mixed media. The only exception is pure photography. It does not have to be a piece created as part of your course either, so if you have something you painted at the weekend, created for one of our Weekend Art Challenges, or simply made for the joy of it, we would love to see it. You might even feel inspired to create something brand new just for the occasion!
The closing date is October 1st 2026, and after entries close we will display all submissions on our website for everyone to enjoy. Our tutors will then select the finalists, with the winners announced following our annual meeting in October. The first prize winner will receive £200 in Amazon vouchers, and the second prize winner will receive £100.
Sending Images for the Annual Art Competition
Competition entries need to be as large and clear as possible so that your work looks its best when displayed on the website and reviewed by our tutors. Please read these guidelines carefully before submitting.
- Send ONE image only, as a JPEG file (.jpg).
- Your image should be at least 1000 pixels wide, and larger is always better.
- If you are using an iPhone or Android smartphone, simply send the original photo straight from your camera roll without resizing. Smartphone photos are already large enough and no editing is needed.
- Make sure your artwork is well-lit, in sharp focus and photographed straight on, not at an angle.
- Crop the image so that only your artwork is showing, with no frames, mounts, backgrounds or surrounding furniture visible.
- Email your entry to entries@londonartcollege.co.uk
The clearer and larger your image, the better your work will be represented. If you are unsure whether your image is good enough, a simple rule of thumb is: if it looks sharp and clear on your own screen when zoomed in, it will work well for us too. Have a look at our photography guidance page on our website with an example of a perfect submission – Photo Guide or how to take photos here – Photographing Your Artwork.
If you have any questions about your entry, please email us at any time.
We wish every single one of you the very best of luck. We cannot wait to see your entries!
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.
