Use Your Art Materials Skills To Enter Competitions

Experts at using art materials may like to test their talents by entering local and national competitions.

Entering any kind of competition for the first time can be like navigating a minefield as you will not be sure what to expect which can be off-putting to some but exciting to others.

The main thing to consider when selecting a piece of art to be judged is to always choose a work that truly reflects your abilities and demonstrates how far your artistic talents have developed.

Try not to predict what you think the competition judges would prefer to see and just enter what you believe is your best artwork because second guessing someone's opinions is often a dangerous game to play.

Some competitions request more than one example of work so in this instance it is wise to choose a diverse selection of pieces which show a history of your versatile use of art materials.

If you cannot enter your art in person, then you will have to learn how to photograph your entry in a way that fully displays the time and effort that went into creating it in the first place.

Any photograph of your art will have to be high quality as this is what the image a judge will base his decisions on when they come to judge your art so it needs to be an accurate representation.

Ensure that the conditions are right for an excellent photograph by choosing the correct light as digital cameras can give pictures an orange tint, while fluorescent light can give a green glow and outside shots can turn pictures a shade of blue.

Always read the competition requirements to make certain that your entry fits the required format and is not discarded for being inapplicable as soon as the judges receive it.

As soon as you know which one of your pieces to submit, then you must consider how you will frame it because it is the whole presentation of your art that will ultimately affects the judge's final decision.

Even the best example of art can be devalued by being surrounded by a cheap-looking, scruffy frame, which demonstrates a lack of care and overall awareness of the artist in question.

Using non-reflective glass in your frame is also likely to give you an edge over fellow competitors because it will give your art a professional feel that can only usually be found in exhibitions and galleries.