2026 Realism Competition

Art and Color 365, a bi-monthly print and digital art magazine, announces its 2026 Realism Competition. Artwork by the winners and award recipients in the competition will be featured in our
Winter issue, publishing in February 2026.

Realism Theme: Artwork must be representational in nature, depicting recognizable subjects from the observable world in any artistic style. Acceptable subjects include, but are not limited to, portraiture, figurative work, still life, landscape, seascape, animals/wildlife, and plein air scenes. Artists may submit artwork created with any two-dimensional media, including oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, gouache, graphite, colored pencils, ink, scratchboard, mixed media, etc. No photography. No AI.

Entry Fee and Rules:
Regular entry fee is $28.00 for up to three pieces of art.
(Unlimited entries allowed.)
Artists must be 18 years of age or older. Open to artists worldwide.

The top three winners will receive feature stories in our magazine showcasing several pieces of their artwork; featured in Art and Color 365’s Instagram and Facebook social media; a digital award certificate; inclusion in our magazine and online exhibitions; and a free digital copy of the magazine their work is featured in. 1st Place also receives a $250 cash prize.

Special Merit winners will receive individual showcases on our social media sites in addition to the items below.

All award recipients for Special Merit, Artistic Recognition and Honorable Mention will be:

• Featured in our 2026 Winter issue, digital and print editions
• Included in our online exhibition for a full year
• Featured in Art and Color 365’s Instagram and Facebook accounts
• Sent a digital award certificate

Rules

Artists must be 18 years of age or older. Open to artists worldwide. Unlimited entries allowed. Artists can win up two two awards per competition. Click here for official rules.