Illustration of Mouse and Mole by James Mayhew
Mouse and Mole: The Secret of Happiness by Joyce Dunbar, illustrated by James Mayhew (Graffeg Limited, 2021)

Peace – a Picture Hooks Competition

A warm fireplace on a snowy day? Cosy story times on the sofa? A quiet moment on a bench in the park? Pockets of peace are all around us just waiting to be found.

We hope you will be inspired to create an original, narrative illustration for children on the theme of Peace for the following competitions during early 2022:

First competition – deadline: Wednesday 2 March 2022

Second competition – deadline: Wednesday 16 March 2022

We can’t wait to see all your ideas and we hope the collection of winning illustrations will be a legacy for children to enjoy in years to come. Both the competitions will follow the same theme – Peace. You are welcome to submit an entry for either or both competitions.

The competition

The competition is to find illustrations to establish this collection. There will be two different competitions on the theme of Peace in March.

Prize 

Each competition will have one winner. Each winner will receive £1,000. Each winner’s illustration will be on display online in the first instance, and in a physical exhibition space one day. 

Eligibility 

The Picture Hooks Peace competitions are open to all people of any nationality aged 18 and over, except employees of Picture Hooks or any agent or sponsor associated with the competition and members of their immediate families. Entries are limited to one entry per person in each competition – but you can apply to both competitions.

There is no fee to enter!

Further information

Please note, by submitting an entry you are confirming that your entry is your own, original work of which you are the copyright owner, and that you agree to the Terms and Conditions as set out on the Submission Form, including the granting of certain rights to exhibit your entry online and in a physical space and allowing for the option to further use your entry with your prior consent. Please read all Terms and Conditions and ensure you understand them before entering this competition.

Illustration Requirements: 

1. Your entry must be submitted in its final form and must be a wholly original illustration created by you which contains no material taken from a third-party source. The illustration must not have been published in any form (other than non-commercially on either your own website or your own social media platform) and must not have been submitted to any competition other than a Picture Hooks Peace competition, or to any third party for publication previously. 

2. Your original illustration may be any size and medium; however, your final entry for the competition must be submitted as a digital file of your illustration (see How to Submit below).

3. Your illustration must be landscape.

4. Your digital submission file should be a low-resolution digital file with the following specifications – file format: jpg | resolution: 72 dpi | colour mode: RGB | max file size: 3 MB. (Only the winners will be asked to provide a high-resolution digital file.)

5. Label your digital illustration file with your name and its title – for example, “Paolo Rosso–Peace”.

6. If you are unable to scan your illustration, then you may take a photograph of your illustration using a digital camera or a smartphone, ensuring the Illustration Requirements are still met and that your photograph is clear and in focus. If you submit your entry using this method, please keep your original illustration safe and in good condition until at least two weeks after the closing date of the last Peace competition.

Entries that do not meet the above Illustration Requirements may be disqualified.

How to submit:

1. Ensure you meet the Eligibility criteria (see above) and you have read and understood the Terms and Conditions (including the Licence) set out on the Submission Form.

2. Ensure your entry meets the Illustration Requirements above.

3. Submit the Submission Form.

4. Email your submission to submissions@picturehooks.org.uk.

Submission and decision dates:

There will be two separate Peace competitions: 

First Competition:  
Submissions will open at 01.00 am UK time on Tuesday 1 February 2022 and close at 11.59 pm UK time on Wednesday 2 March 2022. The successful submission will receive an email by 11.59 pm UK time on Saturday 5 March 2022. 

Second Competition: 
Submissions will open at 01.00 am UK time on Monday 7 March 2022 and close at 11.59 pm UK time on Wednesday 16 March 2022. The successful submission will receive an email by 11.59 pm UK time on Saturday 19 March 2022. 

Please review the Frequently Asked Questions section below for further details on submitting your illustration.

Good luck and thank you for reading!

FAQs

What happens if I win?
The winner of each competition will receive £1,000. Their illustration will be featured online – on our website, on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. We will also hope to show some entries from a number of runners up for each competition but we’ll be touch with you if that’s the case.

If I submit an illustration on a different theme, can it still be considered by the judges?
Sorry – no. Please submit an illustration on the theme of Peace whichever competition you are entering.

Can I send the same illustration to both Peace competitions?
If you want to do that, that’s fine.

May I submit physical samples?
No. Entries are to be submitted online only.

Can I submit an illustration that I made for another purpose?
The aim of the competitions is to inspire fresh creativity – our hope is that competitions will continue to spark original, creative ideas.

How many digital files must I submit?
We require you to submit one digital file of your illustration – a low-resolution jpg. (Only the winner will be required to submit a high-resolution file.)

Can my illustration be any size?
Yes, but it must be landscape. And when you submit it, you must provide one digital file with the following specifications: File format: jpg | resolution: 72 dpi | colour mode: RGB | max file size: 3 MB).

What colour format should the files be in? 
The digital file should be in RGB format and saved as a .jpg. If you are successful and if we wish to display your work in print, Picture Hooks will contact you to discuss the specific file formats we need.

What if I don’t have a scanner?
If you are unable to scan your illustration, then you can take a photograph of your illustration using a digital camera or a smartphone, ensuring the Illustration Requirements above are still met and that your photograph is clear and in focus. If you are a winner, we will be in touch with you about how to scan your work.

How do I compress my files?
If using Photoshop you can use ‘Save for web and devices’ to compress your artwork as a jpg file. Illustrator, InDesign and Acrobat also allow for compression and optimising of artwork when creating jpg files.

How do I know my Submission Form has been sent?
Your application is complete when you see the following message:

When will I know if my submission is successful?
Successful submissions will receive an email from us to congratulate them on their win. If you don’t hear from us by the notification date, then we’re afraid you have been unsuccessful. We cannot email unsuccessful participants but we do however look at every entry we receive. We will publish the results on our website, Twitter and on our Facebook and Instagram pages. 

Do I attach my illustration to the submission form?
No, you submit it separately. Please fill and submit your submission form via our website, and then send us your illustration by email to submissions@picturehooks.org.uk. Please note that it is your responsibility to make sure your illustration is sent correctly.

What happens if my entry doesn’t meet the time deadline?
If your entry is received after the deadline, it cannot be considered, so please make sure you send the artwork and submission form to us according to the deadlines for the two Competitions, as specified above. And please remember that we need to have both your artwork and your submission form for your entry to be valid. We regret that we are unable to contact those who fail to follow these instructions.

If I win the competition, will I have to pay to print and frame my winning illustration?
No, Picture Hooks will be paying and organising that.

For more help, please contact info@picturehooks.org.uk