Sketch for Survival 2025 INTERNATIONAL ART COMPETITION 2025
Submissions for 2025 open 1 February – 30 June.
Overview
Sketch for Survival helps to raise vital awareness about species extinction and biodiversity loss while also raising funds for projects around the world.
The competition showcases a range of different art styles and unites the voices of people all around the world in support of conservation. We regularly receive entries from more than 90 countries including China, Ukraine, South Korea, Iran, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Malaysia, Australia & NZ, Canada, the US, Brazil, Iceland, Dubai, Qatar, Turkey, Tanzania, South Africa and most countries in Europe.
Just 100 artworks are selected for exhibition and auction. These are sold via online auction with a starting bid of £100, with all proceeds supporting our Campaign Fund.
Anyone – professional or amateur – can enter (young artists aged 18 and under are invited to enter our Sketch For Survival Junior Competition);
It is free to enter;
Submissions open 1 February – 30 June annually;
Just 100 artworks are selected for exhibition and auction by our expert selection panel, led by Internationally renowned artist Gary Hodges;
All 100 artworks have a starting bid of £100;
ALL proceeds from the auction of Sketch for Survival artworks in November support our Campaign Fund.
There are 3 stages to the competition:
Stage 1 – Enter online between 1 February and 30 June
Please ensure your artwork meets the criteria (see full guidelines) or it will be discounted at the first stage of selection.
Stage 2 – Longlist Announced Midday Thursday 17 July
Our panel will review all entries using the submission form and image provided. If you are longlisted by the selection panel – congratulations – you will be asked to ship the original artwork to Explorer HQ in Norfolk, UK. Full details will be provided at the time. Longlisted artists are guaranteed a spot in either the 100 Exhibition Collection (exhibited & auctioned) OR the Highly Commended collection (sold in support of the charity through various channels).
Stage 3 – Collections Announced Midday Thursday 18 September
During August the panel meet for in-person selection at Explorer HQ – all longlisted artworks and submission forms are reviewed in detail. Final collections are announced on our website and social media.
- The Exhibition collection comprises 100 finalists, as chosen by the panel – these will be exhibited at our Autumn exhibitions (including Nature In Art in Gloucestershire and gallery@oxo in central London) before being sold in our online fundraising auction.
- The Highly Commended collection includes all other longlisted artworks – the runners-up will have their artwork offered for sale in aid of our projects in both our pop up shops and our online gallery helping to support our Projects.
Awards:
The 100 finalists in our Exhibition Collection are eligible for our annual awards which include the Leisure Painter’s People’s Choice Award, an award voted for by the public; The Artist Award, chosen by the editorial team of The Artist magazine and the Sketch For Survival 100 Artist of the Year award, selected by our panel. Results will be announced in October/November (dates to be confirmed).
All participants are invited to download a digital Supporter Logo and to submit an image of them with their competition entry for inclusion in our Supporters’ Mosaic which will be displayed during our exhibitions (access to our Supporter Hub is provided when you enter – please look out for the confirmation notification on your screen with details of the Supporter Hub – you do not receive an email).
Please note: no artworks can be returned. Please do not send us your artwork unless we have requested it and you wish to proceed to the second stage of selection and support the charity with your artwork as outlined in these guidelines. Thank you.
Who can enter?: Can live anywhere in the world.The competition is open to professional, amateur, hobby and student artists. It is free to enter.
1.ARTWORK
Complete your artwork taking into account our competition guidelines (pay special attention to SIZE & SUBJECT)
Take a photo of your entry.
Rename the photo with your name. This is VERY IMPORTANT!
Take a photo of you with your artwork (optional) for our Supporters’ Mosaic.
Keep your artwork somewhere safe.
2.COMPLETE SUBMISSION FORM
Click the ENTER link on this page between February and June – this will open a short submission form.
Follow the instructions on the submission form and complete all the fields.
Where it asks for MEDIUM/METHOD please be accurate e.g, ‘painting’, ‘sketch’, ‘mixed media’ or ‘digital’ is not sufficient information – you need to give details so the selection panel can understand how your artwork has been created and with what materials.
You will be asked to attach a good quality JPEG image of your completed artwork to the submission form. It can be up to 5MB in size. The first stage of selection is done online by viewing the image of your artwork so please make sure it is in focus and labelled correctly with your name. A photo taken on your mobile phone should be fine.
PDFS ARE NOT PERMITTED AND WILL NOT BE VIEWED.
Please only complete one form!
3.ENTER
When you press the ENTER button at the bottom of the submission form, look out for a confirmation message to pop up on your screen – this means your entry has been received – thank you. You will not receive an email.
Follow the link provided on the confirmation message to our SUPPORTERS’ HUB – here you can download a suppporters’ logo and share an image of you with your artwork for inclusion in our special supporters’ mosaic.
Check our social media / home page of our website for the longlist announcement on Thursday 17 July (from midday UK time). Check your spam folder in case you’ve received an email notification from us.
Size:
We accept two dimensional artworks (flat – can be framed) in the following two size categories (landscape or portrait orientation accepted):
A4: Minimum size and visible area – 21 cm by 29.7 cm. Maximum paper size 23cm by 31.7cm.
Your paper size can be anywhere in the range from 21cm – 23cm (short side) by 29.7 cm – 31.7cm (long side).
Please note- anything outisde the visible once will not be seen once mounted/framed in our reusable exhibition frames so please make sure anything important including your signature is within the visible area.
We must be able to MOUNT your chosen surface in our exhibition frames. We have exhibited many different surfaces including wood and metal in the past – 2-3mm thickness is generally fine as long as the work is is not too heavy.
A3:Minimum size and visible area – 29.7cm by 42cm. Maximum paper size 31.7cm by 44cm.
Your paper size can be anywhere in the range from 29.7cm – 31.7cm (short side) by 42cm – 44 cm (long side).
Please note – anything outisde the visible once will not be seen once mounted/framed in our reusable exhibition frames so please make sure anything important including your signature is within the visible area.
We must be able to MOUNT your chosen surface in our exhibition frames. We have exhibited many different surfaces including wood and metal in the past – 2-3mm thickness is generally fine as long as the work is is not too heavy.
Artworks cannot be any smaller or any larger than the dimensions given above. They will not fit in our exhibition frames and will unfortunately have to be discounted from selection.
There are three awards:
Sketch for Survival 100 Artist of the Year
The panel will agree a shortlist from all 100 finalists. The winner receives an engraved trophy and an invitation to join our On the Brink collection in the following year (artwork sold on a 50/50 basis).
The Leisure Painter’s Sketch for Survival People’s Choice Award
This award is chosen by the public, through an online vote featuring all 100 finalists. It goes to the artwork with the most votes. The winner receives an engraved trophy and a digital magazine subscription.
The Artist Award
The winner is chosen by the editorial team of The Artist Magazine from all 100 finalists and is awarded to the artist who in their opinion best captures the spirit of the Sketch for Survival initiative in a two dimensional drawing or painting of any medium. The winning artist will be featured in The Artist in December 2025, and receive a complimentary one year digital subscription to the magazine and an engraved trophy.
FOR DETAILED INFORMATION AND TO PARTICIPATE, PLEASE GO TO THE OFFICIAL COMPETITION WEBSITE – CLICK HERE –