The Pictoric Illustration Contest (PIC) is an international illustration competition designed to support illustration as a contemporary professional practice and to provide illustrators with an open, transparent, and high-standard platform for professional visibility and exchange. These Rules define the terms of participation, submission requirements, and selection procedures for the Contest and apply to all participants across its nominations: Student, Children’s Book Illustration, and Special Theme.
Organizer
The organizer of the competition is Pictoric, an international platform for illustrators and creative projects (hereinafter referred to as the Organizer).
Name and Purpose of the Competition
The Pictoric Illustration Contest (PIC) is an international illustration competition aimed at supporting creative authors, fostering the development of the global illustration community, and promoting high-quality contemporary illustration.
Eligibility
The Competition is open to participants worldwide, except for citizens and residents of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, who are not eligible to participate.
Participation in the Competition is free of charge.
Each participant must be the sole author and rightful holder of all intellectual property rights to the submitted works.
Competition Categories (Nominations)
The Competition includes the following nominations:
Student Nomination
The Student Nomination is designed to support and recognize emerging talent in the field of illustration. It is open to students of art, design, and illustration institutions from around the world.
Book illustrations created in any technique, genre, or style are accepted. Participants may submit one book project, and within a single project no more than three illustrations may be submitted. Only illustrations can be submitted - covers and illustrations with text are not accepted.
Evaluation criteria
Participation in the Student Category is free of charge. Submissions must be original works created by the applicant in 2024–2026. Submissions are accepted exclusively in digital format: JPEG, PNG, or PDF files, size: 300dpi, up to 30 MB per illustration.
The Student Category offers emerging illustrators the opportunity to gain international recognition and become part of a global professional community of illustrators.
Children’s Book Illustration Nomination
The Children’s Book Illustration Nomination celebrates the art of storytelling for young audiences, recognizing illustrators who bring stories to life with imaginative and engaging visuals. The category is open to all artists aged 18 or older. Participants may submit one project only, consisting of up to three illustrations. Only illustrations can be submitted - covers and illustrations with text are not accepted. Projects may be published or unpublished, and all works must have been created in 2024–2026. Participation is free of charge.
Evaluation criteria
Open to all artists aged 18 or older. Submissions must be original works created by the applicant in 2024–2026, demonstrating a unique creative approach and a clear concept suitable for children’s literature. Illustrations should show a high level of technical skill, mastery of technique, color, and composition. Works should communicate a story, mood, or character clearly, engaging the imagination and emotions of a young audience. Professional submission and guidelines: a maximum of three illustrations per project. Files must be submitted in JPEG, PNG, or PDF format, size: 300 dpi, up to 30 MB per image.
Special Theme Nomination
"Bear Your Freedom" — this is the focus theme of the XIV Book Arsenal. It invites reflection on freedom as an inner human experience — as choice, responsibility, and strength that stay with us even when circumstances limit our opportunities.
Within this special theme, participants are invited to interpret different dimensions of freedom through illustration: personal, social, or symbolic. Works may address topics such as dignity, resilience, inner independence, as well as the fragility of freedom and the effort required to preserve it.
This nomination calls on artists to visually explore what it means to bear one’s freedom today — as a value, as an experience, and as a human responsibility toward oneself and the world. Within this nomination, the focus is on the personal and universal dimensions of freedom; therefore, political illustrations and works containing direct political statements are not considered.
Evaluation criteria
Illustrators aged 18 and over are eligible to participate. One illustration 700 × 1000 mm (vertical orientation) may be submitted to the competition. Files must be in JPEG/PNG/PDF format, 150 dpi, up to 30 MB, and created specifically for the competition. The submitted work must not contain a slogan or any text—only the image itself. Participation is free of charge.
The selection of works will be carried out by the Pictoric curatorial team for the exhibition at the International Book Arsenal Festival 2026. Pictoric is looking for works that not only demonstrate technical mastery but also tell a story through imagery, evoke an emotional response, and encourage viewers to reflect on the theme of freedom as an inner force and a matter of choice.
The curators will evaluate originality and conceptual coherence, the ability to convey mood, character, or an idea, as well as the expressiveness of composition and color, which help make the image compelling and impactful for the audience.
Technical Requirements
All works must be submitted exclusively in digital format via the official online submission form on the Organizer’s website.
- Accepted file format: JPG/PNG/PDF.
- Color mode: RGB/CMYK.
- Size: 300 dpi
- Maximum file size: 30 MB per image.
Submissions must be original and must not infringe upon the intellectual property or other rights of third parties.
Submission of Works
Submissions are accepted only via the official online submission form available on the Organizer’s website.
Participants must complete all required fields in the submission form and confirm their acceptance of these Rules.
A submission shall be deemed valid only upon confirmation of acceptance of the present Rules.
Applications will be accepted through May 2, 2026.
Selection Process
The Competition selection process consists of the following stages:
Long List
All eligible submissions are reviewed by the jury.
A long list of selected works is formed for further evaluation.
Short List
The jury selects the strongest works from the long list based on artistic quality, originality, and compliance with the nomination criteria.
Winners
Winners are selected by the jury from among the short-listed works in each nomination.
The Organizer reserves the right not to select a winner in one or more nominations if, in the jury’s opinion, none of the submitted works meets the standards of the Competition.
Evaluation
Submissions are evaluated by an international jury composed of professional illustrators and industry experts.
Evaluation criteria may include, but are not limited to:
- artistic quality;
- originality;
- relevance to the nomination theme;
- technical execution.
The decisions of the jury are final and not subject to appeal.
Copyright and Usage Rights
Copyright to the submitted works remains with the author.
By submitting a work, the participant grants the Organizer a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use the submitted work for promotional, exhibition, publication, and informational purposes related to the Competition, including online and offline materials.
Personal Data
All personal data provided by participants shall be processed solely for the purposes of organizing and conducting the Competition, in accordance with the Organizer’s privacy policy and applicable data protection laws.
Acceptance of the Rules
By submitting a work to the Competition, the participant confirms that they:
- have read, understood, and fully agree to these Rules;
- are the author and rightful owner of all rights to the submitted work;
- confirm that the submission complies with all technical requirements;
- confirm that they are not a citizen or resident of the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus.