Emerging Artists Contest

The Dream Foundry Contest for Emerging Artists is an annual no submission fees contest with cash prizes! Every year our contest coordinator selects ten finalists from a pool of submissions from artists around the world. Then our pair of judges choose three winners. In addition to their cash prizes, winners get featured at Flights of Foundry, an annual convention where professionals from all over the industry come to discuss all things related to the speculative arts.

You can see a list of past finalists and winners on our Winners Page.

First Place, Monu Bose Prize for Art: $1000

Second Place: $500

Third Place: $200

Submissions are open from 8 August, 2022 through 8 October, 2022. That includes all time zones.

Eligibility

This contest is for artists who are relatively new to paid illustration work for speculative publications in English. To be eligible for this contest, all the following rules must be true of you:

  • You have a maximum of one (1) commissioned/original artwork for the cover of a speculative publication.
  • You have only two (2) or less non-original artworks (reprint/licensed art) used for covers of speculative fiction magazines or publications.
  • You have never been nominated for any Hugo award for art, including fan categories.
  • You are not a previous winner of the Dream Foundry art contest

Please note that you are on the honour system for judging your own eligibility. However, we may disqualify any entrants in order to uphold the spirit of this contest’s goals; such determinations of eligibility are decided by the Dream Foundry and are not open to debate or argument.

Judges

Mateus Manhanini

Mateus Manhanini is a digital illustrator and comic colorist from Brazil, currently based in Rio de JaneiroA vibrant illustration that is a semi-surreal portrait of a Black man in a white shirt. He is bald, has a nicely trimmed goatee, and half his face is covered by a hand, palm turned outward, with the thumb and pinkie finger touching. The background is a swirld of intense rose, yellow, and dark blue., who works primarily on card game illustrations, book covers, posters, character design, and general digital illustrations. Some of his clients include Marvel Comics, Wizards Of The Coast, DC Comics, Universo Guará, Strange Horizons, and Random House (Penguin Random House LLC.)

Daniela Viçoso

A painting showing a group of three figures standing in a grassy field with mountains in the background. The figures in the center are arranged with a shorter one wearing a dress and apron in front and the other two standing behind her, to either side. The foreground figure is holding a small black animal with a red eye and holding a pink mask. The background figures have red faces and long, curving red ears. Each are holding a staff, wearing a belt over a white one-piece garment, and smiling. The edges of the image are a painted frame with pink flowers, birds, and a moon. The style of the painting is expressive and impressionistic.Daniela Viçoso is an algarvian artist who likes painting and making comics. Her work ranges from themes such as popular imagery, folklore, the BL genre and melancholia. Her one shot Erasmus song was awarded one of the bronze awards at the 13th edition of the Japan International Manga Award (2020).

Coordinator

Dante Luiz is an illustrator and occasional writer from southern Brazil. He is one of the two Art Directors for Strange Horizons, and his first graphic novel was published in 2020 by comiXology Originals (“CREMA”, written by Johnnie Christmas).

Submission Guidelines

Submit one .pdf with at least three finished artworks, but no more than five. Those illustrations don’t need to be exclusive for the contest, and they can have been previously posted on the internet. Please include a title for each of the works, and specify which media you used (e.g. watercolors, mixed media, digital art, etc).

All entries are final. No revisions are accepted.
No multiple submissions (do not send more than one .pdf portfolio.)
Entries can be from any country.
All entries must be original artwork (no fanarts). Illustration work only (no collages, photomanipulations, etc).

Please Don't Send

We are looking for speculative (science fiction, fantasy, weird, horror, etc.) themed artwork. Please don’t send us artwork without a speculative element.
No erotica or explicit work.
No fanarts, no collages, no photomanips.

Questions


Submit

The submission period for the 2022 contest has closed.