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Digital drawing is amazing, but you can’t do it efficiently without a graphics tablet. The smallest ones are not expensive, but no cheap is cheap enough when you don’t have your own money, and your parents don’t take your passion for drawing seriously. They may not understand that this “toy” can affect all your future, transforming your hobby into a profession. I can say for sure my small Wacom Bamboo changed my life in ways I couldn’t even imagine when I first bought it. I think many of you have the same potential, but it will never have a chance to reveal itself without proper tools.

It’s the season of giving, so for the eighth year in a row, I’m organizing a small contest to give a young artist in need a chance to get their first graphics tablet. Wacom has agreed to sponsor the contest again this year, and the winner will also get a license for Sketchbook Pro, kindly sponsored by the Sketchbook team!

So, here are the prizes you can get this year:

If you want to be a digital artist, you’ve probably heard of Wacom—it’s the most established brand in the field of graphics tablets, with a wide portfolio of products designed for both hobbyists and professionals. I’ve been using Wacom tablets for my whole career—from the small Bamboo to a bigger Intuos, then to my first display tablet, the Cintiq 13″, and finally ending with a huge Cintiq 27QHD that I still use today.

The Intuos series is designed with beginners in mind, so they’re a perfect prize for this contest! The model you can win in this contest is wireless, which also means you can use it even if you don’t have a computer—a phone or an Android tablet will suffice!

wacom intuos small contest

The other prize is Sketchbook Pro, which is my favorite drawing app—I use it everyday for both professional work and my personal art. It has a very simple, visual interface, with all the tools and brushes easily accessible, so you don’t waste time going through hundreds of text menus, and you can focus on drawing! But don’t let that simplicity deceive you—it’s a very powerful program, capable of producing photo-realistic digital paintings.

sketcbook pro interface

So, are you interested? Here’s what to do to participate:

  1. Take an A4 page (or similar size).
  2. Choose a traditional tool: a pencil, a ballpoint pen, ink liners, etc.
  3. Fill the whole page with at least 5 sketches (any topic you like, except NSFW). Here’s the gallery of last year’s entries if you need inspiration.
  4. Scan your artwork or take a photo of it.
  5. Write an email to monika.zagrobelna@gmail.com :
    1. Attach your scan/photo
    2. Add your first name and your country
    3. As the subject of the email, type “contest submission 2024“
  6. Send the email.
  7. Wait for me to send you the confirmation that your entry has been accepted.
  8. Wait for the end of the contest and the results!

I’ll repeat: the entry must contain at least 5 sketches on a single page. I won’t accept a submission which is just a single drawing, because this isn’t enough for me to judge your skills by.

The time frame:

  • Contest starts on Nov 17
  • Contest ends on Dec 13, 9PM CET
  • I’ll contact the winner and announce the decision on Dec 15
  • The tablet and the Sketchbook Pro license will be sent as soon as I hear back from the winner

Please don’t spend too much time on your submission—I’m going to judge your basic sketching skills, not your shading, details, or creativity. I just want to see if you’re ready to go to the next level with your art, because I believe switching to digital art may be detrimental to your progress if you’re not. Being very good at drawing won’t make you win either—if you’re skilled enough to get commissions, then you don’t need my help!

Also, please share the information about the contest with your friends and other people who you think may be interested! I want to reach as many people as possible with this opportunity.

Important!

All the entries submitted this year will be visible in this gallery. By submitting your entry, you consent to me posting your submission there and keeping it up until the end of the contest. After the contest ends, I will keep this gallery as a reference for future participants, but if you would like me to remove your submission, please let me know.

If you win, the prize will be sent to you as a gift from the US. This means that even if you’re not from the US, it should be free of any customs fees. However, I can’t guarantee it—that will depend on the policy of the customs office in your country.