The Dobell Prize for Drawing: Call for Entries

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The biennial Dobell Drawing Prize is Australia’s leading prize for drawing, an unparalleled celebration of technique, innovation and expanded drawing practices. The $30,000 acquisitive prize is presented by the National Art School in partnership with the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation and explores the enduring importance of drawing within contemporary art practice. The winning work will enter the National Art School’s significant collection, built over the past 120 years.

The Dobell Drawing Prize attracts entries from acclaimed artists around the country and explores the enduring importance of drawing within contemporary art practice, in its many different forms and materials. There are no limitations on medium for the Prize – as well as works on paper, entries that present drawing in alternative formats are invited.

“Drawing is fundamental to the degrees taught at the National Art School and so the Dobell Drawing Prize is an important event for the staff and student community at National Art School.”  – Steven Alderton, National Art School Director and CEO

IMPORTANT DATES

  • Entries open: 9am Monday 22 July 2024
  • Entries close: 5pm Monday 16 September 2024
  • Finalists notified: Friday 22 November 2024
  • Exhibition opening and winner announcement: Thursday 10 April 2025
  • Exhibition open: Friday 11 April – Saturday 21 June 2025, NAS Gallery

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Basil Sellers Art Prize Call for Entries

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Call for entries is now open!

The Basil Sellers Art Prize is an acquisitive biennial award celebrating artistic excellence and supporting creative practitioners. Offering a prize pool of over $30,000 our prize champions 2D artworks in traditional mediums of painting, drawing, and printmaking (unique state).

Finalists from across Australia are eligible for the coveted $25,000 acquisitive award generously supported by Mr. Basil Sellers AM. The Eurobodalla Prize offers $5,000 in recognition of an outstanding local entry.

At the Bas, we recognise the significant investment of time, energy, money, and skill artists pour into art prizes even before their work is selected for exhibition. With this understanding, we are dedicated to making our prize as artist-friendly as possible. We acknowledge that exceptional art knows no boundaries. Artists from any background or region across Australia are encouraged to enter regardless of industry experience or prominence.

Terms and conditions

Make sure you read the terms and conditions before submitting your entry.

Save the dates

  • Call for entries opens: 15 July 2024
  • Call for entries closes: 27 September 2024
  • Opening and winners’ announcement: 6 December 2024
  • Exhibition: 7 December 2024 to 1 February 2025

Callout for New Members of Sydney Printmakers

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Sydney Printmakers Exhibition ‘Origin‘ at Hawkesbury Regional Gallery now.

There’s still a couple of weeks left to get your Application for Membership of Sydney Printmakers in. We organise a number of large exhibitions of members work each year, so as a member you will have plenty of opportunities to exhibit.

Expectations And Application Requirements:

  • Active Engagement: Attend quarterly meetings and contribute to organizational tasks.
  • Deadline: August 1, 2024.
  • Submission Materials:
  • 200 words on your interest in joining.
  • 200 words describing your work and professional practice.
  • 200 words on your potential contributions.
  • CV (up to two pages).
  • Five low-resolution images (max 1 MB each).
  • Website and Instagram details.

How To Apply:

Submit your application via the Sydney Printmakers Membership Application.

Burnie Print Prize

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The Burnie Print Prize presents the best works from established, emerging and cross-disciplinary artists. We welcome all artists living and working in Australia to enter a print or an artist’s book created utilising any printing process. 

Offering a prize pool of $23,000 the winner will take home $17,000 cash, and an emerging artist $5,000, plus a $1000 peoples choice award announced at the end of the exhibition period.

The Burnie Print Prize was established in 2007 to:

  • Develop the Gallery’s print collection
  • Present the best of contemporary printmaking
  • Support artists who work with the print medium
  • Foster innovation in the print medium
  • Promote an appreciation of the fine art of printmaking
  • Recognize and celebrate craftsmanship
  • Explore possibilities of the medium in contemporary practice

Enter Online

Click here for Entry Requirements: Online Entry Form

Entries close
Sunday the 3rd November 2024

Shortlisted artists will be announced Friday the 29th November 2024

The $17,000 major prize winner will be announced at the opening of the exhibition on Friday 14 March 2025

Exhibition dates

Entries selected will be on exhibition from 14 March to 18 May 2025

Ipswich Art Awards, Call for Entries

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The Ipswich Art Awards is a vibrant celebration of the arts, drawing in hundreds of entries from Ipswich and beyond. The Awards stand out for showcasing every entered artwork, making each piece available for purchase — a rare opportunity for art enthusiasts. 2024 marks a special occasion as the exhibition takes place in the month of November for the first time.

Entries will open 9.00 am Thursday 1 August and close 6.00 pm Saturday 31 August 2024.

There are eight entry categories:

  •           Painting: Acrylic and Oil
  •           Painting: Watercolour
  •           Drawing and Pastels
  •           Three Dimensions e.g. sculptures, ceramics
  •           Photography
  •           Print Making (not digital)
  •           Mixed Media
  •           New Media (digital not printed).

There is $16,500 in cash to be won across 10 categories.

Work can only be submitted by an individual over the age of 15 years and must be delivered in person and not via courier, for the full entry guidelines and Terms and Conditions visit the website

M.E.S. A Deep Dive into Black Etching Ink

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Here is an article from Melbourne Etching Supplies which may be of interest to members. M.E.S. are offering 20% off oil based etching inks until the 31st July.

The world of black inks, for printmakers, is a bit of a black hole. For some ink ranges, there are so many options it’s overwhelming. But what is the difference? Isn’t black just.. black?! We could write an essay (and maybe one day we will) but for the meantime, join us as we dive into the details of some of our most popular black etching inks at Melbourne Etching Supplies. 

Of course, these are just the thoughts of some of our printmakers at M.E.S and as such, should be considered a guideline only. We highly recommend testing different black inks to find out what will work best for you!
The Great Debate – Charbonnel 55981 vs 55985
Charbonnel are well-known manufacturers of printmaking inks. With an incredible array of colours and an extended range of black inks, they are favoured by printmakers for their high quality and consistency. Over the years at Melbourne Etching Supplies, debating the difference between the 55981 and the 55985 has been a frequent topic of conversation. So, with distinct differences to their formulations and characteristics, let’s have a look at the key components of both.
Charbonnel Black 55981 
Composition: Ivory Black and Carbon Black
Highly viscous, relatively easy to wipe off – soft, universal black. 

We would suggest that the Charbonnel 55981 is arguably the best ink for fine detail work, and areas where a smooth, even application is needed. It’s quick drying time makes it suitable for projects that require a faster turnaround, which could be considered an added bonus.

Charbonnel Black 55985 
Composition: Ivory black, Carbon Black and Prussian Blue
Very viscous, difficult to wipe off – slightly blueish and very deep.

The Charbonnel 55985 truly helps to reinforce other blacks. Our recommendation is that the Charbonnel 55985 is ideal for achieving deep, rich blacks with a velvety finish. It really is perfect for large solid areas (especially aquatint) and works well on various surfaces, providing a uniform and consistent print.Gamblin Etching Inks are designed for printmakers who need a strong line and a great sensitivity to detail. Each black is designed to meet specific needs in both depth of colour and printability.Gamblin acknowledge that not all black pigments are not perfectly neutral in colour. In a mass sense, i.e. in lines or heavy rollouts, the ‘temperature’ of the black is almost imperceptible, but each ink will leave a plate tone that is either warm or cool. These colour differences, while subtle, can affect the overall look and feel of a finished print – especially when paired with a toned paper.

Gamblin Etching Portland Black 
Neutral in colour, the Gamblin Portland Black is formulated for easy wiping, and offers a moderate level of plate tone ideal for creating subtle value shifts. This ink will print drypoint beautifully, whilst also being a go-to choice for those editioning, and for those working in schools that need an ink for general printing techniques.

Conveniently, there is also a cool tinted version, Gamblin Etching Portland Cool Black, available ‘pre-mixed’.

Gamblin Etching Bone Black
The Gamblin Etching Bone Black is a traditional black with a warm tone. It wipes easily and leaves a very light plate tone. The combination of the light plate tone and easy wiping makes it less suited to works that require a subtle value range and ideal for work that requires strong contrasts.

Gamblin Etching Carbon Black
The Gamblin Etching Carbon Black is a silvery, dense black with a heavy plate tone. It is one of the most difficult black inks to wipe but remains a favourite due to the strong, deep blacks it can produce. The Carbon Black tone has a delicate warmth to it. 

Cranfield Traditional Etching Inks have barely changed in generations. Their historic formulations provide high strength results in a range of colours for all types on intaglio printmaking – plus there is something charming about being milled in family run business in the welsh hills. 

Cranfield Traditional Etching Mid Black
A versatile‚ mid-toned Carbon Black (PBk7) ink with low viscosity & low tack. The Cranfield Mid Black works particularly well for line work. It has a soft feel and wipes evenly & easily to give a strong print. 

Cranfield Traditional Etching Aquatint Black
The Cranfield Traditional Etching Aquatint Black works particularly well for images with lots of tone i.e. aquatint. Although this initially ink feels stiffer than the Cranfield Traditional Etching Mid Black you will find this ink wipes quickly & evenly from your plate and gives bright‚ intense prints.

Cranfield Traditional Etching Bone Black 
A strong, warm-toned black made from genuine charred bone black pigment (PBr9) with a high viscosity & a high tack. The Cranfield Traditional Etching Bone Black works well for both line work & tonal work. It is quite a stiff ink. 

Northern Beaches Environmental Art and Design Award

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Anna Russell and Gary Shinfield have been selected as finalists for this award.

The finalists will exhibit their work from Fri 2 to Sun 25 August across the Northern Beaches at the following locations from Tue-Sun, 10am-5pm:

  • Manly Art Gallery & Museum, West Esplanade Reserve, Manly
  • Curl Curl Creative Space, 105 Abbott Road, North Curl Curl
  • Mona Vale Creative Space Gallery, Level 1, Civic Centre, 1 Park Street, Mona Vale
     

Exhibition Opening and Prizes Announced

Thu 1 August, 6 – 8pm

Manly Art Gallery & Museum 

Collective Action: CEAD panel discussion

Thu 15 August, 6 – 7:30pm

Manly Art Gallery & Museum 

You are invited to join MAG&M’s Collective for Environmental Art & Design (CEAD) at the first panel discussion of this new initiative. We’re bringing together industry-leading creative thinkers to discuss the power of collective action, and to learn what is possible when we work together to envision environmental solutions. Working at the intersection of art, design, and the environment, our panellists will discuss the ways in which they are working towards a sustainable future, the solutions they are exploring, and how you can be part of it. Through sharing the successes and learnings from their own experiences, the speakers invite us to be part of an ambitious and vital ongoing conversation. The speakers include; Dr Jenny Newell, Curator for Climate Change at the Australian Museum’s Climate Solutions Centre, Dr Lucas Ihlein, artist and Senior Lecturer in the School of Arts, English and Media, University of Wollongong, and member of the Kandos School of Cultural Adaptation (KSCA), and Floria Tosca, multi-disciplinary practitioner drawing on her experience growing up in a rural environment and her years working as a medical doctor, and a member of The Dirt Witches Scrub Collective.