Splash 28: The Best of Watercolor

Splash: The Best of Watercolor is a long-running international watercolor competition from Artists Network and Watercolor Artist magazine. For its 28th edition, artists worldwide can enter original paintings in which watercolor is the dominant medium. Judges award $3,500 in cash prizes, and the top three winners receive an in-depth profile in The Best of Watercolor, published in summer 2027. More than 100 finalists are selected for publication. The final deadline is 11 December 2026.

The Splash series has been published for decades and has become a reference for watercolor painters, showing the range of styles and techniques in the medium, from loose landscapes to detailed botanical and figurative work.

Who Can Enter the Watercolor Competition?

Artists anywhere in the world aged 18 or over (and of the age of majority where they live). Professionals and amateurs compete together.

It is particularly relevant to:

• Watercolor painters at any stage of their career
• Illustrators who paint in watercolor or gouache
• Botanical, landscape and portrait painters
• Art teachers who want their work published

What Can You Enter?

Original paintings in which watercolor is the dominant medium. Minor use of other media may be accepted, but you must say what you used. Gouache, casein and egg tempera on paper are accepted as the dominant medium; acrylic is not.

There is no set theme, so you can enter any subject.

Entry Fees

The super early bird (11 August) and early bird (9 October) deadlines have passed. At the final deadline, the fee per entry is:

• Artists Network members: $30
• Non-members: $40

What Do Winners Receive?

• $3,500 in cash awards in total
• Top three: their paintings and an in-depth artist profile in The Best of Watercolor (summer 2027)
• 100+ finalists: published in the Splash book
• All winners: a free one-year Artists Network membership and a digital award badge

How Entries Are Judged

Entries are judged in two rounds on:

• Artistic technique
• Handling of the medium
• Design and creative elements
• Overall impression and impact

Submission Requirements

Register and upload images of your paintings through the official Artists Network competition page, and pay the entry fee. Check the official rules for image size and the number of entries allowed before you submit.

Why Enter?

Few competitions are dedicated to watercolor, and fewer still publish so many finalists. Being included in a Splash book gives your work a place in a printed collection read by painters, teachers and collectors, and the judging criteria reward skill with the medium rather than trends. Even a finalist place is a credential worth adding to your CV and website.

About the Splash Series

The Splash books began as a showcase of the best contemporary watercolor painting, and each volume has its own focus and jury. Over the years, they have introduced thousands of painters to a wide audience and documented how the medium has evolved, from traditional transparent washes to bold, experimental and mixed approaches. Today the competition is run online by Artists Network, the publisher behind Watercolor Artist magazine.

Things to Consider

• Photograph your work well. Shoot in even daylight, square to the painting, with accurate colour and no glare.
• Check the medium rules. Watercolor must dominate; acrylic is not allowed.
• Pick strong compositions. Judges look at design as well as technique.
• Enter more than one piece if you have a body of work in a consistent style.
• Don't wait. The deadline is 11 December 2026.

Enter the Competition

Interested in submitting your paintings?

Enter Splash 28

For the full rules and entry form, visit the official Artists Network website.

Looking for more open calls? Browse all competitions and opportunities on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: October 21, 2026