Digital technology has become the dominant media of choice by the winning illustrators in this year’s Annual—the first time in our history. For more than a third of the images selected, a computer was used in at least part of the creation process. “There is definitely an upswing in the amount of art created on the computer,” said juror Tyler Darden. “On the other end of the spectrum, there was a good deal of naïve or folk art, which is a nice counterpoint to the use of slick photography. I also enjoyed seeing techniques traditionally found in fine art such as lino printing, woodcuts, etching and collage used, sometimes digitally, to create images.” When asked about judging the 5,286 entries, juror Jim Ales was inspired. “I was not prepared for the physical energy I felt being surrounded by so much creativity. The range of talent and sophistication varied mightily, but the courage and confidence of all the illustrators was positively overwhelming.” “The fact that global issues, both positive and negative, were interpreted unashamedly by numerous artists was reassuring,” added juror Bill Robbins.
This year our distinguished panel of jurors selected 229 winning projects from 5286 entries.
Illustration for an article about mental illness, "Songs from the Black Chair." 6 x 8 1/2, acrylics on board.
Adam Niklewicz, illustrator Brett Topping, art director Psychotherapy Networker, client