SILA – The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles presents our
65th Annual Illustration West, chaired by Dale Stephanos.

Illustration West is an annual competition and exhibition highlighting the year’s best illustration – both from L.A. and from all around the world. SILA is proud to represent established and emerging artists and demonstrate that this continues to be an exciting era for illustration.

Scroll down to see Judges, AI Declaration, Category List, Fees and Payment information.

Call for Entries Poster Artist: Bill Mayer

AI Declaration

No artwork created using Artificial Intelligence (Ai) is allowed to be entered into this competition. If it is revealed that Ai was used in the creation of work entered into the competition now or in the past, it will be disqualified and removed without reimbursement.

Judges

Our Competition Sponsor

Competition Rules

• • • Submission Deadline –
      

      October 31, 2026 – MIDNIGHT

      • • • Entry Fee
            $35 per entry for non-members.
            $20 per entry for SILA Members
            $10 per entry for entries in the Student category. **New lower entry fee for students!**
            Entry fee in full must accompany all submissions. Entry fees are not refundable.

      PAYMENT can be made as you enter each piece or all at once when you’ve uploaded your work. You can pay by check (USD), your bank’s “Zelle” function or by PayPal.

      

      For PayPal or Zelle, use our main email address, info@si-la.org, for making payments and put your name and “ILW65” in the notes field.  Contact Alyce at the office if you have any questions. 800-799-6368 or info@si-la.org.

      • • • • • • • Eligibility
                    Except for the Visual Development category, any illustration created in or published between November 2025 and October 2026 is eligible. The work in Visual Development category can date back 2 years. Entries from around the world are welcome.
                  • Procedure
                    Each original illustration is a separate entry. Do not submit campaigns or complete books as one entry. Complete and submit an entry form for each individual piece – uploading your images and all applicable details. Fees can be paid using Paypal, your bank’s Zelle service (QuickPay, POP Money, Bill Pay) or by mail with a check or money order.
                  • Exhibition Fee – Only paid if you are accepted by the judges and choose to exhibit
                  • $55 per accepted entry for non-members.
                    $35 for SILA Members.
                    $35 for students exhibiting their own artwork in the Student category.
                    The exhibition fee is required for inclusion on the illustrationwest.org website. There is no extra charge to show your work in the public gallery.

            Entry Categories

            For examples of work in these categories from last year’s exhibition, you can browse the Category menu of Illustration West 64.

            • • • Advertising
                  Commissioned and published work used for consumer/trade print ads, fashion, point of-purchase, product, packaging, outdoor, websites and other forms of promotional media.
                • Book
                  Commissioned and published work for fiction/non-fiction, hard & soft cover books. Includes young adult, adult, and cookbooks.
                • Cartoon
                  Commissioned and published work used in newspaper strips, newspaper panels, TV animation, feature animation, newspaper illustration, gag cartoons, book illustration, greeting cards, comic books, magazine feature/magazine illustration, and editorial cartoons.
                • Children’s Market
                  Commissioned and published work used for the children’s market.
                • Editorial
                  Commissioned and published work for newspapers, magazines, blogs, courtroom sketches including spots, and humorous works.
                • Entertainment & Visual Development
                  Commissioned and published work for promotion or packaging of entertainment events, products and organizations, including: music, motion picture, DVD/video, television, computer games, live entertainment or Commissioned work for a production of a motion picture, animation, video games, and television. Examples: character designs, layout, visual development, background paintings, and storyboards.
                • Gallery
                  Any work produced for the purpose of showing at a gallery or museum.
                • Graphic Novels / Comic Books
                  Commissioned and published work for fiction/non-fiction, comic books, and graphic novels. Including: character designs, layout, visual development, background paintings, pin-ups, and storyboards.
                • Institutional
                  Commissioned and published work for annual reports, corporate projects, capability projects, in-house publications, illustrated company logos, calendars, menus, calligraphy, non self-promotional greeting cards, philatelic, and collectibles.
                • Student
                  Work created for classroom projects only. Must include instructor and school for each entry.
                • Unpublished & Self-Promotional
                  Any self-promotional work, whether commissioned or not commissioned. Sourcebook ads, mailers, gallery work, portfolio pieces, experimental, fine art. Includes all Artist’s Rep or Gallery commissioned work.

            Fill out entry forms completely. Email notifications will be sent once final judging has closed. SILA reserves the right to verify information and/or reassign an entry into the correct category.

            By submitting entries, artists acknowledge SILA’s right to use images and associated information for public exhibition, education, publication and promotion of Illustration West and SILA – The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles.

            Acceptance

            All entrants will be notified by email.
            Judges’ decisions are final.

            Awards

            For examples of award-winning work from last year’s exhibition, browse the Awards menu of Illustration West 64.

            • • • Joseph Morgan Henninger Award – Best of Show
                  This award is presented to the best of all the Gold Award winners and is named for SILA’s first President during our founding year in 1953.
                • Patrick Nagel Award for Excellence
                  This award is presented to the second best of all the Gold Award winners and is named to honor a great illustrator, Patrick Nagel.
                • Gold, Silver and Bronze awards are awarded individually for in each category.

            Work entered in the Gallery, Student and Unpublished / Self-Promotional categories will not be eligible for the Henninger or Nagel Awards.
            All accepted entries will receive Certificates of Merit.
            Award-winning artwork must be available for use on the Web site.

            Scholarship Awards

            • • • Scholarships are presented to the Gold, Silver and Bronze Award winners from the Student category.
                  • • Gold – Phillip Hays “I love it. I think it’s terrific.” $1000 Scholarship
                    • Silver – Elin Waite & Dick Oden $750 Scholarship
                    • Bronze – Bill Tara $500 Scholarship