About the Competition

SILA – The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles presents our 57th annual Illustration West.

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, category, entry and payment information.

Show Chair

Cliff Cramp

Judges

Cheryl Savala

[click HERE to read interview with Cheryl by Cliff Cramp]

Patrick Ballesteros

[click HERE to read interview with Patrick by Cliff Cramp]

Guy Francis

[click HERE to read interview with Guy by Cliff Cramp]

Pascal Campion

[click HERE to read interview with Pascal by Cliff Cramp]

Kim Dwinell

[click HERE to read interview with Kim by Cliff Cramp]

Robert T. Barrett

[click HERE to read interview with Robert by Cliff Cramp]

Kat Haynes

[click HERE to read interview with Robert by Cliff Cramp]

Our Exhibition Sponsors

Entry Categories

For examples of work in these categories from last year’s exhibition, you can browse the Category menu of Illustration West 56.

- - 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 (our newest category)
    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 (see new Cartoon Category for work in the cartoon field.
  - 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.

Awards

For examples award-winning work from last year’s exhibition, browse the Awards menu of Illustration West 55.

- - 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 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

P.O. Box 8143 Van Nuys, CA 91409-8143