Whether you're a serious professional artist or just an amateur, entering art contests can be a rewarding and fun way to earn money, notoriety and attention for your work. While there are many well-known annual art contests that are entered by thousands of professionals and students, you'll be glad to know that there are many more small art contests with much less competition that can be found with a minimal amount of effort. Thanks to the Internet, you can research art contests from your home computer and make your chances of winning much higher by picking the perfect competition for your work.

When looking for an art contest to enter the first rule is a simple one: never get too disappointed if your art doesn't win the top prize. Like many competitions, the real key to winning art contests is sticking to it and entering many of them. If the first contest you enter doesn't name you the winner, don't let that make you stop entering. It doesn't necessarily mean that your artwork is no good; perhaps the judges had different tastes, or perhaps the subject of the contest didn't fit your work. If you don't win, remain confident of your work and look for another art contest that might be a better fit.

Thanks to the innovation of search engines, the Internet is probably as far as you need to go to find the perfect art contest to enter. There was a time when finding little-known art contests meant spending a weekend at the library, but no longer! Simply type in "art contests" in your favorite search engine and you'll get dozens of web page results to explore and compare. With this many results, in fact, it's a good practice to look at entry requirements closely and not enter every single contest. There are plenty of art contests out there that simply aren't worth the time and effort of entry, and you need to define these.

There are a few legitimate art contests that charge a fee for entry, but you should be able to find plenty that are completely free. If you are new to art contests, it's probably smart to save your money and start by entering free contests only. These are usually put on by small websites or publications, but it's a great way to get attention for your artwork, perhaps some limited prizes, and above all some extra confidence that your work is worth continuing. Small art contests, even though they don't offer amazing cash or prizes, are a terrific way to start out.

If you really enjoy your work, entering art contests could be a great way for you to get more involved in the world of art, whether you are a professional or an amateur. Whether you are a painter, a cartoonist, a sculptor, or any other kind of artist, there is bound to be an art contest out there that is perfect for you. With a little bit of research and some dedication, you could get a bunch of much-deserved attention for your work by entering the right art contest today.