The RP Drawing Prize 2026: £5,000 for Works That Reveal the Human – Deadline 28 July

Do you draw people?

The Royal Society of Portrait Painters (RP) wants to see your work. The RP Drawing Prize: Revealing the Human returns for its second year – an open call for artists, designers and creatives whose work involves drawing, open to applicants in the UK and internationally.

With a top prize of £5,000 and exhibition at The University of Hull Art Gallery, this is a vibrant platform for bold, original, and thought-provoking work that explores and expands the idea of what a portrait can be.

Deadline: Tuesday 28 July 2026, 5pm.

What Is the RP Drawing Prize?

The Royal Society of Portrait Painters champions a broad collection of stylistic and intellectual approaches, making a significant contribution to the ongoing tradition of portraiture in Britain today. The Society vigorously upholds the values of its long and distinguished history while seeking to explore and develop new artistic models and perspectives.

The RP Drawing Prize invites submissions from artists who observe and depict people – in whatever form that happens to be.

As the artist RB Kitaj wrote:

“It’s not as if an instinct which lies in the race of men from way before Sassetta and Giotto has run its course. It won’t. Don’t listen to the fools who say that pictures of people can be of no consequence…”

Drawing is an immediate, direct response to the human. The RP is hoping to be surprised by the variety of responses.

Who Can Enter?

Entry Fees

Artists may submit up to 3 works.

The Selection Process

Stage 1:

Initial selection will be made by artist members of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters.

Stage 2:

Shortlisted works will be reviewed by a distinguished panel:

Up to 120 works will be selected for exhibition at The University of Hull Art Gallery.

The Prize

More prizes to be announced soon.

Exhibition & Sales

Selected works will be exhibited at:

The University of Hull Art Gallery
Brynmor Jones Library, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX

Exhibition dates: Friday 18 September – Sunday 18 October 2026

Private View: Thursday 17 September 2026, 6.30pm – 8.30pm

Sales:

• Works for sale must include 30% + VAT commission

• The FBA Art Consultancy will be available to manage commission enquiries

• Works must be available for sale from 2 September to 10 December 2026

• An online catalogue and dedicated sales site will accompany the exhibition

Portrait Commissions:

Artists accepted for exhibition will be invited to advertise portrait commissions through the RP’s Commissions department (commission payable).

Key Dates

Delivery Information

UK-based selected artists:

Deliver to either:

• Art Moves Chelsea, London (2 or 5 September 2026), or

• Hull University Art Gallery (2–4 September 2026)

Internationally-based selected artists:

Deliver work(s) directly to the University of Hull (delivery details confirmed upon selection). Delivery cost and insurance are the responsibility of the artist.

Presentation of Work

The selectors understand that some artists may intend for their work not to be framed or glazed in a traditional manner. This is accepted.

All work must be labelled. Download your label from your ArtOpps account. Attach labels to the back of picture frames.

All exhibition material is compiled from the information on your digital submission – please complete it accurately.

Insurance & Liability

Artists are responsible for insuring their own work. All works accepted for exhibition will be displayed entirely at the artists’ risk. The organisers and the gallery will not accept liability for loss or damage occurring during the exhibition.

Why Enter?

• £5,000 top prize – one of the UK’s most significant awards for drawing

• Exhibition at a respected public gallery – University of Hull Art Gallery

• Championed by the Royal Society of Portrait Painters – a historic institution with contemporary reach

• Inclusive definition of drawing – all two-dimensional media welcome

• International reach – open to artists worldwide

• Expansive view of portraiture – the RP wants to be surprised

Final Checklist

• Are you aged 18 or over?

• Does your work depict people (in whatever form)?

• Can your work be considered a drawing?

• Was it completed in the last 3 years?

• Is it within 1.8m along the longest dimension?

• Is the minimum sale price £300 (or marked as not for sale)?

• Have you paid the correct entry fee (£20 standard / £12 aged 35 or under)?

• Can you deliver to London or Hull between 2–5 September 2026 (if selected)?

The RP Drawing Prize: Revealing the Human 2026

£5,000 prize | Exhibition at University of Hull Art Gallery

Open to UK and international artists | All drawing media welcome

Deadline: Tuesday 28 July 2026, 5pm

Enter Now via the ArtOpps Online Portal HERE

The Royal Society of Portrait Painters – championing the art of portraiture, past, present and future.