A staple of The Guilds Inn event is the annual Painting Competition.

Entering into it's 4th year, we are pleased to announce some new changes to the competition this year.
Whilst still having both Standard and Masters levels, this year we will now be having a Juniors level for all of our under 16 competitors.

We will also be changing up the categories for Standard and Masters, now having just 2 categories for entries;

Painting
The Painting category gives more weight to technical mastery, colour composition, coherent interpretation, and overall presentation. All painting styles are welcome.

Storytelling
The Storytelling (Dioramas, Scenes, Vignettes) category gives more weight to creativity, story, atmosphere, and concept. This category encompasses small scenes, vignettes, duels, dioramas, and any other piece where the focus is placed on the story being told.

The judging format used at this event is the Open System, popular in many European competitions.  Rather than ranking entries as 1st, 2nd, or 3rd — with all other entries awarded nothing — the Open System rewards each entry based on the standard of work achieved — Gold, Silver, or Bronze. There is no limit on the number of medals that can be awarded. For example, if five entries out of twenty-five are judged to be of Gold standard, all five will receive Gold.

Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals will be awarded to medal-winning entries across Junior, Standard, and Masters levels, with each individual miniature within an entrant's display judged and awarded separately. If an entrant has multiple pieces judged as being at the same level, they will receive a single medal of the appropriate type. For example, an entrant with 3 pieces judged as Gold and two as Silver would receive one gold medal and one silver medal. 

In addition to Gold, Silver, and Bronze there are a number of one-off awards, each of which will be awarded to a single piece:

• Best In Show (overall winner)
• Best Of Standard
• Best Of Painting - Standard
• Best Of Painting - Masters
• Best Of Storytelling - Standard
• Best Of Painting - Masters
• Crikey Award (awarded by the entire judging team for an entry that just makes them say "Crikey!")

As general guidance for artists the following criteria will be utilised by judges to evaluate your submissions in each category.  

• Aesthetics: the overall beauty of the piece, encompassing colour harmony, use of focal points, and visual impact.  
  
  
• Expression: the clarity with which the artist’s intent is conveyed, including consideration of the chosen painting style and the quality of its execution.  
  
  
• Technique: the proficiency of technical execution, including lighting, blending, texture rendering, and any other technical expression/element. 
  
  
• Workmanship: the quality of construction and presentation, including attention to mold lines, gap filling, and integration with any basing or environmental elements.
  
  

In addition to the above, the following aspects are considered for Story telling category:

• How effective is the story coming across?
  
  
• Does it evoke emotion?
  
  
• Does it convey a clear narrative or ambience?

A story can be as simple as a duel — what will be judged is how effectively that duel is staged and conveyed. In some cases, a concept or message considered particularly powerful by the judges may compensate for certain technical imperfection.

However, as this is a competition, in most cases the “how” (execution) remains more important than the “what” (subject).

There is a $5 submission fee per entry.

The submission deadline is 3:00 pm on Saturday 18 July 2026.

You can pre-register online, see our Tickets page.

We will not be accepting cash, we will however have facilities available on the day to register in-person.

1. All entries must be submitted in person by the artist who created them, by the posted deadline.
   
   
2. There is no limit on the number of submissions per artist.
   
   
3. No mail-in entries will be accepted. You must be present at The Guilds Inn to compete.
   
   
4. By entering, you agree to allow the event organisers to photograph your entries for use in galleries, advertising, and promotional materials.
   
   
5. The Guilds Inn team will take every care in handling models during the event, but cannot be held responsible for any damage that may be sustained.
   
   
6. Entries must be collected between 4 and 5 pm on Sunday 19 July 2026. Any entries not collected by this deadline will be forfeited
   
   
7. Judging decisions are final, and no discussion will be entered into. 

By entering, participants agree to abide by these rules and accept the judges’ final decision. 

A feedback panel will be available on Sunday morning, where entrants may ask the judging panel for a constructive critique of their entry. A timetable will be prepared in advance, with a 7-minute time slot allocated per person.

Please note: the Guilds Inn reserves the right to review and update these rules closer to the painting event.

Photos
Please note that due to time constraints, not all entries will be photographed during the event.  Only major award winners and a selection of entries will be captured.