Graphics Competition: What It Is, Where It’s Run and How It’s Judged

An individual art entry for teens aged 13 to 19 in which the entrant produces a piece of graphic work, such as a poster, logo or illustrated layout, rated out of 5 by the panel.

Graphics is the visual-communication class of a teen arts competition. Instead of a free drawing or painting, the entrant produces a designed piece that carries a message or identity: a poster for an event, a logo for an imaginary club, an illustrated infographic, a book cover or a lettering panel. The skill being judged is how clearly an idea is turned into a picture, colour and type on one sheet.

In eTalenter’s templates the item appears once, in an international teen talent competition that is run at state or regional level and then at national level. It is listed in the Art category beside Drawing and Ceramics and Glass, and it is separate from Computer Graphics, which sits in Multimedia and is made on a screen. Graphics here is an individual entry for Teens (13-19), open to boys and girls together, in English. The template prints a rating out of 5 for the item and sets no time limit, which suggests the work is prepared beforehand and brought in; confirm this with your organiser.

On the day, entries are registered, labelled with the entrant’s number and placed on a display wall or table. The judges look at each piece from a reading distance first, asking whether the message is understood in a few seconds, and then closer for lettering, layout and finish. Work is usually flat and mounted on card so it can be pinned up or laid out without damage.

Organisers include a graphics class because it brings in teens who like design, lettering and layout but may not enter a drawing class. For coordinators using eTalenter it is entered like any other Art item: register the entrant, record the panel’s rating, and the ranking is calculated within the Teens group.

Where Graphics is run

In eTalenter’s data Graphics appears on one template: an international teen talent competition for the 13 to 19 age band. Poster and design classes are common in school and youth art shows, but this page describes only the format that template defines.

• International teen talent competition (state, regional and national levels)

Key facts

• Individual entry: one teen produces one piece of graphic work.
• Single age group, Teens (13-19); boys and girls compete together; English.
• Rated by the panel and ranked within the Teens group; the template prints a rating out of 5 for the item.
• No time limit in the template; the piece is normally prepared in advance and displayed.
• Different from Computer Graphics, which is the on-screen Multimedia class, and from Drawing, which is a free picture rather than a designed message.
• Idea starters, not rules: a poster for a community recycling day, a logo for a school robotics club, a hand-lettered quotation panel, a single-sheet infographic about water saving.

On eTalenter, Graphics is filed under Art and typically scored with Rating out of 10. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.

Across the templates that use it, Graphics is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 5.

What judges look at in Graphics

What a Graphics panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:

• Clarity of message: the viewer should understand what the piece is about within a few seconds, without an explanation.
• Layout and balance: a clear focal point, sensible use of space and a reading order that guides the eye across the sheet.
• Lettering and type: legible, consistent and suited to the theme, with no cramped or uneven letters.
• Colour and contrast: a limited, deliberate palette with enough contrast for text to be read at a distance.
• Originality and finish: an idea that is the entrant’s own rather than a copied logo or template, mounted cleanly with no smudges or tears.

Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Graphics under Scoring Setup, or start from the full art and drawing judging criteria guide.

How to prepare for Graphics

How entrants and their teachers usually get Graphics right on the day:

• Choose one clear message and write it in a single sentence before sketching; a poster that tries to say three things says none of them well.
• Sketch three small thumbnail layouts, pick the strongest and only then draw it full size.
• Use pencil guidelines for lettering, rule them lightly and rub them out after inking so the type stays straight.
• Limit yourself to two or three colours plus black or white, and test the contrast by looking at the work from across the room.
• Keep original artwork and your own lettering; do not trace a known logo or print someone else’s image.
• Mount the finished sheet on card, check for smudges, and carry it flat in a folder so the corners stay sharp.
• Be ready to say in one sentence what the piece communicates, in case the organiser lets judges ask.

Frequently asked questions

Is Graphics judged individually or as a team?

Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.

What is the difference between Graphics and Computer Graphics?

In these templates Graphics is in the Art category and is made by hand or on paper, while Computer Graphics is in Multimedia and is made on a computer. Confirm with your organiser which class your method belongs to.

Is there a time limit?

The template prints none, so the work is normally made beforehand and brought to the display. Ask the organiser for the entry deadline and size limits.

How is it marked?

The panel gives a rating out of 5 in this template, and entrants are ranked within the Teens (13-19) group.

Can a group enter?

No. In this template it is an individual entry, so each teen submits their own piece.

Want the full judging picture? Read the full art and drawing judging criteria guide, or browse every art competition item.