Valentines x Ohh Deer x Sainsbury’s competition

I recently submitted these six designs to Ohh Deer x Sainsbury’s Valentine’s competition. They sold well on Etsy, but I’d love to share them with more people.

My tips for entering contests like this is to look carefully at the terms and conditions. This contest only requires a licence to use the artwork if it is selected (and the artist fairly compensated), and the license is for 6 weeks; the artist retains the copyright and can use the work before and after this period.

The contest is also creatively open. These can make the difference between a fair contest and a company wanting freebies; especially if you already have designs to submit! For example, if these designs are not successful, I can still sell them myself.

I may write more about the nuances of working for free and illustration competitions at a later date, as it is an important issue and often ethically dubious, but in this case Ohh Deer is doing well. I look forward to seeing all the entries on their Instagram, and good luck if you’ve entered!