Following are frequently asked questions about submitting artwork to the Reader’s Gallery and annual showcase. If you cannot find the answer to your question here, use the contact form at the bottom of the page to ask your question.
Question: Is this a contest?
The Reader’s Gallery is a showcase. Every eligible submission is considered for the Reader’s Gallery. Up to four artworks are chosen for the Reader’s Gallery CP Magic! magazine. Carrie makes those selections.
Question: How do you chose artwork for the Reader’s Gallery?
Carrie looks for a few things in making selections for the Reader’s Gallery.
First is originality. She looks for unique subjects or unique renderings. For example, household items or food as the main subject.
Eye-catching artwork is also important for the Reader’s Gallery pages in the magazine, no matter the skill level.
Carrie does her best to include as many artists as possible. Because of that, no artist will be included in the magazine’s Reader Gallery two issues in a row.
She also looks for first-time artists. That is, artists who are submitting artwork for the first time.
Question: Why are your requirements for reference photos so strict?
A lot of factors must be considered in a publication of any type. Those factors go beyond simply having the photographer’s permission to use their photography for the creation of art.
The photographer must also give permission for the artwork to be published and promoted in any form.
If a person is in the photograph, that person also needs to give permission to have their likeness published. Sometimes, pets also fall into that category. For example, artists cannot draw many famous race horses and locations without permission. Those works cannot be published or reproduced in any form.
It is safer from a legal standpoint to limit eligible artwork to artwork based on the artist’s own photography or to have artists submit proof of right to use if they use another photographer’s work or download reference photos from other websites (Pixabay, Shutterstock, Wildlife Reference Photos, etc.).
Question: Can I submit older artwork?
Reader’s Gallery
Recent work is best for the monthly Reader’s Gallery. However, artwork that is a couple of months old is still eligible for the Reader’s Gallery.
Annual Showcase
The purpose of the annual showcase is to highlight the best work from the previous year. For example, the annual showcase published in 2026 featured only artwork created in 2025. Only artwork completed during the year in question is eligible.
Question: Can I enter more than one piece?
No. Since both the Reader Gallery and annual showcase are not competitions, artists may enter only one artwork.
However, artists may submit work to the monthly Reader Gallery as often as they like, so long as they do not submit the same work more than once.
Question: What about AI-generated artwork?
No artwork generated by AI will be accepted in either the Reader Gallery or annual showcase. The purpose for these showcases is to highlight the hand work of colored pencil artists, not their skill writing AI queries.
Artwork created from AI-generated reference photos is also not accepted for either the Reader Gallery or the annual showcase.
Question: When can I submit artwork?
Reader’s Gallery
You may submit artwork to the Reader’s Gallery at any time. However, artwork submitted will be considered for the next available issue of CP Magic.
For example, if you submit artwork on April 20, it will be considered for the June issue of the magazine, not the May issue. That’s because the 20th of April is the deadline for the May issue. The next available issue after that date is June.
Annual Showcase
Submissions for the annual showcase are open only from December 1 through January 15 each year.
Do you have a question about submitting artwork to the Reader’s Gallery or annual showcase? Ask Carrie before submitting your work.
Reader Gallery submission rules and information.
Annual showcase submission rules and information.
