10 Websites To Enter Photoshop Contests & Show Off Your Skills

Contests challenge our primitive instincts. Who among us can deny that we are drawn to it if the contest is up our alley. Photoshop contests are not for the testosterone junkies, but a Photoshop user who knows his PSD from his PNG would itch to try out his skills. I dabble in Photoshop, though I would flunk even if Adobe offers me their graphic designing certificate on a platter. Photoshop contests though serve to give me hope that with a bit of practice, I too can join the legion.

So, here are ten Photoshop contests that you should keep an eye on.

Photoshop Contest

Winning a cash prize of $50 would seem like small change. But if you are really good with a Photoshop brush, those little PayPal checks can add up as this Photoshop contest site hosts one contest after the other. Why not, as it is exclusively about Photoshop contests first and tips n’ tutorials second. You can check out the open contests and jump right in. Enter Photoshop-ed images and hope that other members view, vote, and comment favorably.

Worth 1000

This one is a jump in quality (and prize money) if the thumbnails are anything to go by. Worth1000.com is a fancied destination for Photoshop hotshots. Along with photography and illustration contests, you have the Effects contests which are essentially on Photoshop. The site is very well organized and just a glance tells you where you should be headed. Most of the contests are based on a theme, for instance – Making celebrities invisible. What’s reassuring is that you can enter an arena like the one for a beginner and compete with your equals rather than go up against an expert and embarrass yourself.

Mechapixel

According to the stats, the site has run 2000+ contests and has nearly 5000+ members. That’s very promising. Mechapixel runs Graffiti Contests which are announced three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). Members vote for the entries they like. The contests are based around themes. The site says that the contests are more fun than competition. The more serious weekly contests called Slags are currently not running but will be resumed soon. They are usually more competitive.

Pxleyes

This is a community website with contests, tutorials, blog and a vibrant forum. The prize money is minimal so it’s also a place where the Photoshop beginner can try out his chops. Each contest has a specified level which participants can join in as per their skill levels. Most of the contests revolve around photo manipulation. Prizes are decided by user votes.

Fark

Now, who would think that a satirical site that publishes the bizarre and funny for news junkies would have a few Photoshop contests tucked away. But if web chatter is to be believed, then the Photoshop contests hosted here (tagged with Photoshop) have quite a following. Some contests become viewable to TotalFark (a paid membership) members before they get broadcast for all members. You have to Photoshop images, but the baseline is that the modification has to yield a few laughs. Links to photos are posted and you have to work with them. No prizes but just fun plus you get immortalized in Fark’s archives.

PHX Layers

You could be just in time to sign up for season three of this annual design competition. As their About page says – PHX LAYERS is a friendly locals-only design competition centralized on a theme of live collaboration between designers residing in and representing the Phoenix Metropolitan. Two competitors go head to head swapping a file back and forth. Each adds his own layer to the design and the process continues. The competition lasts over six 30-minute rounds as each participant adds, deletes, and modifies an image file with graphic tools.

PSD Tuts

This premier Photoshop tutorial website makes it difficult to spy a running contest. It took me a bit of browsing to get to the latest one. It’s all under Articles > Contests. The contests are straightforward. You have to submit your entry and you are reward with goodies like filter packs, iPads, and other computer accessories. Watch out for the contest announcement or bookmark the contest category.

Freaking News

Freakingnews.com is a simpler Photoshop contest site with a lineup of interesting design challenges. The latest one asks you to work on Steve Jobs as a tribute to the iconic visionary. The good ones get voted up.

Photoshop Faceoff

Take the announced daily image and go to work on it with Photoshop. Post your image to the site for viewing by the general public. Each day a Face-Off a “winner” is decided by public vote. Monthly leaders get to be on the leader-board.

Graphic Competitions

This is not exclusively a Photoshop contest site, but more of a directory of design contests that are held around the world. But put the graphic design category on your watch list as some cool contests can come your way. The contests are quite high profile and though the number of Photoshop contests were numbered (mostly poster designing contests), it looks worthy of a bookmark.