Let’s face it, illustrators often don’t get the love they deserve. From bringing our childhood books to life to creating the characters we fall for in games and comics, they make the world brighter and cooler.

But there’s a way for you to give them their flowers!

Illustration Arts Fest 2025 is just around the corner, coming to you from 4 July 2025 to 6 July 2025 at ArtSpace. From prints to zines, this fair is a treasure trove of creativity, where you’ll be able to meet illustrators and snap up unique works.

This year, they will be featuring more than 120 artists from 13 different countries. Expect to find live drawing sessions, artist talks,and hands-on workshops.

Tickets are just S$6 (excluding platform fees), with unlimited re-entry throughout the day. It’s also free for children under 6 years old.

Ahead of Illustration Arts Fest 2025, we decided to shine a spotlight on illustration, starting with ourselves! In the spirit of fun and supporting the illustration community, we launched an office drawing challenge. 

The task? Four drawings — an apple, a cat, their favourite food, and Ash (our office dad) — in 12 minutes, and no erasers allowed.

Will our colleagues step up to the challenge? Meet our brave artists.

Yan ‘The Wholesome Doodler’ 

Photo by Confirm Good

Yan kept it minimalist. The apple and her favourite bowl of Nissin noodles are cute and clean, while the spotted cat is very demure, very mindful. 

Then we look to the bottom-right to find Ash saying that he’s ‘just a man’. Stick-figure Ash is skewing a little big-foot in terms of chest hair, but he looks happy, so we’ll let it slide. 

Wing ‘Just Wing it’ Xin

Photo by Confirm Good

Wing Xin gave a valiant effort but seems to have had to resort to words because her drawings couldn’t make it. The apples look a little cherry-like, and Ash’s hair looks a little sparse. However, we do love the little kitty perched on a scenic landscape.  

Overall, we applaud her for giving it her best shot. 

Glenda ‘The Secret Prodigy’

Photo by Confirm Good

Right before starting the drawing challenge, Glenda claimed that she wasn’t very good at drawing, which turned out to be a fat lie. 

She stunned us all with a picturesque apple, a cat so sweet it belongs in a children’s book, ice cream that looked good enough to eat, and a portrait of Ash that made him look extra cute (not an accurate representation of the man himself). 

Xuan ‘The Wild Card’

Photo by Confirm Good

Xuan’s drawing of Ash looks suspiciously hairy, with wiggly arms to match. However, she does bring it back with stellar embellishments — the worm in the apple, the collar on the cat, and the little fishes in the fish soup. 

And, now for our totally scientific ranking:

🥇 1st: Glenda — we can’t compete with actual talent.

🥈 2nd: Xuan — beautiful and unexpected!

🥉 3rd: Wing Xin — chaotic but lovable.

🏅 4th: Yan — stickmen forever.

While we’re busy nursing our bruised egos, you can check out where the real artists shine and get your tickets to Illustration Arts Fest 2025 here.