At 6:50am on a warm June morning, I arrived at North Yorkshire’s Brimham Rocks with a trolley full of painting equipment, a parasol and a cool box, ready to take part in Landscape Artist of the Year as a Wildcard Painter.
Several hours, lots of laughs and lots (and lots!) of painting later, I left knowing that the day would be one of my 2026 highlights.
I had the pleasure of being one of 50 Wildcard Painters taking part in Landscape Artist of the Year at Brimham Rocks in North Yorkshire, season 13 episode 4. Here’s exactly what happened, from what I packed to what I painted, and everything inbetween.
- How I prepared
- What happens on Landscape Artist of the Year as a Wildcard Painter
- What to bring to Landscape Artist Of The Year as a Wildcard Painter
- What I painted
- How much it cost
- Would I recommend applying? Absolutely
Let’s get this party painting started!
How I prepared before the big day.
As a Yorkshire-based contemporary artist who loves being outdoors and turning my experiences into artwork, I felt incredibly excited for the challenge of Landscape Artist Of The Year.
This was my first time entering the competition, and I originally applied to be a main competitor. While I didn’t make the cut, their team asked if I would be interested in being a Wildcard Artist. I said yes, then they sent me an online form where I could choose the most appropriate filming date and location. So I picked Brimham Rocks on the 25th June, and the rest is history.
About seven weeks before the big day, I received my confirmation email. This outlined everything I needed to know – the meeting time and place, a suggested list of items to bring, parking information, as well as a link to a release form. There was also a contact email address for any questions. It was very informative, and I felt very VERY excited.
Three weeks before the event, I received a more in-depth itinerary. It advised on timings, food, parking, clothing, footwear, terrain, chairs, easels, parasols – you name it, they covered it. After 12 seasons, they’ve perfectly fine-tuned their process.
Side note: Landscape Artist Of The Year is a real competition. This year, there were 50 wildcard places per episode, and anyone aged 16+ based in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands could apply.
What happens on Landscape Artist of the Year as a Wildcard Painter?
My Landscape Artist Of The Year wildcard schedule
Here’s a quick overview of how my day looked:
- 6:50 am – I arrived at Brimham Rocks and was given a free parking pass for the National Trust car park.
- 7 am – I met the other 49 Wildcard painters and their guests as we waited for registration.
- 7:30 am – The Wildcard team gave us an overview of the upcoming day and what to expect.
- 7:50 am – We walked together to the filming site. A small buggy helped carry any large items.
- 8 am – After arriving at the main site, we filmed the program’s iconic ‘walk-in’ scene.
- 8:20 am – The perimeter was explained, and the Wildcard Artists could set up workspaces anywhere within.
- 8:40 am – Most people had started painting by this time.
- 11 am – The crew walked around, and Wildcard interviews took place.
- 12:30 – We could break for lunch at any point, but many of us stopped around this time.
- 3:00 pm – Around this time, some people started packing up, although we could have stayed for as long as we wished.
- 3:30 pm – Although this year’s Wildcard Winner would not advance to the final, judge Tai-Shan Schierenberg still came over to look at our paintings and choose his winner.
My experience as a Wildcard Painter
I arrived at Brimham Rocks around 6:50 am, all ready for check-in at 7 am. I was handed a free parking pass to display in my car window, then I assembled all of my belongings onto a trolley – this included a cool box, parasol, fold-up easel, painting board, and a fold-up camping chair. I also had a rucksack with a few smaller items, like paint brushes, a sketchbook and sun cream, which I slung over my shoulders.
Around half of the Wildcard competitors had already arrived by the time I’d joined the registration queue, with more joining soon after.
Then, I received my wristband (which would allow me to come and go throughout the day) and chatted with the other competitors and their friends, partners and relatives, as we waited for our next round of instructions. There were people of all ages, and everyone was incredibly friendly. The most common questions I heard were:
- “Have you done this before?”,
- “Are you a professional artist?”, and
- “How far have you come?”
Many people had come from within a two-hour drive of the area; however, one woman had caught the ferry over from Ireland!
After a little bit more waiting around, it was time for our debrief at 7:30 am. This took about 20 minutes and was led by Lola, one of the production team, who gave a general overview of the day and explained the different types of cameras that might be used. The vibe felt electric!
Next, we loaded any large or bulky items onto a buggy and walked for about 10 minutes to reach the filming site. This walk included a bit of filming by some smiley crew members, as well as the iconic ‘walk-in’ scene.
Then the team outlined a rough boundary, and we were free to set up our easels/tables and begin painting.
Everyone had similar-but-different concerns – should they start with a sketch? Is there time for an underpainting? Acrylics vs oils? Will there be time to add the final details?
Before arriving, we could prime the surface of our paper or canvas with one colour, which I’d done. But some people had brought new, unprimed canvases and peeled them out of a cellophane wrapper.
I used pastels to sketch the outline of my painting, then I quickly got started. This was the part where all of our different styles began to emerge – some people painted exactly what they saw with minute detail, while others were more expressive or experimental and introduced fresh colours or shapes.
People walked around and spoke to you all day – I probably stopped to talk to someone new every 15 minutes, be they a competitor, a competitor’s guest, a member of the production team, or a visitor to Brimham Rocks that day. And as Brimham Rocks is a National Trust location, there were many, many, many visitors. Some visitors had even brought sketchbooks, so they could draw alongside the Wildcard painters.
I saw several interviews take place throughout the day, which was amazing to watch. And later on, I had the pleasure of talking to Tai as he walked around, to see what everyone was painting.
All in all, we probably painted for around 5 hours. But as this wasn’t a timed painting, we could have (potentially) carried on painting all evening! Then, after I packed up, I walked over to watch the main competitors.
What to bring to Landscape Artist of the Year as a Wildcard Painter
We were advised to bring everything we could possibly need for the day, come rain or shine. For me, this included a parasol for the sun, a poncho for the rain, and more snacks than I could possibly eat in a week. There were toilets on site, a water fountain to fill reusable bottles (single-use plastic was discouraged), and a cafe (though not every location had one).
Painting equipment
- A fold-up easel
- An A2 board with primed paper gum-stripped to both sides
- Acrylic paints
- Acrylic medium
- Pastels
- Pencils
- Masking tape
- Paint brushes
- Palette knife
- Takeaway containers (I use these as an artist’s palette)
Seating, shade and weather protection
- Fold-up chair
- Bungee cords (to strap everything onto my trolley)
- Trolley
- Parasol and parasol stand (I was surprised that only five or six other people brought umbrellas. We’d been told in advance that gazebos weren’t allowed, as we couldn’t attach anything to the ground)
- Waterproof poncho (just in case it rained)
- Sun cream
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Bug spray
- Kitchen roll
Food and drink
- Cool box
- Three large bottles of water
- A packed lunch
- Plenty of snacks
Considering applying to be a Wildcard Painter? Feel free to bookmark this page as a handy starting point for your packing list. But please follow the production team’s advice for your own event, as requirements may change.
What I wish I’d packed
My biggest packing regret? Not bringing alternative clothes for the heat.
The night before filming, I checked-in to a local Airbnb to avoid a two-hour drive at 4:30am. Because of this, I’d pre-packed my clothing in advance in anticipation of the ongoing heatwave – shorts and a T-shirt.
However, if I were to be a Wildcard painter again, I would also pack some alternative clothing, like light, full-length trousers and a full-sleeved T-shirt.
Important note: We were all asked to wear plain, non-branded clothing that day.
Here’s what I painted
On arriving at Brimham Rock’s main painting location, it felt spacious enough for all 50 of us Wildcard Artists to set up without feeling cramped.
I chose a viewpoint overlooking the rock formation known as the ‘Gorilla’. I felt drawn to this formation because one of the rocks had a hole through the middle, allowing the sky to peek through.
For my main composition, I focused on painting that large rock formation using a limited colour palette inspired by the local flowers – yellow buttercups and purple heather. And I intentionally excluded the rocks on either side, allowing the viewer to concentrate solely on my chosen rocks.
I completed my painting in around five hours, which included a pastel sketch, an acrylic underpainting and an acrylic overpainting.
Is there anything I’d do differently? Speed is so important for this competition. Before the big day, I challenged myself to do a few timed practice paintings, and I’m glad I did. This helped me estimate how long different elements would take to paint and find ways to improve my speed.
How much it cost me
| Competition entry | Free |
| Fuel | £20 |
| Parking | Free |
| Accommodation | £150 (for three people) |
| Food | £15 |
| Painting materials | Already owned |
| Total | £185 |
Would I recommend applying? Absolutely.
Without hesitation, yes. I would 100% recommend anyone to apply to be a Wildcard Artist for Landscape Artist Of The Year. In a nutshell:
- It’s a brilliant opportunity to paint alongside other artists.
- You get to experience how a TV art competition is filmed.
- It’s an excellent way to challenge yourself creatively.
The two things I’d prepare for are carrying your equipment and practicing to paint faster than you might normally work.
Want to see more of my colourful landscapes? Discover my collection of contemporary landscape paintings and art prints, inspired by places I’ve explored across the UK and beyond.
Frequently asked questions
Can amateur artists apply?
Any artist at any experience level can apply to be on Landscape Artist Of The Year – from amateur to professional.
What happens if you win the Wildcard?
In previous years, the Wildcard winners would have the opportunity to paint in the final episode of Landscape Artist Of The Year. However, as of season 13, this was the first year where Wildcard painters would not go through to the final competition.
How long do Wildcards have to paint?
In total, I spent around five hours painting. However, within that time, I talked to other competitors, and had a break for lunch.
That’s all for now ✌️
Your paint-pal
Hi there; I’m Rebecca, a British artist and copywriter, and I’ll never be ‘ready enough’ to write a bio in the third person. I’ve been practising my crafts ever since the day I picked up my first pair of scissors in primary school and glued my fringe to a collage. Tasteful, eh?
When I’m neither painting nor writing, you’ll find me gardening, snowboarding, baking cinnamon buns or practising Muay Thai.
