The third TIF will be held at Aparaaditehas, with this year's theme, "Playful Patterns," exploring and challenging texture, repetition, modularity and rhythm.

Throughout the two-day festival, visitors can take part in hands-on workshops, hear talks and join a panel discussion, as well as browse an international exhibition and an illustrators' market.

Activities include designing and screen printing a board game, speed meetings between writers and illustrators, drawing dogs and creating Annelinn-inspired collages.

This year's festival also features several award-winning guests, including Finnish pattern designer Lotta Maija, whose work includes designs for Marimekko; British graphic artist and illustrator Ryan Chapman, whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Economist and The Atlantic; Slovenian children's book illustrator Damijan Stepančič; and Estonian graphic designer and creative director Helene Vetik.

Hobbyists and pros alike welcome

Organizers Helena Pass and Liina Lember said TIF is intended as a meeting place for anyone interested in visual storytelling, creative experimentation and illustration culture, from professionals and students to hobbyists and curious visitors.

"Playfulness gives us the chance to move beyond familiar solutions and see illustration in a new light," they said. "TIF 2026 invites us to experiment with materials, techniques and ideas and discover unexpected connections."

The festival's program also includes the international exhibition "Bright Memory," hosted at the University of Tartu Library, which brings together classic Estonian illustration and contemporary work by artists from other countries.

The show explores the link between images, memory and visual storytelling, placing illustration in a broader cultural and international context.

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