• Two fantasy warriors engaged in battle, one wielding a large axe and shield, the other attacking with a sword; castles and flying birds in the background.
  • A mystical forest scene with a magical female figure sitting on a tree, surrounded by ferns and mushrooms, holding a staff with glowing symbols. She wears an elaborate headdress and has plant-like features. An owl is flying in front of her.
  • Bren_Reads_to_the_Raccoon

portfolio

I specialize in fantasy and sci-fi world-building . I strive to incorporate movement and depth to evoke wonder and delight in the viewer. I draw from a deep visual library built upon years of studying fantasy games, movies, and books.

A fantasy scene of a glowing yellow coral dome with various sea creatures and a humanoid figure in an underwater landscape at night, illuminated by moonlight and glowing orbs.
A mystical forest scene with a magical female figure sitting on a tree, surrounded by ferns and mushrooms, holding a staff with glowing symbols. She wears an elaborate headdress and has plant-like features. An owl is flying in front of her.
A fantasy battle scene with a fierce armored warrior wielding a double-edged axe and a shield engaging a snake-like creature in armor; both fighting on a rocky ledge with a castle in the background, amidst flying birds and a bright sky.
A fantasy forest with creatures dressed in leaves and flying around in pods.
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A fantasy scene depicting a humanoid coyote reading a book while sitting on a mossy ground in a dark, enchanted forest. Nearby, a raccoon is resting. The forest is illuminated by a lamp hanging from a staff.
Book cover titled 'The King and the Dragon's Warning' by Aidan Holloway-Bidwell, featuring a cartoon king with a crown, a large purple dragon, a castle, birds, clouds, and a sun with rays.

about me

hi! i’m aidan

my background

I grew up exploring the serene forests of Western Massachusetts. I’ve drawn ever since I was a kid.

I graduated with a degree in computer science from Carleton College, was a coder for 6 years, and now work as a design engineer and illustrator. I received my MFA in illustration from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 2026.

When not painting, I enjoy hiking, horror movies, horror movie podcasts, and cooking. I live in Brooklyn with my partner.

my goal

I aim to make fantasy feel as tangible as reality.

I see each piece as a puzzle to solve. The client provides a number of oddly-shaped pieces: the overarching theme; the essential characters and details such as garb and environment; the moment in time to be depicted as well as the moments preceding and following it. It’s up to me to figure out how all these pieces fit together visually.

I work primarily in acrylic paint. I build the painting up slowly, similar to oil, working in gestural glazes before tightening up the essential details and areas of interest. Occasionally, I’ll augment the piece with colored pencil or a fine airbrushing of gouache.

I take immense inspiration from the Golden Age illustrator N.C. Wyeth, as well as contemporary painters like Ray Bonilla and Jesper Ejsing. These painters’ sense of light and shadow, direction of movement, and strong storytelling resonate with me. They provide my stylistic guiding stars by which I navigate each project I undertake.

I’m currently fleshing out multiple science-fiction and fantasy worlds. Some are in collaboration with clients, and some are personal projects born from my own imagination. In all of them, I enjoy the balance of fleshing out impactful, action-oriented visuals with fine-tuned attention to worldbuilding detail.

my work

I’ve developed character sheets for private clients, as well as custom illustrations for clients’ Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. My work has been shown at the Society of IllustratorsandCreative Quarterly. I’ve also tabled at theIX Art Show (IlluxCon) and MoCCA Arts Fest.

I am experienced in acrylic painting as well as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects, Blender, Procreate, and Procreate Dreams.

I’m always seeking to learn new tools and skills. I pride myself in communicating clearly and professionally with my teammates and clients throughout a project.

contact

aidan@aidandraws.com