Painting 1 of 10: Reclusive Mage

Hi! I'm Aidan Holloway-Bidwell

Do you need artwork for your project? I do commissions, let's work together.

Send me an email at aidan@aidandraws.com

Portfolio

I aim to make fantasy feel as tangible as reality.

Each painting is 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, working in gestural glazes before tightening up the essential details and areas of interest. Occasionally, I'll augment the piece with colored pencil or gouache airbrush.

I take inspiration from the Golden Age illustrator N.C. Wyeth, as well as countless contemporary painters like Ray Bonilla and Jesper Ejsing. These painters' sense of light and shadow, direction of movement, and strong storytelling resonate with me.

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.

About me

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.

Aidan Holloway-Bidwell

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 Illustrators and Creative Quarterly. I've also tabled at the IX 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.