Painting 1 of 11: Reclusive Mage

Hi! I'm Aidan Holloway-Bidwell

I paint fantasy and sci-fi worlds, and I take commissions.

Send me an email

What Clients Say

"Aidan worked closely with me through every step of the artistic process to create an illustration that I truly love. He consulted with me on composition and color schemes, and the final product is full of little details that are evidence of the care and thought that Aidan puts into every piece."

— Kieran Sheldon, character art commission

"Aidan impressed me with how quickly he delivers. He’s very receptive to feedback, and took great care to ensure each piece perfectly captured the story I wanted to tell."

— Laura Packard, TTRPG commission

"Aidan's images feel so believable and lived-in that you want to step right into them. His unique command of light and color provides his pieces with an enchanting, hypnotic quality — every time you look, you find one more untold story behind his brush strokes."

— Nick Noble, Dungeon Design

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.

Books

Storytelling is a passion of mine, especially worldbuilding. I like to explore themes of humanity and existential threats, balanced with humor and whimsy. I also love biographical comics, and the emotional impact comics and graphic novels can have.

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.