Last year Christopher Patterson, an author I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked with over a number of years, requested that I redo the cover for his book ’Dragon Sword’ - Demon’s Fire Book 1. If you’d like to check out this and Chris’s other books, here’s the link: www.christopher-patterson.com

A little late to the party, but here’s my #artvsartist2025. This year brought some great commissions and a gradual evolution in my work, leaning into texture and muted tones for a grittier, more realistic finish that feels more authentic.

A selection of some of my favourite sketches. These all started out as either warm ups or lunchtime sketches, and later some became fully finished paintings. #scarrillustration #sketches # #freelanceartist #digitalartistry

Another compelling commission from Monte Cook Games for their Magnus Archives project: “Dramatic Manifestation - Comedy & Tragedy.” #scarrillustration #montecookgames #themagnusarchives

A lunchtime sketch from a while back that I developed a bit further - still like this one. • #scarrillustration #fantasyart #illustration #lunchtimesketch #digitalartistry

A recent and unusually striking commission for Monte Cook Games’ Magnus Archives project: “Dramatic Manifestation - Head Banger.” I love bringing strange and surreal characters to life, and this piece was no exception. #scarrillustration #montecookgames #themagnusarchives

A film study from a few months ago. For this one I opted to limit my brushes to just 2 so that I could practice edge control. And just to make things a little more ‘interesting’, I went ahead and painted this on one layer... #scarrillustration #paintingstudies #freelanceillustrator #digitalartistry

My entry to the 2025 Folio Society Book Illustration Competition entitled ‘The Witch’. The subject matter for this year was Rapunzel by the Brothers Grimm. •
#scarrillustration #foliosociety #bookillustration #rapunzel #brothersgrimm

A lunchtime sketch from back in the day... • #lunchtimesketch #digitalpainting #sketching #artpractice #progressoverperfection

Excited to reveal my cover art for The Call of the Rift: Fuse by Jae Waller. Painting the covers for this series over the years has been both challenging and very rewarding. The book will be available on April 28, 2026 from ECW Press and you can pre-order the book now!

Shade • A photo study which I then developed into a final painting. I chose this particular photo as I was drawn to the interesting lighting and I really enjoy the challenge of painting fabric folds.
• Photo credit: Tamara Velazquez •
#scarrillustration #photostudy

A while back I had a folio review where I was told my work looked generic. 
So I went back & started studying artists that I admired. The 1 thing that resonated, their use of brushstrokes. Since then, & even more recently, I’ve made a real effort to highlight brushstrokes in all of my work.

A recent cover illustration that I created for “The Pilot,” Book 4 of “The Last Horizon” by Will Wight! This painting was right up there challenge - wise but, in the process, I learned some new things which I’m excited to carry forward into future illustrations.

One of the thing’s that helped me level up my art was adding texture. By that I mean rendering different elements to emulate their associated textures, rather than painting everything to look the same. Not only is this a lot more appealing to the eye but it also adds a level of realism to your work.

An alternative movie poster illustration for ‘American Psycho’ that I created a while back. This is an oldie but a goodie. Do you have any older paintings that you still like? •
#scarrillustration #movieposterart #horror #americanpsycho #digitalartistry #patrickbatemanfanart

Finally managed to carve out some time to finish my latest personal painting, ‘On My Signal’.

A recent illustration which was created for Monte Cook Games’ Gunslinger Knights series, entitled ‘Observing From A Distance’. The knights are gun-toting warriors & ride custom made motorcycles… totally my vibe:) © 2025 Monte Cook Games
#montecookgames

The Marauders - A creative sketch from a while back that I developed a bit further. My finished work tends to be on the more detailed side & so to break things up I like to do some fast & loose sketches. As a result, I tend to find doing these sketches to be rewarding and fun.

Bartle Frere • This was another portrait that I created a while back for a documentary about the Anglo Zulu war of 1879 entitled ‘Amashinga’. For this portrait I decided to handle certain areas in a more painterly manner, & I think it improved the illustration overall. #amashinga #bartlefrere

Recently got my copy of The Pilot by Will Wight, and it’s amazing to see the book in person! This project was such a fun one to work on, and I’m really happy with how the cover turned out in print. If you want to check out the book, here’s the link: www.willwight.com. #scarrillustration #willwight

Here’s a sneak peek of what I’m working on. Another step in developing my new style - this time I’m pushing the contrast by adding more saturated colour to the focal points, while keeping the supporting elements less detailed. Still packed with all the texture, grit, & drama I love to paint.

Sergio Aguero - A painting from a while back where I was experimenting with a retro directional effect. I also went back to the Photoshop/Artrage combo to see if the traditional look & feel that I’d used for other paintings would work for this type of illustration. #manchestercityfc #sergioaguero

This was one of a series of illustrations I created for the book ‘Full Moon Over Noah’s Ark’ by Rick Antonson. And this is my favourite piece from that project, a portrait of Irving Finkel. •
#scarrillustration #portraitart #brushstrokes #blackandwhiteart #freelanceartist #digitalartistry

King Vs. Kings: Golden Era by J. L. Johnson • This illustration turned out to be one of my all-time favorite book cover commissions! I just love the dark and menacing vibe of the character and the simplicity of the composition. 💀😈 • #scarrillustration #bookcoverartist

As hinted in a recent post, I’ve created another Assassin painting - & here’s the result. I went through a TON of iterations before arriving at this final painting and I’m really happy with the progress that I’ve made so far. I think it’s good to shake things up in order to move the creative needle.

A favourite from last year that I created for Monte Cook Games entitled ‘Other Worldly Rider’. I haven’t created many Western illustrations but I really enjoyed painting this one! It’s giving major Pale Rider, High Plains Drifter, Eastwood vibes:) • © 2024 Monte Cook Games

Theophilus Shepstone •
This is one of a series of portraits that I created a while back for a documentary about the Anglo Zulu war of 1879 entitled ‘Amashinga’. •
#scarrillustration #portraitpaintings #amashinga #theophilusshepstone #bandoolaproductions #documentaryart

When I started out, I thought that if an artist was able to emulate a photograph then that was my benchmark on how ‘good’ they were. Over the course of creating many paintings I realized that it was the ‘imperfections’, use of texture, & style that gave the art character & would hold my interest.

The Guardian • A personal painting from a while back that I’m still pretty happy with. • #scarrillustration #fantasyart #freelanceartist #personalartwork #myartstyle #digitalartistry

In the past, I disliked the ‘Ugly Stage’ in the painting process & would try to get past it as quickly as I could. But IMO, this is where the ‘real’ work happens. Nowadays I spend as long as I can in this stage & know that I’ll be able to create a great illustration in the end.

An illustration that I created for the @hireillo Versus Evil trading card series a while back. 
“Vorlak was once a king and master swordsman of forgotten times before being cursed for all eternity to be the demon guard, with his sword Expire, of the Kagrath Pass in the Minao Mountains.”

'Chansta's Execution' - a sketch that I created some time ago for my world Fyrian, a mix of medieval, magic & a little bit of sci-fi. ‘Chansta closed her eyes for the last time to the sound of a distant crow, squawking angrily in defiance…’

Freelance illustrator open for commissions. I specialize in fantasy & sci-fi art - rich with detail, narrative, & care. If you're looking for an artist to collaborate with, DM me or check my bio for contact info. #freelanceillustrator #fantasyart #scifiart #artistforhire #openforcommissions

I repainted this piece to start incorporating some of the things that I learned in recent studies. For some time now, I’ve wanted my paintings to look more visceral, gritty & traditional. And I think this version is heading in that direction. Swipe left to see the original.

It's #PortfolioDay! My name is Simon and I mainly work on book covers and game art. You can see more examples of my art, and connect, right here: linktr.ee/scarrart

Starting out, I would rarely use reference photos & painting would always be a frustrating experience. Eventually I started to take my own reference photos & began using them in my painting process. Since then, using ref photos has become a non-negotiable & my work has definitely improved.

As a digital artist, I spend a lot of time sitting & staring at a screen. To combat this, I started using a health regime a few years ago: working out, yoga/stretching & cardio 3-4x/week. Over time, I’ve noticed that my overall health improved & it’s allowed me to work longer with fewer injuries.

Hating your art… Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time not liking most of my art. Typically I would finish a painting and then a week or so later be unhappy with the final result. Until I remind myself that the work I’m creating now is better than 5 years, a year or even 6 months ago.

My second John Wick film study. Coming into these one layer studies, I thought they would be a bit of a nightmare tbh because I ‘normally’ work with a LOT of layers. But it’s turned out to be quite the opposite.

A landscape sketch where I was experimenting with different brushes and painting programs in order to get to something that resembled a more traditional approach. #scarrillustration #scarrindustries #sketching #landscapepainting #digitalartistry #canyon

Here’s a close up of the 2 brush, 1 layer film study that I recently created. For this study, I paid particular attention to improving my edge control and to creating a more painterly look and feel. #scarrillustration #paintingstudies #moviestills #johnwick #freelanceillustrator #paintingcloseup

Another film study, but for this one I opted to limit my brushes to just 2 so that I could practice edge control. And just to make things a little more 'interesting', I went ahead and painted this on one layer... • #scarrillustration #paintingstudies #freelanceillustrator #alwaysimproving

A piece I painted for Warhammer 40K: Imperium Maledictum entitled ‘Adding Detail’. The brief for this illustration was to create a character from the lower levels of 40k society - A sinister and heavily modified figure that looms out of the shadows of a high-tech corridor. #warhammer40k

Starting the week with one of my favourite personal paintings - Meeting With The Boss. I created this when I was between commissions & decided to develop a lunchtime sketch into a finished piece. The idea behind this painting? What would a Monday morning meeting be like if this guy was your boss:)

My entry to the 2025 Folio Society Book Illustration Competition entitled ‘The Witch’. The subject matter for this year was Rupunzel by the Brothers Grimm.

While I’m in between commissions, I’ve been focusing on refining how I render different materials through photo studies. In this particular piece, I concentrated on enhancing the look & feel of the model’s skin while preserving a painterly aesthetic. Photo credit: Kassia Melox. #materialstudies

Excited to unveil my latest cover art for “The Pilot,” Book 4 of “The Last Horizon” by Will Wight! I also got to design the characters, environment & background spaceships:) The book is coming out on July 1st, 2025 but is available for preorder now! Want more info? Click here: www.willwight.com

Here’s another film-still value study that I recently painted. I spent a bit more time on this one, but not too much, as I really wanted to get all the subtleties of the face correct as well as incorporating some interesting brushstrokes. #scarrillustration #valuestudies ##dune

UnWelcome Home - Revised. I painted the original version of this illustration last year and initially I was really happy with how it turned out. But over time, I noticed there were a few things that needed to be improved. So I went back over it, & I think the revised version is much better.

Recently I've started doing some more value studies from film stills as I find them really helpful. I limit these to about an hour so I'm not tempted to go down the rendering rabbit hole... #scarrillustration #valuestudies #paintingstudies #freelanceillustrator #digitalartistry #dune