iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

‘On My Signal’. This was another step in developing my new style. With this painting I pushed the contrast by adding more saturated colour to the focal points, while keeping the supporting elements looser and less detailed.

050

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Another film study from a while ago. For this one I again 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

001

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

John Wick film study from a while back. I limited my brushes to just 2 & painted this on 1 layer. I thought this would be a nightmare because I ‘normally’ use a LOT of layers. With these studies, I don’t have to worry about which layer I’m working on & I can spend more brain space on just painting.

020

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Oculus Renatus by Garrett Flamme - Another recent cover art and design project. Overall, this was a lot of fun to create! The illustration pushed me to further develop my environments, and Garrett was awesome to work with!

020

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

The Last Test - a recent sketch that I created in between commissions. For this one, I started with the environment & then built the storyline & character on top of that - I usually do it the other way around. It was pretty interesting to see how the sketch evolved after I changed my approach.

031

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

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

1193

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Another recent cover art and design for ‘Echoes of Control’ by Sean Urrutic. For this cover, the brief leaned much more toward a cinematic movie-poster feel rather than a traditional book-cover composition. If you’re looking for a book cover artist, feel free to get in touch!

010

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

New cover art for ’Stone of Chaos’ - Demon’s Fire Book 2 by Christopher Patterson. Do you prefer this more cinematic approach to fantasy book covers, or do you favour a more archetypcal or ‘immersive’ style? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

010

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

I am excited to share a new personal painting entitled ‘Evelina’. The piece depicts a character who was an apothecary in her former life, an interest she has maintained even after becoming a vampire.

316035

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

Snap Back • Here’s one of the more unusual colour sketches that I recently created for Chrono CCG’s digital collectible card game. If you’d like to learn more, click here: www.playchrono.com • #chronoccg #scarrillustration #coloursketch #thumbnail

010

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Stern Arbitor • I really enjoyed breathing life into this menacing character. One more colour sketch that I recently created for Chrono CCG’s digital collectible card game. If you’d like to learn more, click here: www.playchrono.com • #chronoccg #scarrillustration #coloursketch #thumbnail

020

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Opener of the Way • This colour sketch, which I recently created for Chrono CCG’s digital collectible card game, was right up my alley:). If you’d like to learn more, click here: www.playchrono.com • #chronoccg #scarrillustration #coloursketch #thumbnail

020

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

A Thursday night sketch from a while back which I decided to develop into a more finished illustration:) This portrait was actually deceptively difficult to get right but it was good practice as I really like this type of dramatic and ominous lighting.

1161

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

The Guardian • A personal painting from a while back. With this one, I pushed the rendering style to be a bit looser which I still really like. • #scarrillustration #fantasyart #freelanceartist #personalartwork

171

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

I created this painting for the 2000AD Art Stars ’Judge Death’ competition a while back. I’ve been a fan of Judge Death since the 80’s and really wanted to represent the character in my own unique way. And despite the time that’s passed, I still like this painting.

020

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Sharing the first book cover I created for Will Wight - ‘The Captain - The Last Horizon (Book 1)'. Creating this cover illustration was a lot of fun & also a turning point in terms of my style & how I handled different elements.

Sharing the first book cover I created for Will Wight - ‘The Captain - The Last Horizon (Book 1)'.

Creating this cover illustration was a lot of fun and also a turning point in terms of my style and how I handled different elements. Super grateful to have had the opportunity to paint not only this cover, but several others since that time.

If you’re interested in learning more about Will’s books, head over to www.willwight.com
• #scarrillustration #willwight #thelasthorizon #bookcoverartist #freelanceillustrator #digitalartistry

041

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

An alternative movie poster that I created for ‘The Batman’ when it came out a few years ago. I still really like the colour scheme and the use of silhouettes in this poster, instead of realistically rendering the character and supporting elements. • #scarrillustration #thebatman #movieposterart

161

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

A favourite of mine 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! • © 2024 Monte Cook Games • #scarrillustration #fantasyartist #westernart #montecookgames #freelanceartist digitalartistry

1224

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

Cover art that I created for “The Pilot,” Book 4 of “The Last Horizon” by Will Wight. I also got to design the characters, environment and background spaceships which was a cool process! Want more info? Click here: www.willwight.com

040

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

UnWelcome Home • I originally painted this in Cynthia Sheppard’s Smart School class in 2024 and then later made some refinements. I still dig the vibe of this one:) • #scarrillustration #unwelcomehome #freelanceillustrator #fantasyart

0262

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Another recent illustration for Monte Cook Games’ Cypher Character Rulebook, entitled Calm Sniper. This was a completely new challenge for me, and I loved the process of bringing this character - & the scale of the moment - to life! #scarrillustration #montecookgames #cyphercharacterrulebook

050

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

A unique & challenging commission from Monte Cook Games for their Old Gods of Appalachia project. For this painting, I was tasked with bringing ‘Mr. Poe’ to life - a creature that is between a fox & a dog, with huge batlike ears & a face that was part fox, cat, & weasel with 7 detachable tails…

192

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

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

030

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

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.

030

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

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

150

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

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

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

Like the previous Headbanger piece, this creature is an elongated humanoid formed from sheetrock-like material - but with a twist. Its knees and hips have extra joints that let it bend both ways, making its forward and backward walking eerily indistinguishable. One half of its face wears a comedy mask, the other a tragedy mask.

Creating the reference photos for this one was its own adventure and actually required two models to get the pose right. But I’m really pleased with how convincing the final piece turned out.
•
#scarrillustration #montecookgames #themagnusarchives #strange #comedytragedy #freelanceillustrator #digitalartistry

0122

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

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

0101

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

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 recent and unusually striking commission for Monte Cook Games’ Magnus Archives project: “Dramatic Manifestation - Head Banger.” The brief called for a seven-foot, elongated humanoid made of living sheetrock, its face a blank void except for a gaping mouth - slamming its head into a wall again and again until it begins to crack. I love bringing strange and surreal characters to life, and this piece was no exception.
•
#scarrillustration #montecookgames #themagnusarchives #strange #headbanger #freelanceillustrator #digitalartistry

0132

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

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

040

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

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

080

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

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!

140

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

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

040

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

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.

Many years ago I had a folio review, with a very accomplished artist, which seemed to be going well, and then he mentioned that he thought that my work looked generic…  Of course I completely forgot about all the positive things that were said and instead obsessed on that one comment. Because deep down, I agreed with him but I really didn’t know how to fix it. So I started studying and analyzing artists that I admired and I found one thing that really resonated with me - their use of brushstrokes.   Not only did these brushstrokes imply movement and texture but they were also a lot more magnetic, at least to my eyes. And since that time, and even more recently, I’ve made a concerted effort to include the brushstrokes that I like in all of my work.
• #scarrillustration #artisttips #lifeofanartist #brushstrokes #paintingadvice

0373

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

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.

010

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

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.

0172

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

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

021

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

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

022

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 16/09/2025

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

051

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

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.

0145

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

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

010

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

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

willwight.com

New York Times Best-Selling Author of 'Cradle'

Hidden Gnome will be hosting WillCon , our regularly scheduled event during the weekend of DragonCon in Atlanta. Join us to ask Will about his deepest, darkest secrets and the stock market. We will.....

010

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

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.

020

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

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

010

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

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

0375

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

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

000

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 05/08/2025

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.

0174

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

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

0104

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

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

230

Simon Carr @scarrartist.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

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.

031