Julie Dillon is a California based artist who is well known in the fields of science fiction and fantasy illustration. Her clients include Tor Books, Simon and Schuster, Penguin Books, Wizards of the Coast and numerous other book and game publishers. She is a winner of the Chesley Award and has been nominated for the 2013 Hugo Award for best Professional artist in the field.
Dillon frequently uses a controlled palette with a predominant color cast punctuated by brighter colors, often complementaries of the dominant range. This is a more common approach in fantasy and science fiction illustration and visual development art than in other fields, but Dillon’s use of is strikes me as a bit less overt than many.
Her work also feels in some way warmer than the approach taken by others in the field, which can sometimes feel overly polished. There is also often a tactile feeling of atmosphere in her images that I particularly enjoy.
Dillon’s website includes a gallery of her work, any you will find additional galleries on Tor.com and on Dillon’s deviantART and CGHub pages. Her website also includes a blog and an digital illustration tutorial that goes into her process.
