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jwillustration.bsky.social
Joe Watson
@jwillustration.bsky.social
2.1K followers 420 following 240 posts
✍️ Freelance Artist based in Scotland (He/Him)

Art, photography, all the good stuff 🦆

Open to work!

Inquiries ✉️ - joe@joewatsonillustration.com
My work 🕸️ - https://www.joewatsonillustration.com/

No AI/NFT art 🛑
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jwillustration.bsky.social
Joe Watson @jwillustration.bsky.social · Oct 14
Hello #portfolioday !

I’m Joe, a freelance artist based in Scotland, working in games physical and digital on illustrations and concepts, previously in animation assets and UI.

Currently looking for new projects!

✉️ joe@joewatsonillustration.com
🌐 joewatsonillustration.com
Reposted by Joe Watson
margawart.bsky.social
Wishing my fellow artists lots of fun and weird projects in 2026! May all your clients know what they want. May you always paint on the right layer. May your human creativity shine bright!

Basically : Make things. Be weird. Happy New Year! 🤝
December 31, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Reposted by Joe Watson
splendid.land
painting of ET getting pelted with pinecones i did a few years ago
painting on canvas of a bald man in a yellow shirt throwing a pinecone at ET's head. a group of people also wielding pinecones are gathered behind him, becoming more shadowy and inhuman the further back they are. the sky is a sickly yellow colour, taking place at an unclear time of day
December 28, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Reposted by Joe Watson
aptshadow.bsky.social
Any artists out there got an available (non AI) picture of what could be a bioengineered seal/aquatic human?
December 25, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Reposted by Joe Watson
rj-palmer.com
The thing thats so insidious about using AI this way is that one of the main ways artists get hired are studios looking for art references and they find us and reach out.

This is removing a major avenue to get work if they can just generate nameless derivations of our ideas.
Swen Vincke @LarAtLarian Holy fuck guys we’re not "pushing hard" for or replacing concept artists with AI. We have a team of 72 artists of which 23 are concept artists and we are hiring more. The art they create is original and I’m very proud of what they do. I was asked explicitly about concept art and our use of Gen AI. I answered that we use it to explore things. I didn’t say we use it to develop concept art. The artists do that. And they are indeed world class artists. We use AI tools to explore references, just like we use google and art books. At the very early ideation stages we use it as a rough outline for composition which we replace with original concept art. There is no comparison. I talked about how we use ML here if you would like to know more: https://gamespot.com/articles/baldurs-gate-3-dev-embraces-machine-learning-for-tasks-that-nobody-wants-to-do/1100-6531123/ We've hired creatives for their talent, not for their ability to do what a machine suggests, but they can experiment with these tools to make their lives easier.
December 17, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Reposted by Joe Watson
omiosures.bsky.social
In the midst of all the AI vomitodramum, here's a two page spread I made for my #ttrpg book which I'm particularly proud of. :')

Text, art and layout by yours truly; never have used, never shall use genAI.
a two page spread of OMIOS URES - my tabletop RPG. on the left, a drawing of a gnome in a wizardly outfit, holding a lit candle - the gnome is half colored, half sketched. The gnome has blue nails, pointy shoes and an art nouveau walking stick. above him is in the text "GNOMOS" in an orange, art nouveau font. to the right bottom corner is the gnome from the OP here. the text on the page reads: Athousand years ago, a flying citadel soared over the continents, peering curiously at the ancient realms below. The city was a perfect utopia, home of no evil nor ill; the motherland of all gnomes. Great knowledge was bestowed upon what cultures dotted the land, but it did not take long until the surfacers found better use for their magical gifts. Appalled by all the violence and death following their patronage, the Citadel signaled all of those still aground to return at once. But not all gnomes heeded the call – and ever since its departure, the Motherland’s whereabouts remain a mystery. Old Spirit Gnomes are tiny humanoids, always elderly in appearance because all living gnomes are well over a hundred years old. Men usually sport facial hair; mustaches or full beards; oftentimes kept as long as their own bodies. A Ward for Delirium While their utopic homeland was exempt of malady, years of exposure to the earthen realms saw countless Gnomes slowly and inevitably succumbing to a disease once thought extinct – Goblinism – mutating into pustulent, rabid and ungovernable versions of themselves. In order to prevent the “turn”, Gnomes have since developed runic headwear; warding talismans that keep the disease at bay indefinitely, as long as the hat is worn by its owner. (...) All must contain a lengthy sequence of runes within their liner, often resulting in a hat as tall as its wearer.
December 16, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Reposted by Joe Watson
kazimo.bsky.social
To quote @lukeplunkett.com :
December 16, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Reposted by Joe Watson
jamesbjones.com
See, here’s the thing: when you say you’re using genAI in the ideation process but then say you won’t have genAI slop in the final product, I simply cannot not believe you.

This sucks for the people who are actually making the game (and making you look better than you are), but it’s true.
December 16, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Reposted by Joe Watson
aaronbmiller.com
TFW you find the perfect gift for that special someone.
🎁✨🎄✨🎁

Painted for MTG Innistrad: Crimson Vow, Original oil on masonite panel, 16” x 20”.
If this painting looks like the perfect gift, you can find it at: Aaronbmiller.com/mtg-cackling-culprit
Fantasy oil painting of a guy who appears to be artist Tom Babbey clutching a jar with a severed hand in it.
December 16, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Reposted by Joe Watson
lizaledwards.bsky.social
it's all bad but it's disgusting to imply that using genAI for concept art is comparable to placeholder text
December 16, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Reposted by Joe Watson
trueref.bsky.social
The staff pick for TrueRef's November Draw This! challenge is @jwillustration.bsky.social 🤩

I'll be in your DMs soon to get your prize set up!

See all the other (incredible!) entries: #TrueRefDT010
Painting of a vampire sat precariously on the edge of a tower, holding a goblet of dark liquid. A small bat sits on her other hand which she seems to be listening too. Night time, spooky vibe, a gathering seems to be happening far below. art pose reference of a woman sitting while holding a mug and swirling her hair.
December 6, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Reposted by Joe Watson
omiosures.bsky.social
"Birth of the Homunculus"

A sorceress astounded by her creation.

This painting has been floating around in my head for months now, and I only found the right time to bring it to fruition yesterday!

(see thread for details + process shot-by-shot)
A sorceress astounded by her freshly sculpted homunculus. A single shaft of light illuminates her creation. Bounce lighting reflects upon the sorceress. The homunculus has a flaccid butt. The maker's hands are covered in fresh clay. They are the only body parts of the sorceress that are directly lit. Faint, residual purple smoke wisps from her fingertips: the homunculus stands in an awkward pose, that of a creature freshly adjusting to its body. The homunculus has thin limbs and a hefty torso, though it is faced against the viewer. The sorceress's workshop is littered in sculpting tools, brushes, an open tome of transmutation, ceramic bowls and a pitcher of dirty clay water in which lie a few of these tools. Clay shavings are scattered about the floor. A red, runic circle surrounds the humonculus. In the dark background it is possible to catch a few failed prototypes on a shelf.
December 4, 2025 at 8:38 PM
jwillustration.bsky.social
It's been just 1 year since I started playing magic can you tell 🫠
Work desk invaded by cardboard squares with rules on
December 4, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Reposted by Joe Watson
kylewbanks.com
Scottish friends! I'm looking for a voice actor (roughly 30-40 years old, female) for an unannounced game✨

You definitely don't need to be an established actor, but you must be UK based with your own recording equipment.

This is a paid role, DM for brief! #voiceacting
December 3, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Reposted by Joe Watson
jwillustration.bsky.social
Getting the skinny from your pipistrelle 🦇

Painting of a vampire (Or just a messy drinker with a head for heights and a pet bat) using @trueref.bsky.social ref, go check them out!

#TrueRefDT0010 #vampire
Painting of a vampire sat precariously on the edge of a tower, holding a goblet of dark liquid. A small bat sits on her other hand which she seems to be listening too. Night time, spooky vibe, a gathering seems to be happening far below.
November 30, 2025 at 12:30 PM
jwillustration.bsky.social
Getting the skinny from your pipistrelle 🦇

Painting of a vampire (Or just a messy drinker with a head for heights and a pet bat) using @trueref.bsky.social ref, go check them out!

#TrueRefDT0010 #vampire
Painting of a vampire sat precariously on the edge of a tower, holding a goblet of dark liquid. A small bat sits on her other hand which she seems to be listening too. Night time, spooky vibe, a gathering seems to be happening far below.
November 30, 2025 at 12:30 PM
jwillustration.bsky.social
Join the dance or be buried by the chittering tide…
An alien-like women holding a strange staff skips euphorically over a destructive looking bunch of long bug like aliens, smaller flying insectoids also following the direction of the swarm. Grayscale in color but highlights in orange
November 24, 2025 at 8:07 PM
jwillustration.bsky.social
Dennis may need a cone of shame but @ianmcque.bsky.social @rossignol.bsky.social should get cones of success for this big beautiful book that just turned up 🎉
Photo of the artbook Mileships, shameful corgi in background
November 21, 2025 at 1:39 PM
jwillustration.bsky.social
Little sneaky peek of my lady skipping across the ruins of civilisation for @novamali.bsky.social @damesprod.bsky.social new book Villainess up on kickstarter for just 1 more week! Lots of cool art by cool artists in here get you one >>>
www.kickstarter.com/projects/nov...
Snippet of a larger art piece, you can see the head of an alien like lady, the logo text for the book ‘Villainess - we support women’s wrongs!’ and some toothy alien bug worm in the background. Grayscale with orange
November 20, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Reposted by Joe Watson
aaronbmiller.com
Sometimes a goat is just a goat.
And sometimes a goat eats a wizard's spell book, grows 8 feet tall, and decides he's coming on your journey with you...

Become the GOAT of your 5E adventure - with Primal Encounters:
Kickstarter.com/projects/aaronbmiller/primal-encounters-5e/
A large mountain goat with long, curved horns standing on rocky terrain during sunset, with a colorful sky in the background.
November 17, 2025 at 4:15 PM
jwillustration.bsky.social
Quick 30min #dailyart with morning coffee,

Zoom is a curse I am trying to break
Landscape painting , ruined house in the mid ground, hill leading down to river and mountain the distance. Stylised autumnal colors
November 17, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Reposted by Joe Watson
netizenses.bsky.social
Opening up some pet portrait slots ahead of the xmas rush!

- 90GBP for a painterly portrait
- 35GBP for one/ 70GBP for 3 sketch style portrait

DM/email to book
s.e.smith.freelance@gmail.com

RPs appreciated <3 🙏
November 11, 2025 at 9:37 AM
jwillustration.bsky.social
Working man’s mech 👷‍♂️

#dailyart
Painting of a Building site inspired mech stands on two legs and a roller arm, worn dated livery, rust, two cement barrels on the back. A person in a red jumpsuit holds a walkie talkie in the background
November 14, 2025 at 11:36 AM
jwillustration.bsky.social
Gloomy autumn lake house 🍁

Used yesterdays and today’s #dailyart time for this one, clocking in at 4hr 30, suffering for architecture
Painting of an old house on a lake, autumn leaves on the trees and on the water. The day is overcast, and a group of crows perch on the roof, slightly spooky vibe
November 13, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Reposted by Joe Watson
trueref.bsky.social
TrueRef Draw This! 010 🤍✨

November's Draw This! challenge is underway. We provide a free reference, you draw it to enter! More info below.

There are two winners: One staff pick & one random pick. Winners get a free 1 month subscription to TrueRef!

Use #TrueRefDT0010 to enter! Deadline: Nov 30th
Art reference of a woman sitting holding a purple mug while twirling her hair.
November 12, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Reposted by Joe Watson
danliimatta.bsky.social
#dailyart 68 : house
House on the beach
November 11, 2025 at 9:34 PM