Julie Dillon, Naiad 2014

Artist: Julie Dillon (also on Deviant Art)
Learn More: Apex Magazine interview and another interview at the Little Red Reviewer. She also has a couple of posts where you see her artistic process.

Having just spent two weeks digging a bog in my back yard, I was drawn to Dillon’s Slumbering Naiad. I love the subtle greens and blues, the floating aquariums.

Her work is beautiful, ethereal, and evocative.

Artist: Nick Greenwood

Greenwood is versatile artist who draws in a wide variety of styles. I liked some of his pieces but not others. As a fan of Redwall and Mouseguard, I really love Nick’s illustration at Intergalactic Medicine Show.

Artist: Allan Pollack
Pretty stereotypical SFF cover stuff.

Artist: Carter Reid
Learn More: Interview with Carter Reid

Carter Reid did not include any content in the Hugo packet, but his webcomic is easy to find on the internet. He is also up for the Best Graphic Story category so for this category I am just looking at his non-webcomic-artwork.
It is really, really, really not my cuppa. His Reid commercial work is too gory and not as funny as Brian Snoddy’s artwork for Give Me the Brain (Cheapass Games).

Artist: Kirk DouPonce
Learn More: Kirk DouPonce Interview

While Mr. DouPonce is clearly a competent artist, there were stronger entries in the Fan Artist category. His covers look self-published-book quality. While they are not bad, they are not at the same level as the first three artists. And… no need to be condescending towards paying customers (he has a category of covers called Romancy Shmancy).

Ranking
Julie Dillon stood out as the clear winner in this category.

1) Julie Dillon
2) Nick Greenwood
3) Allan Pollack
4) No Award
5) Carter Reid
6) Kirk DouPonce