F&SF employed 102 artists to create the 575 covers for their 574 issues (not to be confused with whole numbers). The October 1969 issue, the 20th Anniversary Issue, had a 2nd cover art on the inside front cover. Eleven of the covers were collaborations: George Salter & Bill Stone (1), George Salter & Dirone Photography (1), Leo & Diane Dillon (2), Mazey & Schell (6), and Bonnie Dalzell & Rick Sternbach (1).

There were three 1sts among F&SF's artists. The cover for the May 1967 issue was Ron Walotsky's 1st commission (he was one of F&SF's & sf/f's top artists); the cover for the September 1967 issue was Richard Corben's 1st professional sale (he is now a well known artist in the underground comics field); and the cover for the March 1979 issue was Barclay Shaw's 1st cover art (he is now a well known sf/f artist with many awards).

Chesley Bonestell, one of F&SF's foremost cover artists (his 1st of over 40 covers was for the July 1956 issue), helped to increase this magazine's circulation with his space art. His illustrations for a popular series of articles in Collier's, beginning in 1952, helped promote public support for space travel in the 1950s, which developed into the 'space race.' His insistence on accuracy in his art was well known, and in 1986, the year he died, the Chesley Award was created to honor superior achievements by science fiction & fantasy artists. A new genre of art, called space art, based on the art of Bonestell, Mme. Lucien Rudaux, Andrei Sokolov, and Robert T. McCall, was recognized by the creation in 1986 of the International Association of Astronomical Artists. F&SF artists who are members of the IAAA include Don Davis, Don Dixon, Bob Eggleton, Kelly Freas, David A. Hardy, Pamela Lee, & Rick Sternbach. A book that documents the history & evolution of astronomical art is William K. Hartmann, Ron Miller, Andrei Sokolov, & Vitali Myagkov: In the Stream of Stars (1992). See also David A. Hardy: Visions of Space: Artists Journey Through the Cosmos (1989).

Despite what ex-F&SF editor & publisher Edward L. Ferman says in Ron Walotsky's art book, Inner Visions: The Art of Ron Walotsky (2000), Walotsky may have been "F&SF's senior illustrator" (until his untimely death in 2002) but he has not done the most covers of all the artists. The following chart lists the artists who have done the most covers for F&SF:

Artist	No. of Covers	Comments
Edmund Emshwiller	71	(often used working name, Emsh)
Ronald Walotsky	58	(he did 4 more covers by the end of 2002; his last painting finished before he died was the 2002 DEC cover)
David A. Hardy	52	(1 more cover by end of 2002)
	41	(includes October 1969's 2nd cover; 3 more covers by end of 2002)
Mel Hunter	31	(1 more cover by end of 2003)
Barclay Shaw	22	(2 more covers by end of 2002)
Jack Gaughan	21
Jill Bauman	21	(3 more covers by end of 2002)

There were two artists who have painted 12 covers for F&SF: George Salter (2 were in collaboration), and Kelly Freas. Three artists have painted 11 covers for F&SF: Bert Tanner, Bryn Barnard, and Stephen Gervais.

F&SF covers have been nominated or won for awards many times. There was a short-lived Hugo Award for Best Original Artwork, and seven artists were nominated once each for this award:

Artist	Cover	Best Original Artwork
Ronald Walotsky	October/November 1992	N-1993 HUG
Thomas Canty	October/November 1993	N-1994 HUG
Jacek Yerka	December 1993	N-1994 HUG
Jill Bauman	October/November 1994	N-1995 HUG
Gary Lippincott	January 1995	N-1996 HUG
Barclay Shaw	July 1995	N-1996 HUG
Bob Eggleton	October/November 1995	N-1996 HUG

There were also eight F&SF covers that have been nominated or won the Chesley Award for Best Magazine Cover:

Artist	Cover	Best Magazine Cover
Ronald Walotsky	June 1995	N-1995 CHS
	April 1999	N-1999 CHS
Bob Eggleton	May 1996	W-1996 CHS
	May 1998	W-1998 CHS
	August 1999	W-1999 CHS
Barclay Shaw	April 1997	N-1997 CHS
Jill Bauman	July 1998	N-1998 CHS
	June 1999	N-1999 CHS

As can be seen, the top award-winning or nominated cover artists are Bob Eggleton (4), Ronald Walotsky (3), Jill Bauman (3), & Barclay Shaw (2).