Nelson was interested in art at an early age and went to Northern Illinois University to study art. He first worked professionally in 1986 for the game publisher FASA, and while there worked on several ranges including Shadowrun, BattleTech, and Earthdawn.
In his 2023 book Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground, RPG historian Stu Horvath reviewed the dystopian role-playing game Shadowrun and noted, "It is Jim Nelson who exemplifies Shadowrun's overwrought urban look."[2]