Drawing in the Dark: The Dark Elves and Dark Paintings of Brom

By Michael G. Ryan

The War of the Spider Queen series is a long, dark, twisted tale of evil in the Underdark. And you don't have to read a single word to know it -- the grim, unsettling cover art by Brom promises nightmares within the pages. As the saga's penultimate book by Philip Athans hits the streets, Brom himself is at the top of his artistic game. He has made an extremely successful career out of bringing such images of fear to life, and his work on the Spider Queen novels is among his finest to date.

"I've been working on the various worlds of TSR for close to fifteen years now," he reflects. "I've always had a leaning toward the darker, gothic style of fantasy, so the drow are a perfect fit."

His work for Dissolution, Richard Lee Byers's first book in the series, set the tone for all the covers that would follow: the dim shadows of the Underdark, cast by distant lights; the suggestion of both emptiness and stalkers all around; and the ominous white-haired figure whose eyes remain hidden as he stares down the reader. Brom's mysterious vision of the drow gained momentum with Insurrection, Condemnation, and Extinction (which places a subtle -- yet not so subtle -- skull at the feet of an armed drow), culminating in Philip Athans's new book, Annihilation, a fantastic portrait of evil in red and black. Along with art director Matt Adelsburg, Brom put together a continuous vision for the entire series, each cover to feature a prominent character from the book. Fans can expect one more glorious piece to complete the sextet when the final book, Resurrection, is released next spring.

At thirty-nine, Brom is well known among fantasy fans, bringing a distinctive vision to the field, a vision reminiscent of Frank Frazetta . . . with a biting edge. Brom has come a long way since his initial artistic endeavors. "I first started my career as a commercial artist in Atlanta, Georgia," he explains. "I did very mediocre airbrush renderings in those days -- a lot of Coca-Cola cups and other product renderings. For CNN I painted a few metallic logos for broadcast."

But by the late '80s and early '90s, Brom had found -- and been found by -- the fantasy worlds of TSR, and none of them would be the same. The Dark Sun campaign setting in particular was influenced by and benefited greatly from Brom's unique vision of might, brawn, and foreboding. Since then, you've seen his work everywhere, whether you knew it or not: on the covers of novels by huge names in the fantasy field -- Terry Brooks, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Michael Moorcock (his portrayal of Elric remains a fan favorite), and R.A. Salvatore, to name just a few; in roleplaying games for every major company in the field; in comics by such heavyweight publishers as DC and Dark Horse; in popular video games like Doom II; and in high-profile movies like Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow, Galaxy Quest, and even the blockbuster Scooby-Doo. In the end, however, it was his relationship with the darker fringes of the fantasy world that made him the perfect artist to highlight the drow of the new Spider Queen series.

"The covers were spaced out," he explains the process. "I got the details about six months before each book was due to be released. The process goes pretty fast once you have everything in place -- maybe two to three weeks." He received an outline of each story as well as background of the primary characters, and from there he could produce sketches that tested out various compositions, lighting, and color, all in an effort to find the perfect combination that captured the feel of the individual book. "Each cover became easier," he admits. "Once the layout was established, it became about plugging in the key elements."

Brom's simple description of the process itself makes it seem as if anyone could produce such fantastic imagery with a casual sweep of a brush. "I start with some quick sketches to establish the composition and elements," he says. "From there I will often work out a tight sketch and sometimes a color composition as well. If the pose is especially challenging I will shoot a model . . . though I try to use photos as little as possible, preferring to bring things to life from imagination." The whole process, Brom explains, including sketches, takes about three weeks.

The unifying color schemes of the series -- various shades of blue, red, purple, and black -- was art director Matt Adelsburg's idea, Brom says. "He thought it would be an interesting to have the color themes transition from cools to warms across the entire series. When you see the entire series of covers lined up together, this looks particularly cool. This is one of the advantages of working out look and feel for a line before you start. In other cases, especially stand-alone novels, it is the mood of the book or a particular scene that governs your color choices."

Even from among the Spider Queen covers themselves, Brom is hard-pressed to choose a favorite, and from among his hundreds and hundreds of different paintings, there's simply no way for him to choose one that stands out above the others. "As an artist it is hard to enjoy my own work, mainly because I cannot simply enjoy it for what it is, but instead constantly seek ways to improve it," he admits.

With a few turns of the proverbial thumbscrews, however, he grudgingly concedes that "if I had to pick a painting that meant the most to me on a personal level, it would probably be the Gunslinger. I paint characters, and I feel that character conveys a lot of depth. Just looking into his eyes, you know he has many stories to tell."

And Brom himself has a few to tell, whether on canvas or in print. First, he will have a booth in the dealers' hall at the San Diego Comic Con July 22-25 this summer where fans can purchase original art, sketches, books, and prints. Among those prints: a just-published print of the first cover in the War of the Spider Queen novels, Dissolution. And still on the horizon: Brom's first literary work. He has recently signed a deal with Abram's Books to finish his first full-length novel. You can imagine what it might contain, knowing that Brom grew up on the works of Moorcock and Burroughs . . . and has a dark side that's all his own.

"When it's done, it will be 180-page novel," he says. "Not a graphic novel, as in comic book, but an actual novel, with close to 80 paintings. I've always considered myself a storyteller, whether with pictures or words, and I'm very excited to finally be able to bring both my writing and illustrations together." He's a bit coy about the plot, describing it only as "a children's tale gone horribly awry."

And it's not just the works of great fantasy writers that inspire Brom to paint or writer. He also draws inspiration from one of America's most "wholesome" painters: Norman Rockwell remains Brom's artistic idol, the painter he aspires to be. "Frazetta's work is closest to my heart in theme," he said, "his mastery of drama and action, of raw character. But Norman Rockwell is the greatest illustrator that has ever lived; his mastery of the craft is simply unparallel. So even though a lot of his works are seemingly mundane in comparison to Frazetta, I am drawn to his craftsmanship."

The craftsmanship of Brom continues to draw new fans all the time, some of whom have set up websites to show their appreciation for Brom's work. Check out www.cale.com/brom/ for some Brom fandom, and if you can't make it to the San Diego Comic Con, then try surfing over to www.bromart.com, where all of Brom's prints are available -- including the Dissolution cover and any future prints from the series -- as well as original art, eBay sales, and upcoming events and releases. For the fan who can't get enough of Brom's drow art, you'll find a unique portrait of Drizzt Do'Urden there, in all his refined, cold-eyed glory.

"That portrait of Drizzt was originally done for the cover of Dragon Magazine," Brom explains of the piece. Perhaps more important than its past is its future: The piece is now available as a signed limited-edition print from Brom's website.

And the signature on that limited edition? Simply: "Brom."

"It's my last name," he says. "My full name is Gerald Brom. The name thing is one of my most frequently asked questions. I grew up as a military dependent, and as such kids frequently called each other by their last names -- in my case it stuck. Of course, it also makes for easy signings."