First Impressions: Brom
Travel helped to broaden the mind of this US fantasy artist and author.
Where did you grow up and how has this influenced your art?
I’m an army brat, so grew up all over: Japan, Alabama, Hawaii, Germany, to name a few. This influenced my art in many ways. Primarily just being exposed to so many different cultures expanded my interests, such as anime in Japan and the Gothic history of Germany with its brooding castles and such.
Art was also the friend that
I could always turn to when moving around. It not only gave me an outlet, but also as a way to be accepted into a new school. There always seemed to be a group of artistic kids who spoke the same language as me.
What, outside of art, has most influenced your artwork?
Literature. From a very early age, every time I read a good book I would draw the characters and creatures. In my teen years this resulted in hundreds of drawings of The Lord of the Rings and Elric. Now, it’s mostly my own novels that I enjoy illustrating.
Can you describe the place where you usually create your art?
I live in the shadow of a mountain near Seattle. I have a creek on one side, a mountain on the other. It’s wet and gloomy – perfect weather to create creepy art and stories.
Do you have an art tool or ritual that you simply can’t live without?
I’m still 100 per cent traditional, so obviously my paint and brushes. And not just any brushes, but my old, worn-out ones. I have nearly a hundred brushes at any given time. They’re all in various states of decay, and each one has its own personality. They’re great for scrubbing paint around and achieving good textures.
What character or scene that you’ve painted do you most identify with?
I wrote a novel entitled Krampus, the Yule Lord. As many know, Krampus is a Christmas counterpart of Santa who’s known for putting naughty kids in sacks and beating the naughty out of them. If they’re really naughty he’ll then throw them into the river. And if they’re really, really naughty he’ll cook them and eat them. I like Krampus.
Is making a living as an artist all you thought it would be?
When I was young I didn’t have a clear thought on how it would be. I guess I imagined all working artists made a good living and had full control over all the art they did, so I was surprised at how tough the business side of art can be, especially if you’re freelance. And in illustration, you’re usually trying to please the client first, not yourself. So that part of it was surprising and it took a while before I finally had control of my own work.
How has your style evolved?
I guess in finding my voice. As with most beginning artists I was trying to paint like other artists I admired. This is good – it’s how we learn – but it’s crucial to move beyond that, for all your influences to merge and hopefully end up with something unique. This is one reason why it’s important to follow many artists and have many influences so as not to look like a knock-off of someone else. Now the goal is not to stagnate, to keep trying new techniques and approaches, to try and bring something fresh to each piece.
What does the future hold for you?
I love pictures and words. So I hope to continue writing and illustrating my horror novels as long as my hands and eyes will let me.
Brom has painted art for novels, games, comics and film. He’s also an awardwinning horror writer. You can see more of his art at www.bromart.com.
The goal is not to stagnate, to keep trying new techniques and approaches…