Drew Brophy
Drew Brophy has been a professional artist for over 30 years. If you ask Drew what he does for a living, he’ll say, “It’s my job to make things look cool.”
Drew’s story began in the small town of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He started surfing in the late seventies on a small foam kids’ board that he had crayoned his name on. Eventually, he moved up to his brother’s old hand-me-down 5’8” single-fin Dyno surfboard by David Nuuhiwa. In an effort to make it look new, Drew painted a checkerboard pattern on the deck in candy-apple red spray paint.
Drew was very much a product of the Eastern Surfing Association, which saved many kids by giving them a community of their own. He began surfing in local and regional contests to qualify for the legendary East Coast Championships every year. He loved the tubes of Cape Hatteras, which inspired him to travel and dream bigger. Like every other surfer, he dreamed of being a professional, and he qualified for the U.S. Championships in California and Hawaii multiple times. He credits the surf community and the opportunity to travel for guiding his life—giving him jobs designing surfboards, ads, and t-shirts, as well as a place to belong.
Drew quickly became known for his cool board paintings in his late teens. When he graduated from high school in 1989, Drew’s guidance counselor pulled him aside and sternly warned, “Drew, you can’t just surf and paint for the rest of your life.” But those were the only two things he was good at—and he was determined to prove her wrong.
After high school, he picked up work as a production surfboard painter for Perfection and Kinetic Surfboards, while also designing anything he could get—desperately trying to survive in South Carolina. Soon, he discovered the giant tubes of the Mexican Pipeline, taking his brightly colored boards in search of his dreams. In 1991, he moved to the North Shore of Hawaii, where he began working at Bill Barnfield’s famous Pro Glas. He was instantly painting for the best surfers and shapers in the world—the likes of Al Merrick, Mike Diffenderfer, and Dennis Pang, among many others. He also finally got to surf his dream wave, Pipeline, where he excelled in the giant tubes.
Drew often painted boards for underground Pipe chargers on the beach in front of Gerry Lopez’s house. The two became friends and still work together today.
In 1996, Drew went to San Clemente, California, to work for the summer at one of the busiest factories in the world—Ron House’s Surf Glas. There he painted Hobie and Stewart surfboards, among others. Longboards were on fire, and he had to paint ten a day, minimum.
At that same time, he met Matt Biolos, a fellow painter turned shaper, and together they unleashed the wildest Lost Surfboard designs of the late 1990s—changing the way surfboards were painted forever. Drew became known worldwide for painting surfboards using techniques he developed with water-based Posca paint pens. The Lost years were a defining moment—they broke all the rules, and people loved it. They never looked back.
Drew has spent his life traveling the globe, surfing and painting in little surf shops and factories in over 18 countries. He always left a set of paint pens with an artist wherever he went, believing that every surf shop should support a local artist—just as others had done for him. His goal was to surf the biggest waves and meet the best people. Drew always seemed to fit in with the shapers and craftsmen in the factories, gathering lifelong friends from around the world—the true heartbeat of the industry. He has painted surfboards for some of the best surfers in the world, including five world champions.
He married his wife, Maria, in 2000, and together they formed their company, Son of the Sea, Inc.—an agency that represents Drew’s art. Together they built their business into what it is today: a roadmap of what’s possible as an artist. They now help other artists find success through workshops, books, and coaching—sharing their own life lessons and inspiring others to build a life worth living.
Drew’s inspiration comes from the adventure of traveling and surfing the world with his wife and son. He paints the lifestyle they live—one filled with peeling waves, sun-swept beaches, and the simple joys life has to offer. Over the years, Drew has painted thousands of surfboards and fine art pieces, and his career has grown beyond his wildest dreams—creating art for many different action sports, including skateboarding, snowboarding, and wakeboarding. His client list ranges from bands like Sublime to major companies such as Google and 3M.
A near-death experience in 2021 transformed Drew’s understanding of life. He emerged with a profound awareness: you are not the body—you are the energy that flows through it. This experience changed his perspective forever.
Drew and Maria still live in San Clemente, traveling and creating art. These days, you’ll find Drew surfing Trestles—or somewhere more exotic. His mantra is simple: “Life is good.” And it is.
Photos by Darren Crawford, Jon Steele, and courtesy Drew Brophy
Video contributions by Bob Bolen, Michael Baytoff, Richard Bernardi, Bruce Chrisner, Jon Coen, Eastern Surf Magazine, Donald Cresitello, Tom Dugan, Vdon Farias, Ryan Gamma, Norm Grosskruetz, Ray Hallgreen, Carlos Hernandez, Pete Hodgson, Darrell Jones, Jon Ker, Nicola Lugo, Matt Lusk, Kem McNair, Dick “Mez” Meseroll, Eric Olsen, Larry Pope, Tony Prince, Dan Przygocki, Barry Schulz, Joanne O’Shaughnessy, Jon Steele, Mike Vuocolo, and Chris Wilson.
