Clyde Caldwell is an American fantasy illustrator best known for his portrayals of strong, sexy female characters. He is considered one of the artists contributing to fantasy art's "golden age" with his work at TSR in the 1980s. After earning his MFA degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, he began his career as a commercial illustrator, receiving cover assignments from professional fantasy and science fiction publishers.

Over the past 25 years, he has produced hundreds of cover paintings for publishers such as Ace, Avon, Popular Library, Warner Books, Zebra, Houghton-Mifflin, and Doubleday. Some of his notable works include the painting "Dragon Spell," licensed for use in a documentary appearing in the Extended Edition DVD set of The Desolation of Smaug, and the Clyde Caldwell Portfolio published by Galerie Nemesis in the Czech Republic. In addition to his commercial work, Caldwell has also been involved in private commission work and has released several collections of his paintings, including "Savage Hearts: The Clyde Caldwell Sketchbook, Volume 2," and "The Art of Clyde Caldwell."