Craig Schaffer

ABOUT THIS ARTIST

Craig Schaffer, E-learning Multimedia Designer/Freelance Illustrator and Graphic Designer

Craig Schaffer had a fascination with becoming a diverse illustrator at an early age. In high school, his interest in comic book art let him to win the Joe Kubert Comic Art Contest at a chain of comic book stores. His interest in storytelling lead him to study Commercial Art at Bucks County Technical School where he developed a portfolio and attended Montserrat College of Art earning a BFA in illustration. He also studied archaeological illustration and took a job in New Jersey creating publications explaining historic findings in a corporate setting. After moving back to Pennsylvania, Craig and began a career as a visual journalist in newspaper publication. He designed and illustrated a variety of magazine covers, maps, charts, courtroom sketches and infographics. For seven years he illustrated two weekly columns, Sketchbook (about native Pa. animals) and Snapshot (an infographic). Over his career Craig has written, illustrated and designed stories that have won first place awards from the Associated Press, PA NewsMedia Association, Keystone Press, Society of Professional Journalists and Society of News Design Award of Excellence. His work has been featured in text books as an example of excellent storytelling. Craig currently uses his illustration and design skills in a medical setting creating online learning materials to educate doctors and nurses at a group of hospitals in Pennsylvania. As a freelance illustrator and Graphic Artists Guild member, Craig has recently published two children’s books “Sketchbook A to Z: An Alphabetical Guide to Pennsylvania Wildlife” and “Look! A Picture Book.” His freelance work include a variety of K-12 text book illustrations, website design, apparel design, comic book and magazine illustrations. Craig visits public schools and has lectured at local colleges and universities about print history, nature, and his artistic career.