PROFILE


Summary

Since 2001 I’ve worked as a creative freelance designer and graphic artist. My mission has been to continually grow and expand my skill-set which has given me a good grasp of digital design based project work as a whole.

Typically I use Photoshop for most of my digital design or illustration work and have previously taught high level Photoshop techniques on a private, one-to-one basis.

I believe it's important for modern day visual artists to be experienced in more than one discipline. While typically hired as an illustrator and artist, I have spent a number of years employed as both a web and print based graphic designer; creating identities, layouts and functional web sites. I also tattoo and added ink to skin on hundreds of clients in both shop and private studio environments.

I am reliable, conscientious and a perfectionist, which drives me to meet exacting standards and go that extra mile. I aim to always provide a high level of service to customers and end-users and am regularly told that I am a great asset to those I’ve worked with.


Experience

Much of my career has involved creating art and design projects on a freelance basis working either from my private studio or in-house. Typical duties include:

•    Liaising with clients on a one to one basis to discuss design requirements.
•    Writing proposals, creating time schedules, negotiating terms.
•    Implementing illustration, graphic and web design briefs to client specification.
•    Creating bespoke artwork and digital image editing.
•    Work closely with other designers and web programmers as part of a team to ensure designs are perfect for print or integration into web-based systems.

 

Arcturus Publishing Ltd.
I’ve worked with this London Publisher from 2003-2004 and 2013-2016 to create step-by-step 'how to draw' books, within constant tight deadlines for large USA clients Barnes & Noble and Scholastic. Tasks included working closely with the book editor and designer to devise the content specifications, illustration and writing tutorials.

 

Save the Children
I produced promotional artwork for the 'UHC' health care campaign at the G7 Summit held in Japan in 2016. The seven world leaders were drawn as manga super heroes, which were made into life-size cardboard cut-outs used as a promo stunt / prop. The character art sucessfully helped gain coverage on news platforms such as the New York Post, the Guardian, the Huffington Post and Japan's Buzz Feed.

 

Wacom
In 2013 I worked at the London MCM Comic Expo providing Graphics Tablet demonstrations while creating manga artwork. 88,000 visitors attended the convention. It also led to a TV spot in Indonesia where I talked about manga and digital art.

 

Hitachi Europe Ltd.
In 2013 Hitachi asked if I would be interested in working with them to demonstrate character artwork creation using their large scale touch screen displays. I joined them in Amsterdam along with over 41,000 visitors to the annual Audio & Visual convention over the course of several days.

 

Optimum Fitness Software
I’ve been working with OFS as a website and graphic designer since 2006 producing quality graphics for fitness assessment software and web applications. It is my job to turn an otherwise dull product into something with high aesthetic value while keeping designs functional and easy to use

 

Your Formula I.T Solutions
In 2002 I was employed to produce high quality, professional web sites and graphics. I enjoy producing creative and effective designs that are both easy to use and attractive to look at, having since clocked up approximately 4 years experience as a Web and Graphic Designer to date.

 

Ignition Entertainment
Completed character design artwork for a Tennis themed video game sold on Gameboy and Playstation in 2001.

 

Additionally, over the last decade I've completed dozens of other logos, layout designs, posters, packaging, ads, web sites, artwork and demonstrations for clients both in the UK and abroad.


Publications

Unicorns & Mystical Creatures: Glow-In-The-Dark
Thunderbay Press
August 2020
Adult Colouring Book

Art Class: Manga Art
Arcturus Publishing
July 2018
Tutorial Book

Artists Guide to Drawing Manga
Arcturus Publishing
August, 2016
Tutorial Book

Digital Manga
Arcturus Publishing
August, 2014
Tutorial Book

Step-by-Step Manga
Scholastic Publishing
June 2005
Tutorial Book

The Art of Drawing Manga
Arcturus Publishing, Barnes & Noble
September 2003 
Tutorial Book

Education

University of the Creative Arts, Maidstone:
2005 – 2008
Graphic Media BA Hons [1st Class]
Mixed Design Course including: Graphic Design, Illustration, Photography, 3D work, Digital Animation, Video Creation, Digital Art creation.

The Hundred of Hoo School, Rochester:
1992 – 1999
Art A-Level [A Grade] & AGNVQ with Merit
After achieving my GCSEs, I completed an A-level in Art alongside a two year Advanced GNVQ in Art and Design.

 

WEB PROJECT

Organic Metal
Self Published Website
November 2000-2015
Personal Web Site and Portfolio. Designed from the ground up and kept online for posterity.


Testimonials

  • Martin Rhodes-Schofield,
    Publisher & Director of Red Bird

    We had a request from one of our US publishing clients to create a manga-themed unicorn colouring book. We trawled through possible illustrators and luckily found Ben. He created some sample pages very quickly, which was great. He and our in-house studio then devised a schedule for the 90 illustrations needed to make up the book whilst taking in to account Red Bird special effects (glow in the dark pages) we’d later apply at the printing stage. The schedule was tight with batches of art every 3 weeks from start to finish, Ben came up trumps with concepts and delivery on time. He is great to work with and Red Bird Publishing is looking forward to be working with him again soon. I would recommend Ben to others, very pleasant, easy to get on with and adaptable even when the publisher wanted changes.

  • Sam Kennedy,
    Senior Campaigns Advisor, Save the Children

    Hi Ben, Thank you again for your recent work for us. You understood the brief and delivered it as agreed- The balance was about right in terms of caricature and hagiography. They do look funny but not insulting to them. Given the nervousness of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was good they were not too stupid-looking. The quality of work was very high and we're very pleased with it. You responded to all feedback and helped us understand design choices you had made and the impact of any changes on the delivery of the project. In addition, we think the price was good value and when it became clear that more work was involved than initially anticipated we were happy to pay a bit more. The team here are really pleased with the pick-up. As my director put it to us at the end of last week, your designs really helped this story break out from technical coverage to Buzzfeed Japan type territory. Best wishes, Sam

  • Scott Hodson,
    Managing Director, OFS

    Working with Ben is always a pleasure. He takes a great deal of pride in his work and is always looking for new and effective ways to present our clients with a unique design solution they’ll love. Ben works closely with our in-house team of designers and programmers. Our team have benefited working with him due to his dependability and commitment into making sure that final products meet both his and our own high quality standards. With a friendly, pleasant demeanour and “can-do” attitude Ben can always be relied upon to deliver within set deadlines, thus gaining a high level of trust and value from the OFS team. I highly recommend him to any organization looking for a talented, hard-working, reliable and trustworthy individual.

  • Matt Smith,
    Senior Editor, Arcturus Publishing Ltd.

    It has been an absolute pleasure working with you on the various projects over the last year. I wanted to pass on my thanks for your professionalism and the sheer quality of your work - it has made my job all the easier and more pleasurable.

  • Myke Gray,
    Music Producer, Shades of Gray

    The moment I saw Ben Krefta’s work I knew he was an exceptional artist. I was overjoyed when he agreed to do a commission for me. He told me a precise date that he would be able to carry out the work and he kept to that exact timeframe. There was constant communication throughout the process and he was open to any suggestion I made and adapted the work accordingly with zero fuss. He provided me with a fantastic piece of art with an incredibly professional service! On a scale of 1-10 anything other than a 10 would be criminal.

  • Jay Pepper,
    Tigertailz

    Well what can I say mate, excellent job.. We all absolutely love your drawings.!!! Totally spot on and capture Klints older features and look fantastic with the new.. Excellent job fella.. 🙂

  • Thereasa Carpenter,
    Private Commission

    I was after a specific artist to compose a drawing of the comic book villain Harley Quinn for a weight lifting belt.  The drawing was to be embroidered on a Pioneer Custom made power-lifting belt. I was aware that my request was a small project and by no means did Ben make me feel like it was not worthy of his time or skill.  Ben’s work is truly beautiful and he met all my expectations and beyond with his talent and his professionalism.  All my emails were answered promptly and his suggestions on changes or inclusions to the drawing were welcomed and accepted, the man knows his work! I would highly recommend Ben for any projects and his expertise are worth every cent and I note that he is incredibly reasonably priced.