Craig Pursley was drawing before starting kindergarten and began freelance illustration before his graduation from high school in Nebraska. He graduated from Colorado State University in 1976 and concurrent with an academic fine art position, he became a police composite artist for the F.B.I. and several other law enforcement agencies. With over three hundred composite drawings, Craig was credited with providing a pivotal role in the capture of many criminals. In 1983 Craig moved to Southern California where he was an illustrator for the Orange County Register until 2006. During that tenure he specialized in portraits of sports, political and entertainment figures for every section of the newspaper. In addition to his regular assignments, he was contracted by the Register to create artwork on subjects as varied as USC football teams to the History of Flight. In addition to his newspaper illustration, Craig worked for the (then) California Angels, Topps Baseball Card Company and Upper Deck Baseball Card Company, for whom he painted the Heroes of Baseball Commemorative sheets. His work is in the permanent collections of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Nolan Ryan Museum, and Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.