Born in Buffalo, New York and educated as a graphic designer, Russell Benfanti has been creating iconic creatures, characters, and designs for over 20 years. His work can be seen all over the world in the form of children’s books, toys, and consumer products. Russell’s primary tool is Adobe Illustrator: every image he creates is a native AI file. He has used Adobe Illustrator since it’s first release (version 1.1). His expertise led him to teach an advanced computer illustration course at the world-renowned Ringling College of Art & Design in Sarasota Florida and be featured repeatedly in Adobe Illustration books and articles.