Percy Craft was one of the first artists to settle in Newlyn, initially lodging with Stanhope Forbes. He quickly became a central figure within the expanding artists' colony, contributing not only through his creative output but through an extraordinary commitment to Newlyn's community life.

As an artist, Craft devoted much of his attention to the lives and labour of Cornwall's fishing folk. His works combine careful observation with a strong sense of narrative and often theatrical composition. While sharing Walter Langley's fascination with the hardships and heroism of the fishing industry, Craft's paintings possess a greater sense of staging. The Fisherman's Daughter is a fine example; the young woman dramatically cast and lit against the simple stucco wall of a sail loft or fishing cellar - possibly even set in the Fisherman's Rest which Craft managed with J.D. Mackenzie and F.W. Bourdillon. The young model has a proud, somewhat dismissive pose which suited Craft's sense of drama. 

Among Percy Craft's best known works are the monumental Hevva! Hevva! (1889) and Tucking a School of Pilchards (The Tuck Boat) (1897), both now in the collection of Penlee House Gallery & Museum. These ambitious canvases rank amongst the most accomplished depictions of the Cornish pilchard industry produced by any member of the Newlyn School.