2D Game Artist - Contract to Hire
We are looking for a versatile 2D production artist to help create complete visual skins for an established mobile scratch-card game system.
Each skin transforms the same underlying game into a new themed experience. Themes may range from seasonal celebrations and outdoor adventures to fantasy worlds, travel destinations, and licensed properties.
You will work directly with an experienced creative director who provides the theme, visual direction, references, feedback, technical specifications, and established production framework. We are not looking for someone to invent the entire game or pipeline alone. We need an artist who can translate clear direction into a cohesive, polished family of game assets.
This is intended to become recurring work. Our goal is to find a dependable artist who can learn the system, improve with each assignment, and eventually produce new skins with increasing confidence and independence.
WHAT YOU WILL CREATE
A typical skin may include:
* A themed mobile-game background
* Gameplay symbols and scratch surfaces
* Logos and title treatments
* Buttons, panels, modals, and supporting UI assets
* Win-celebration graphics and visual effects
* Organized, implementation-ready production files
* Simple animation assets when appropriate
Detailed specifications, dimensions, naming conventions, examples, and review checkpoints will be provided.
ABOUT THE WORKFLOW
AI-assisted image generation is part of our production process, but prompting alone is not enough.
The right artist must be able to:
* Interpret creative direction and visual references
* Generate and explore artwork efficiently
* Recognize when generated artwork is visually inconsistent or unusable
* Composite, repaint, correct, simplify, and polish imagery
* Maintain a consistent style across many separate assets
* Preserve strong silhouettes and readability at mobile sizes
* Respond thoughtfully to feedback
* Prepare clean files that developers can implement directly
We value artistic judgment, consistency, and production discipline. Creativity is encouraged within the established direction and constraints of each game.
CORE QUALIFICATIONS
* Strong Photoshop or equivalent raster-production skills
* A solid foundation in illustration, composition, color, lighting, and typography
* Experience creating cohesive groups of assets—not only individual illustrations
* Ability to perform professional cleanup, compositing, paint-over, and image correction
* Experience using AI image-generation tools as part of a broader art workflow
* Careful attention to dimensions, filenames, layers, transparency, and export requirements
* Strong written English and clear remote communication
* Ability to accept feedback, make accurate revisions, and maintain consistency across an extended project
* A reliable computer and internet connection
PREFERRED, BUT NOT REQUIRED
* Mobile-game, casual-game, slot-game, or UI-art experience
* Figma or Adobe Illustrator
* After Effects, Spine 2D, or similar animation tools
* Experience preparing layered assets for animation
* Basic sound-design or audio-editing experience
* Familiarity with production pipelines involving developers
You do not need to possess every preferred skill. Excellent visual execution, sound judgment, consistency, and willingness to learn are more important.
WHAT WE PROVIDE
* Clear creative direction from an experienced game creative director
* Established visual and technical production systems
* Reference materials and approved examples
* Structured feedback and defined approval checkpoints
* A paid test assignment for selected candidates
* The opportunity for recurring assignments across multiple game themes
* Increasing autonomy and responsibility as you learn the system
HOW TO APPLY
Please include:
1. A portfolio showing your strongest relevant work. Game art, themed asset collections, UI, icons, backgrounds, and polished AI-assisted production work are especially useful.
2. A brief explanation of your role in the work shown. Clearly identify any pieces that used AI and describe what you personally generated, edited, painted, composited, or designed.
3. The software and AI tools you use regularly.
4. Your typical weekly availability.
5. Your hourly rate or preferred project-based rate.
6. The phrase “Complete Skin” at the beginning of your response so we know you read the full description.
Please do not submit a portfolio composed entirely of unedited AI generations. We are looking for artists who can direct and finish imagery professionally.
SELECTION PROCESS
Shortlisted artists will be invited to complete a small paid production test based on the actual workflow. The test will evaluate:
* Ability to follow visual direction
* Artistic judgment and mobile readability
* Consistency between related assets
* AI-assisted generation and manual finishing
* Responsiveness to feedback
* File preparation and organization
The strongest candidate will begin with one complete skin, with the potential for ongoing assignments if the collaboration is successful.