Visual Development / Concept Artist

Studio: Clay Urn LLC Type: Remote freelance contract Timeline: Approximately four to six calendar weeks, part-time and milestone-based Budget: USD $3,500 fixed fee Clay Urn is looking for a visual-development artist or concept artist to help define the look of our next game, an unannounced stylized cooperative title in development with Unity. The game is played from an elevated camera and centers on movement, survival, and teamwork. Its world combines ritual magic, protected natural sanctuaries, corrupted creatures, decaying ruins, and fragments of strange ancient technology. We have a playable build and an emerging visual direction represented through placeholder and purchased assets. Some of those choices provide a promising foundation. We need an artist who can strengthen that direction, explore credible alternatives, and turn the result into a cohesive visual language that is recognizable, readable during gameplay, and realistic for a small independent team to produce. Shortlisted candidates who sign an NDA will be able to review gameplay footage during final scoping. The selected artist will receive access to the playable build at kickoff, allowing the visual direction to respond to the game’s actual camera, pacing, and play experience. Key challenges Establish a distinctive visual identity that feels native to the game’s unusual pacing and movement-focused gameplay while providing a foundation for all future visual work. Create a visual direction that incorporates nature, mutation, ritual magic, and remnants of ancient technology. Make dark, atmospheric environments readable from an elevated gameplay camera. Establish a recognizable visual identity for the main character and her mount. Deliverables The fixed-fee engagement covers these eight creative outputs: Visual-direction board A — a loose, exploratory board covering palette, materials, shape language, references, and small thumbnails. Visual-direction board B — a loose, exploratory board presenting a meaningfully different but equally feasible alternative. Home-base concept study — a loose-to-mid-fidelity study establishing the protected settlement’s mood, architecture, materials, and relationship to nature and ritual. This is not a playable-area paintover or finished menu illustration. Ruins/ancient-technology gameplay paintover — a mid-fidelity visual target based on a supplied screenshot or graybox, not polished marketing art. Snow/frozen-level gameplay paintover — a mid-fidelity visual target based on a supplied screenshot or graybox, not polished marketing art. Player-and-mount exploration sheet — exploratory silhouettes followed by one preferred direction developed with color and material callouts; not a final turnaround or production sheet. Enemy-family exploration sheet — rough silhouette exploration establishing a shared identity across four initial enemy roles; not final enemy designs or turnarounds. Combined supporting-character exploration sheet — two rough bust options for each of two menu-based traders/quest-givers, with simple color and material notes for one preferred direction each; not finished portraits. The final handoff will also include a concise direction summary assembled from the approved work: its core visual pillars, palette, shape and material language, lighting and readability principles, and a short “do/don’t” reference. This is synthesis of the commissioned work, not an additional illustration assignment. This engagement does not include final 3D production, logo design, UI implementation, finished key art, finished menu portraits, or complete production sheets for every character and enemy. What we are looking for Above all, we are looking for an artist who can establish a distinctive visual identity for a game—not only produce attractive standalone illustrations. The approved direction will become the foundation for future environments, characters, illustrations, UI, and 3D work. The strongest candidates will show: A portfolio demonstrating visual development or concept work across both characters and environments. The ability to explore different directions and turn a selected route into a consistent, repeatable visual language. Strong decisions in silhouette, color, value, materials, and world-building. Visible process work such as iterations, paintovers, studies, and problem-solving. An understanding of gameplay readability and how 2D concepts inform achievable later production. Clear communication and reliable milestone delivery. Experience with Unity, creatures or mounts, gameplay-screenshot paintovers, or translating concepts into 3D is helpful but not required. Strong work may lead to separately scoped follow-on concept work or periodic review of later art. Working terms The project will use three milestone approvals—direction selection, applied concepts, and final handoff—with one consolidated revision round at each milestone. A single Clay Urn decision-maker will provide consolidated feedback within two business days of each scheduled milestone submission. The $3,500 fee will be paid in three installments: 30% on signing and kickoff, 30% after direction selection, and 40% at final handoff. Clay Urn requires original work, layered editable source files, and full assignment of the commissioned deliverables under a written agreement. Generative-AI content may not be used in commissioned deliverables. An NDA will be required before access to gameplay footage, the nonpublic build, and confidential project material. How to apply Please send: Your portfolio. Three to five pieces most relevant to this project. A brief note explaining why your work fits this assignment and describing your role and process on the submitted examples. Your availability and proposed schedule. Confirmation that you can deliver the listed scope for the stated fee, or a specific scope adjustment that would make it workable for you. If there appears to be a strong fit, we will share a detailed project packet and schedule an introductory call. Any requested art test will be short and paid; we do not request unpaid tests.