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Character Design Artist Volunteer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Human Computer Lab

Character Artist

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$142K - $149K/yr

What to expect We're looking for a character artist to help define how LeLamp looks, moves, and ... Design expressive motion - gestures, "emotional" states, and behaviors expressed through movement ...

New

Side

3D Character Artist - Talent Pool (N Americas)

$123K - $130K/yr

Strong understanding of anatomy, proportion, weight, and volume as they relate to character design ... Artistic Skills : * Strong eye for detail, form, and style consistency. * Ability to adapt to and ...

teamLFG

3D Character Art Lead

$153K - $230K/yr

... design • Mentor and inspire a talented team of artists through all phases of production • ... the character art decisions that matter to competitive players in action or fighting games • ...

Naughty Dog

Senior Character Artist

Santa Monica, CA

$135K - $142K/yr

The Character Art team is looking for a highly technical and artistic Senior Character Artist to ... Work with artists, technical artists, and engineers to design, implement and maintain new workflows ...

New

Naughty Dog

Senior Character Artist

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$69.09 - $86.35/hr

The Character Art team is looking for a highly technical and artistic Senior Character Artist to ... Work with artists, technical artists, and engineers to design, implement and maintain new workflows ...

New

Thatgamecompany

3D Character Artist (Mid-Senior)

$81K - $114K/yr

Brainstorm ideas and create rapid 3D prototypes during the concept and design phase * Support the ... Character Artist at a game studio * Proficient modeling skills in Maya or equivalent * Self ...

AGBO

Expression of Interest - Character Artist

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$130K - $136K/yr

The Character Artist will be responsible for creating highly realistic and expressive character ... They will collaborate with a team of artists and developers to conceptualize, design, and execute ...

teamLFG

OR

... design Mentor and inspire a talented team of artists through all phases of production Foster a safe culture for growth, feedback and coaching to encourage strong creative debate Create strong ...

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All JobsCharacter Design Artist Volunteer Jobs

Character Design Artist Volunteer information

See salary details

$104.5K

$120.5K

$128.5K

How much do character design artist volunteer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 5, 2026, the average yearly pay for character design artist volunteer in the United States is $120,531.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $121,000.00 and $127,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a character design artist volunteer?

To thrive as a Character Design Artist Volunteer, you need a strong foundation in drawing, visual storytelling, and understanding of anatomy, often demonstrated through a portfolio of your work. Familiarity with digital illustration tools like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or Procreate is typically required, along with basic knowledge of character turnaround sheets. Creativity, collaboration, and openness to feedback are vital soft skills for working effectively with teams and adapting to project needs. These skills ensure engaging and cohesive character designs that support the creative vision and contribute meaningfully to projects, even in volunteer settings.

What does a character design artist volunteer do?

A Character Design Artist Volunteer creates original character concepts and visual designs for projects, often in animation, games, comics, or community initiatives. Their role involves brainstorming ideas, sketching, and refining characters to fit the project's style and narrative. As a volunteer, they typically collaborate with other artists and project leads, contributing their skills without pay to support non-profit, educational, or creative causes. It's a great way to build a portfolio, gain experience, and make professional connections in the industry.

What are some common challenges faced by character design artist volunteers when collaborating on nonprofit or community projects?

Character Design Artist Volunteers often work in diverse teams where clear communication and flexibility are essential. One common challenge is aligning creative vision with the project's goals while accommodating feedback from multiple stakeholders, such as project leads, writers, or community members. Additionally, volunteers may need to balance their artistic style with existing branding guidelines or educational objectives, which can require adaptability and open-mindedness. Effective time management is also crucial, especially when juggling volunteer commitments with other responsibilities.

What is the difference between Character Design Artist Volunteer vs Character Illustrator?

AspectCharacter Design Artist VolunteerCharacter Illustrator
Required CredentialsPortfolio, basic art skills, passion for character creationPortfolio, professional illustration skills, often formal training
Work EnvironmentNon-profit projects, collaborative teams, flexible hoursCommercial projects, studios, freelance or in-house roles
Employer & Industry UsageCharity organizations, indie game projects, community eventsPublishing, gaming, animation, advertising

While both roles involve creating characters, a Character Design Artist Volunteer typically works on non-profit or community projects, focusing on developing characters without monetary compensation. A Character Illustrator often works in commercial settings, producing detailed character artwork for clients or companies. The main difference lies in the scope, compensation, and work environment, though both require strong artistic skills and a passion for character creation.

More about Character Design Artist Volunteer jobs
What cities are hiring for Character Design Artist Volunteer jobs? Cities with the most Character Design Artist Volunteer job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Character Design Artist jobs? The most popular types of Character Design Artist jobs are:
What states have the most Character Design Artist Volunteer jobs? States with the most job openings for Character Design Artist Volunteer jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Character Design Artist Volunteer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Character Design Artist Volunteer jobs are:
Character Design Artist Volunteer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Character Design Artist Volunteer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 5% Internship, 60% Full Time, and 35% Part Time. Highlights an 85% In-person, 5% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $120,531 per year, or $57.9 per hour.

Character Artist

Human Computer Lab

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$142K - $149K/yr

Full-time

Posted yesterday

New

Job description

Human Computer Lab is a research lab building character robots that feel alive and responsive. Our first robot, LeLamp, explores a new category of consumer robotics where everyday objects become interactive and help us reshape our attachment to technology.
Our goal is to push the frontier of human-robot interaction by making technology more legible, emotionally intuitive, and human-centered. We are building the foundation for a new generation of robots designed for everyday environments.
What to expect
We're looking for a character artist to help define how LeLamp looks, moves, and feels - the visual and expressive language that makes a robot read as alive rather than mechanical. You'll work on everything from early concept sketches and mood boards to the motion, gesture, and lighting cues that give the robot its personality, translating character intent into something the hardware and software teams can actually build and ship. This role requires tight, fast-cycling collaboration with electrical, mechanical, and software teams - character decisions here don't stay on paper, they become motor curves, timing, and light behavior. You'll work closely with the CEO and founding team to shape the character identity of LeLamp and the robots that follow.
In this role, you will:
  • Create concept art, mood boards, and character studies that define LeLamp's personality and visual identity.
  • Collaborate with the hardware team on form factor, silhouette, materials, and color to keep the physical design aligned with the character.
  • Design expressive motion - gestures, "emotional" states, and behaviors expressed through movement, light, and sound.
  • Prototype and iterate quickly, moving between sketches, renders, and physical mockups.
  • Partner with robotics and software engineers to translate character intent into concrete behavior parameters (motion curves, timing, lighting cues).
  • Build and maintain style guides and a character bible to keep the robot's expression consistent as the team grows.
  • Review hardware and software prototypes against the character vision and give clear, actionable feedback.
  • Support brand and marketing assets to keep the character consistent across every touchpoint.

You may be a good fit if you:
  • Are pursuing a degree in screen-writing, animation, character design, industrial design, or a related field - or have equivalent hands-on portfolio experience.
  • Have a portfolio that shows character design or expressive design work, in 2D or 3D.
  • Document clearly and can explain the reasoning behind a design choice, not just the choice itself.
  • Are comfortable iterating quickly, moving from rough sketch to testable prototype without waiting for a perfect brief.
  • Are genuinely interested in physical products, not just screen-based or purely digital characters.

You will be a strong fit, if you:
  • Have designed characters or mascots that had to work within real hardware or physical constraints, not just on a screen.
  • Understand core animation principles (timing, weight, squash and stretch, anticipation) and know how to translate them into motors, servos, and lighting.
  • Are comfortable collaborating directly with engineers, turning an abstract sense of "feel" into concrete specs they can build against.
  • Move quickly through iteration cycles and don't wait for perfect information to make progress.
  • Take ownership over your work end to end, from first sketch to a behavior that's live in the robot.
  • Work well in small, collaborative teams where character, electrical, and mechanical are in constant conversation.
  • Care about what the character enables: warmth, expressiveness, and the feeling that the robot is alive.

The early team becomes the DNA of the company. We set ourselves and others to a high standard, and we respond with kindness when things get hard but keep everyone accountable. This requires us to be curious, creative, and diverse in our thinking and approach.
We're proud to be an equal opportunity employer and consider all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Even if you don't meet every single requirement, we encourage you to apply. Studies show that women and underrepresented groups often hold back unless they meet 100% of the criteria - we don't want that to be the reason we miss out on great talent.

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