ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Freelance Character Design Artist 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 ...

Netflix

Character Designer- Ink

Los Gatos, CA · On-site

$69.71/hr

... artist-led environment. Through research, design exploration, conversations, and collaboration, the Character Designer will work with the creative leads to develop characters' attitudes ...

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 ...

Netflix

Character Designer- Ink

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$69.71/hr

... artist-led environment. Through research, design exploration, conversations, and collaboration, the Character Designer will work with the creative leads to develop characters' attitudes ...

New

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 ...

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 ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsCharacter Design Artist JobsFreelance Character Design Artist Jobs

Freelance Character Design Artist information

See salary details

$9

$22

$68

How much do freelance character design artist jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 8, 2026, the average hourly pay for freelance character design artist in the United States is $22.97, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $18.75 and $18.75 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Freelance Character Design Artist vs Freelance Illustration Artist?

AspectFreelance Character Design ArtistFreelance Illustration Artist
CredentialsPortfolio, artistic skills, sometimes specialized trainingPortfolio, artistic skills, sometimes specialized training
Work EnvironmentRemote, client-based projects, creative studiosRemote, client-based projects, publishing or advertising
Industry UsageVideo games, animation, comics, entertainmentPublishing, advertising, editorial, marketing
Search & Comparison IntentFocus on character creation, storytelling, visual designFocus on visual storytelling, concept art, decorative illustrations

While both roles require strong artistic skills and portfolios, Freelance Character Design Artists specialize in creating unique characters for entertainment and media, whereas Freelance Illustration Artists focus on broader visual storytelling and decorative artwork. Understanding these differences helps clients find the right freelancer for their specific project needs.

What cities are hiring for Freelance Character Design Artist jobs? Cities with the most Freelance Character Design Artist 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 Freelance Character Design Artist jobs? States with the most job openings for Freelance Character Design Artist jobs include:
Freelance Character Design Artist jobs near you

Character Artist

Human Computer Lab

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$142K - $149K/yr

Full-time

Posted 4 days ago

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.

Apply