Freelance Visual Development Artist Jobs in Portland, OR

We are seeking a Visual Development Artist to join our pioneering team in developing animated content using experimental GenAI-native production pipelines. This is a hands-on role where you will design and paint, create, and support the aesthetic vision of our creative leadership. You will help define the characters, environments, emotional tone, and aesthetic from story inception through final delivery. This role requires technical curiosity to navigate, build, and support hybrid workflows using both traditional and new tools, all while contributing to the development of feature-quality content within our creator- and artist-led environment.

• Develop and conceptualize characters, environments, and set layouts to discover the personality, visual atmosphere, mood, and tone.

• Explore, imagine, and create a variety of designs that help define the world.

• Collaborate with creative leadership to translate, establish, and maintain the visual look and style.

• Proactively engage with and help define traditional, GenAI, and hybrid workflows to achieve creative excellence, bridging 2D and 3D ideas and integration for high-quality visual aesthetics and consistency.

• Apply a strong understanding of design principles, particularly in stylized animation imagery.

• Receive and incorporate feedback quickly and thoughtfully, maintaining consistency with creative direction, production guidelines, and sprint timelines. Work closely with leadership to resolve issues and address notes.

• Drive look development and visual experimentation efforts by pioneering new approaches to blend generative imagery with traditional renders and footage.

• Build workflows, templates, and scripts as needed.

• Ensure artwork is delivered to the highest standard and on schedule through effective teamwork and problem-solving skills

• Help foster a collaborative, inclusive, curious, and exploratory team environment.

• 4+ years of visual development experience in animation, VFX, games, or digital media (feature, episodic, or high-end shortform); experience with stylized or nonphotoreal work is a plus OR a portfolio that demonstrates design and paint experience for animated shorts, series, or features.

• Excellence in draftsmanship with a working knowledge of anatomy and/or volumetric drawing.

• Samples and/or credits demonstrating excellence in visual development, composition, and lighting.

• Ability to adapt to a wide range of visual styles.

• Advanced working knowledge of digital drawing tools.

• Working familiarity with 3D DCCs (e.g., Maya, Unreal, or Blender) and/or experience with node-based generative interfaces is a significant plus.

• Demonstrated and genuine interest in Generative AI imagery and video, with a proactive, hands-on approach to exploring new GenAI tools to enhance visual storytelling capabilities.

• Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to deliver high-quality work on schedule in a fast-moving environment.

• Ability to take direction positively, collaborate across disciplines, and communicate clearly with creative, technical, and production partners.

• A scrappy, builder's mindset with a high degree of independence, out-of-the-box application, and initiative as production support and workflows evolve alongside the creative process. Demonstrated experience working in ambiguous environments where the core production pipeline is being built and rapidly iterated upon.

• Comfortable taking big-picture approaches while willing to build new workflows in a fluid, evolving production environment.

• Ability to provide upward, constructive feedback to leadership for improved scalability.

• Preferred, not required: Traditional art, photography, or film background.

This job may be covered by a collective bargaining agreement. If so, pay for the position is governed by the currently effective applicable collective bargaining agreement and thus will be no less than $70.19 an hour and up to any better conditions and terms negotiated and obtained as expressly provided therein.

Depending on whether you are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, INK benefits can include medical/dental/vision plans, mental health support, retirement programs, and family-forming benefits, paid leave of absence programs, and paid time away programs to be used for vacation and sick paid time off.

Inclusion is a Netflix value and we strive to host a meaningful interview experience for all candidates. If you want an accommodation/adjustment for a disability or any other reason during the hiring process, please send a request to your recruiting partner.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and celebrate diversity, recognizing that diversity builds stronger teams. We approach diversity and inclusion seriously and thoughtfully. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, caste, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, age, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic makeup, marital status, or military service.