Remote Character Design Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Illustrator — Product & Character Design
Remote | Full-Time | Pacific Time Business Hours | $74,000–$78,000
Our CA-based client is a highly respected leader in the seasonal products industry, designing and developing innovative Halloween and Christmas products for major retailers and online consumers. Their product line includes large-scale animatronics, 3D characters, seasonal décor, licensed merchandise, and other highly detailed physical products. Due to continued growth, they are expanding their existing team of talented Illustrators and are seeking a creative, versatile Illustrator to join the team.
This is an exciting opportunity for an illustrator who enjoys seeing their artwork move from concept to physical product. You’ll develop visual concepts for a wide range of products, including seasonal décor, costumes, large-scale animatronics and 3D character-based products, licensed merchandise, and premium/luxury collections.
Previous Halloween or Christmas product experience is not required, although experience with seasonal products is highly desirable.
What You'll Do

• Develop original concepts and polished product imagery for seasonal and licensed products
• Create artwork for a wide range of products, including décor, costumes, animatronics, characters, props, and premium/luxury items
• Translate creative concepts into compelling, dimensional illustrations that communicate how a finished product should look
• Develop character and creature concepts with accurate anatomy, proportions, structure, and dimensionality
• Produce concept art, product imagery, specification sheets, presentation materials, and other visual assets used throughout product development
• Work closely with product development teams to refine concepts based on aesthetics, functionality, customer expectations, and cost considerations
• Participate in brainstorming and creative meetings, contributing original ideas and providing visual input
• Provide artwork and revisions according to established project priorities and deadlines
• Provide visual and verbal art direction throughout product development as needed
• Review product development at various stages, providing feedback on sculpture quality, construction, framing, cladding, mechanisms, sound, and overall aesthetics
• Create visual assets for product presentations, sales meetings, displays, and customer approvals
• Develop character sound scripts and creative direction when needed, including dialogue, mood, sound effects, and timing
• Use Photoshop as the primary creative tool and incorporate 3D or other software when appropriate
• Research retail trends, competitor products, merchandising, pricing, and emerging technologies to inform new product concepts
• Attend occasional industry events, customer meetings, and team gatherings
• Collaborate closely with a creative team while working remotely

• Bachelor's degree in illustration, fine arts, design, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
• 2–4+ years of professional experience as an Illustrator or in a closely related illustration/concept-art role
• Strong portfolio demonstrating advanced anatomy and figure-drawing skills — this is a key requirement for the role
• Portfolio must demonstrate a strong understanding of human and/or creature anatomy, including proportions, musculature, structure, and movement
• Ability to accurately construct and render the human or creature figure in a variety of poses, perspectives, and angles
• Strong portfolio demonstrating excellent illustration and rendering ability
• Ability to render objects and characters convincingly in three dimensions
• Strong understanding of light, shadow, color, form, perspective, and materials
• Excellent Photoshop skills are required
• Ability to move comfortably between quick concept development and highly refined finished artwork
• Strong attention to detail while maintaining efficiency and meeting deadlines
• Ability to take creative direction, incorporate feedback, and communicate visual ideas clearly
• Strong collaborative skills and the ability to work effectively with product development and creative teams

Portfolio Requirement:
Candidates will be evaluated heavily on their portfolio, particularly their anatomy and character work. Please ensure your portfolio includes clear examples demonstrating your ability to draw and render human and/or creature anatomy. Anatomy studies, figure drawings, character concepts, and other work demonstrating your understanding of the underlying structure of the figure are highly encouraged.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience creating artwork for Halloween, Christmas, or other seasonal products
• Experience with character design, creature design, costumes, props, or physical product concepts
• Strong experience designing characters or creatures intended for physical, three-dimensional production
• Experience with animatronics or sculptural/3D products
• Familiarity with ZBrush or other 3D sculpting/modeling software
• Experience working with licensed properties or recognizable entertainment brands
• Experience creating artwork intended to guide physical product development

• 100% remote position
• Must be available to work during Pacific Time business hours
• Occasional travel is required, approximately twice per year, for company-wide team meetings and collaboration
• Additional travel may be requested for industry events, customer meetings, or trade shows as needed

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