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Senior Visual Development Artist Jobs in California

TrueShort

Reference Designer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site +1

This role sits at the intersection of concept design, visual development, and AI-native production workflows. We're looking for artists with strong visual taste, storytelling instincts, and an ...

Airrack

Airrack Thumbnail Concept Artist

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$136K - $157K/yr

THE ROLE We're looking for a world-class freelance Thumbnail Concept Artist -- the creative brain ... Background in art direction, storyboarding, or visual development * Familiarity with what makes ...

Airrack

Airrack Thumbnail Concept Artist

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$136K - $157K/yr

THE ROLE We're looking for a world-class freelance Thumbnail Concept Artist - the creative brain ... Background in art direction, storyboarding, or visual development * Familiarity with what makes ...

Cato Networks

Senior Brand Designer

San Francisco, CA

$120K - $135K/yr

Reporting to the Senior Director of Brand, you'll help evolve Cato's global visual identity while ... Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Fine Arts, Marketing, or a related ...

Turtle Rock Studios

Senior UI Artist

Irvine, CA

$105K - $150K/yr

The Senior UI Artist will collaborate closely with Art Directors, UI/UX Designers, Engineers, Game ... visual quality and polish throughout development * Create high-quality UI art, including HUDs ...

Turtle Rock Studios

Senior UI Artist

Irvine, CA · On-site

$105K - $150K/yr

The Senior UI Artist will collaborate closely with Art Directors, UI/UX Designers, Engineers, Game ... visual quality and polish throughout development * Create high-quality UI art, including HUDs ...

TrueShort

AI Filmmaker

Los Angeles, CA · On-site +1

No development purgatory. Built for mobile-first viewing, TrueShort delivers premium, bingeable ... We're looking for artists who are excited by storytelling, filmmaking, visual design, and fast ...

JPL

Senior Communication Designer

Pasadena, CA · On-site

Responsibilities The Senior Communication Designer creates compelling visual communications that ... creative development. * Support JPL by providing thoughtful visual design across a diverse ...

Aquent

Senior Designer- Retail

Mountain View, CA · On-site

$185K - $200K/yr

Oversee the visual strategy and creative direction for flagship window displays and key visual ... web development, and more. If you want to do work that matters in a collaborative setting that ...

Anduril Industries

Senior Motion Designer

Costa Mesa, CA · On-site

$166K - $220K/yr

The ideal candidate is not only an impeccable artist, but also has outstanding knowledge of form ... Visual development of kinetic text and motion graphics, mission scenes, animations utilizing both ...

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All JobsVisual Development Artist JobsSenior Visual Development Artist JobsSenior Visual Development Artist Jobs in California

Senior Visual Development Artist information

What is the difference between Senior Visual Development Artist vs Concept Artist?

AspectSenior Visual Development ArtistConcept Artist
CredentialsPortfolio, relevant art degrees, experience in visual storytellingPortfolio, art degrees, strong drawing skills
Work EnvironmentFilm, animation, gaming studios, collaborative teamsPre-production, brainstorming sessions, independent or team projects
Industry UsageUsed in animation, gaming, film for visual style developmentPrimarily in entertainment, gaming, film for initial design concepts

The main difference is that Senior Visual Development Artists focus on creating the overall visual style and look for projects, working closely with art directors. Concept Artists primarily generate initial character, environment, and object designs during early production stages. Both roles require strong artistic skills and industry experience, but their focus and stage of involvement differ.

How does a senior visual development artist typically collaborate with other departments during a project?

As a Senior Visual Development Artist, you will frequently collaborate with directors, art directors, character designers, and 3D modelers to ensure a unified visual style across the project. Your role often involves translating story concepts into detailed visuals that serve as references for other departments. Effective communication and the ability to receive and incorporate feedback are essential, as you’ll participate in regular reviews and brainstorming sessions to align creative direction. This collaborative environment allows you to contribute to the overall artistic vision while learning from cross-functional teams.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior visual development artist?

To thrive as a Senior Visual Development Artist, you need advanced drawing and painting skills, a strong understanding of color theory and composition, and a portfolio showcasing experience in concept art for animation or games. Mastery of digital painting tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter, and familiarity with 3D software like Blender or Maya is often expected. Strong communication, creative problem-solving, and the ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams are standout soft skills in this role. These skills ensure the effective translation of storytelling ideas into compelling visuals that drive the overall look and feel of a project.

What is a senior visual development artist?

A Senior Visual Development Artist is a creative professional who helps define the visual style, mood, and look of animated films, video games, or other media projects. They create concept art, color scripts, environments, characters, and props that guide the production team in achieving a cohesive visual direction. Senior artists in this role are also responsible for mentoring junior artists, collaborating with directors and other departments, and ensuring that the visual storytelling aligns with the project's vision. Their work is critical in establishing a project’s unique identity and atmosphere.
What are the most commonly searched types of Visual Development Artist jobs in California? The most popular types of Visual Development Artist jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Senior Visual Development Artist jobs? Cities in California with the most Senior Visual Development Artist job openings:
Senior Visual Development Artist jobs near you

Reference Designer

TrueShort

Los Angeles, CA • On-site, Remote

Full-time

Posted 29 days ago

Job description

Reference Designer
About TrueShort
TrueShort is one of the fastest-growing streaming apps in the United States. An AI studio and streaming platform where we experiment, develop and release original series and films constantly. No development purgatory.
Built for mobile-first viewing, TrueShort delivers premium, bingeable storytelling across an expanding slate of genres, reimagining how modern audiences discover and experience great stories.
Our team is experimenting at the frontier of AI-powered entertainment production across animation, live action, and emerging storytelling formats.
Backed by Jeffrey Katzenberg (Founder of DreamWorks), Scott Belsky, Ravi Nandan (A24), Khosla Ventures, and others.
Role Overview
We're looking for Reference Designers to help develop the visual foundation of original series and films across a wide range of genres and formats.
Reference Designers are responsible for creating the core visual assets that guide production across each series, including character references, environments, props, color direction, and visual worldbuilding materials. Your work will help establish consistency and creative clarity for AI filmmakers, editors, and showrunners throughout production.
This role sits at the intersection of concept design, visual development, and AI-native production workflows. We're looking for artists with strong visual taste, storytelling instincts, and an understanding of how to design assets that translate effectively into AI generation pipelines.
Responsibilities
  • Design character reference sheets, props, environments, and worldbuilding assets
  • Develop cohesive visual identities and style direction for original series
  • Collaborate closely with Showrunners, writers, and AI filmmakers during development and production
  • Create organized reference packs that help maintain consistency across episodes
  • Iterate quickly based on creative feedback and evolving production needs
  • Help establish visual rules, tone, color language, and design continuity for each project
  • Prepare assets and references optimized for AI image and video generation workflows
  • Contribute to the overall creative development of new series and worlds

Preferred Skills & Experience
  • Strong background in character design, concept art, production design, or visual development
  • Strong eye for composition, color, silhouette, shape language, and visual storytelling
  • Experience with AI image-generation tools (Midjourney, Nano Banana, Seedream, Flux, etc.)
  • Familiarity with AI video-generation workflows is a plus (Kling, Veo, Seedance, Runway, etc.)
  • Comfortable working across multiple visual styles and genres
  • Ability to create clear, production-ready visual reference materials
  • Familiarity with Photoshop or other visual editing/compositing tools
  • Passion for animation, filmmaking, internet culture, and emerging creative technology

Compensation & Details
  • Contract Role
  • Potential for long-term employment or full-time role
  • $300 - $800 per series
  • Los Angeles preferred (open to remote)

To Apply
Please send:
  • Portfolio or relevant work samples
  • Examples of character, prop, or environment design work
  • Optional: links to any animation, film, game, or visual development projects
  • A brief overview of your workflow and preferred creative tools

Apply