Visual Development Artist

Job Description

We are looking for an experienced Visual Development Artist who thinks like a comic book artist and can take a brief from blank page to finished art. You will develop characters, environments, and key art for both our own brand and our clients', working across concept, illustration, inks, and colour alongside our creative team. This is a fast-paced production environment with concurrent projects and real deadlines, so we need someone who can judge the right level of polish for each brief and deliver at that level consistently.

Key Responsibilities

Concept and visual development

• Develop characters, environments, props, and key art from brief through to final
• Produce thumbnails, roughs, and colour keys for review before committing to finished work
• Explore multiple visual directions early rather than rendering the first idea
• Build and maintain style guides, model sheets, and turnarounds so work stays consistent across a project
• Translate written briefs, scripts, and references into clear visual proposals

Illustration and finishing

• Deliver finished illustration across line, inks, and colour
• Work to an established brand or property style as well as developing new ones
• Produce sequential and panel-based work where a project calls for it
• Adapt artwork across formats, including print, social, web, and animation-ready assets
• Prepare clean, layered, correctly labelled files ready for handoff to animation, design, or print

Production and collaboration

• Estimate effort per piece and flag when a brief will not fit the time available
• Deliver in stages so feedback lands early rather than at the end
• Work alongside designers, animators, and the production team on shared projects
• Incorporate revisions accurately and flag when a revision conflicts with an earlier approval
• Maintain organised source files with sensible naming and version control
• Match effort, quality, and polish to the brief and deadline, and flag early where the two do not line up

Internal and client work

• Produce work for both the company's own brand and assigned client brands
• Hold distinct visual directions for each without letting one bleed into the other
• Apply the same standard to internal work as to client work

Requirements

• Degree or formal training in illustration, fine arts, animation, multimedia arts, or a related field. Equivalent professional experience and a strong portfolio are accepted in place of a degree.
• At least 2 years in a professional illustration, concept art, or visual development setting
• Startup or agency experience in a fast-moving, resource-conscious environment
• Experience working to a brief with revision rounds and client approval stages
• Experience delivering to deadline across multiple concurrent projects
• Experience preparing files for handoff to other disciplines

Portfolio

• A portfolio demonstrating concept work, finished illustration, inking, and colour
• Evidence of range, including at least one style that is clearly not your default
• Process work available on request, including thumbnails, roughs, and layered files
• All work must be your own. Collaborative pieces must state clearly what you did.

Technical knowledge

• Strong sketching skills, including anatomy, perspective, gesture, and composition
• Confident colour and light, including palette construction and mood
• Inking ability with genuine line control and weight variation
• Understanding of visual storytelling, including staging, silhouette, and eye flow
• Working knowledge of print and digital output requirements, including resolution, bleed, and colour space
• Ability to work efficiently at scale using reusable assets, grids, and established setups
• Motion or rigging awareness, so files arrive animation-ready

No AI condition

• No generative AI may be used in any part of the work produced for this role. This includes image generation, generative fill, AI upscaling, and AI-assisted line or colour work.
• Must be able to supply layered source files, process work, and timelapse or screen recording on request.
• Portfolio work and design test work submitted during hiring is subject to the same condition. Any undisclosed AI use in a submission ends the application.

Tools and platforms

• Clip Studio Paint, Procreate, or Photoshop as a primary tool
• Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Photoshop and Illustrator
• Familiarity with Figma for handoff
• Google Workspace, ClickUp or a comparable project management platform, and Slack

Communication

• Good written and spoken English, able to present work and explain choices
• Able to give a straight answer on progress, including when a piece is behind

Availability and commitment

• Full-time availability. This is not a part-time, freelance, or project-based engagement.
• Consistent working hours with advance notice for any planned absence

Equipment and workspace

• Reliable high-speed internet suitable for file transfer and team calls
• A computer capable of handling large multi-layer files and multiple applications simultaneously
• A drawing tablet or display tablet
• Clear microphone for adhoc reviews and team calls

Confidentiality and security

• Ability to protect unreleased artwork, client properties, and internal processes while working remotely
• Secure handling of source files, credentials, and access permissions
• Understanding that unreleased client IP may not be shared, posted, or added to a portfolio without written permission

NICE TO HAVE

Experience

• Involved in publishing a comic book, graphic novel, or webcomic work, whether professional or self-published
• Comic book art experience, including panel layout, lettering awareness, and page flow
• Storyboarding or animatic experience
• Character design for animation
• Experience with licensed properties or established style guides
• Lettering and balloon placement
• A second style you can work in convincingly

Perks and Benefits

• Fully remote
• Hourly-based
• Monthly payout
• Monthly reimbursable Wellness & Growth allowance after probation
• Quarterly Learning & Skill Workshops
• Creative and collaborative work culture
• Exposure to high-impact roles within a growing marketing team
• Work with purpose-driven organisations
• Work with flexible scheduling as tasks can be completed at your own pace, as long as all submissions and updates are delivered within set deadlines.
• Monday - Friday, 9 - 5 PM UK time required availability

How to Apply

Send your application to our form here. Our HR Partner will review submissions through our application form.

IMPORTANT:

Shortlisted applicants (based on portfolio) will be asked to complete a design test prior to the initial interview. The test evaluates technical skill, critical thinking, and design expertise, and must be submitted within 24 hours of receipt. You'll receive a submission form to upload your work and you're welcome to add a watermark for your own protection. We review all design submissions internally with our design QAs and may request additional information when necessary.