Background Painter/Illustrator

BEFORE YOU APPLY: Please read the compensation information at the bottom of the page!

OVERVIEW

We are currently looking for Background Painters/Illustrators for our ongoing comic book development that we are running similarly to a TV show/movie (Art Directors, Producers, Concept Art before “shooting it” (pencilling, inking etc.)).

4-minute video that explains everything about the project - it's focused on Concept Artists but still applies! 👉 https://youtu.be/4px-xOubioQ 👈

ABOUT THE COMPANY

We are creating films, games, and comics - stories with soul - for our own fantasy universe (think Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, etc., but smaller - for now hehe). We started 4 years ago as a small team of folks who were initially supposed to package a TV show. Finding ourselves unwilling to sign away our IP, we decided to build out the universe ourselves to retain (creative) control. Now, 4 years later, our rag-tag band of pirates has grown to over 150 members (far over 200 depending on how you count).

Our current slate includes 3 short films (2 in active development, 1 in post production, 30min each), a comic book series (9 issues of Season 1, 45 pages/issue), and two games (one Card Game online and offline version featuring our characters and factions, and one TTRPG with one shots, campaign rules, and region expansions). We also produce music, art, and have our own in-house media marketing element and ops.

We have been working on getting greenlight, production up, worldbuilding ready, and marketing infrastructure set up. Now our task is mostly about improving the existing processes and bringing us into our first launches with financial implications (thus far, we took on some investment but have not made revenue yet - you first have to make a film to make box office).

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Create detailed background illustrations and environments for our ongoing Graphic Novel, working closely with foreground artists, art directors and producers
• Translate concepts and briefs into final, production-ready background artwork
• Gather references and develop mood boards and visual studies to support environment design
• Conduct research to ensure environments feel believable, immersive, and grounded in the world’s logic
• Work within a realistic fantasy style, maintaining consistency with the project’s visual identity
• Illustrate a variety of settings, including landscapes, architecture, interiors, crowds and atmospheric scenes
• Collaborate with concept artists and other illustrators to ensure visual continuity across scenes and assets in the graphic novel
• Adapt illustrations based on feedback from creative leadership and production needs

YOU

• Proactive attitude toward skill development and continuous improvement
• Strong experience in environment/background illustration (natural and/or architectural)
• Excellent understanding of perspective, lighting, composition, and depth
• Ability to create immersive scenes with strong storytelling and atmosphere
• Comfortable working within and adapting to a defined artistic style (realistic fantasy)
• Transparent, reliable, and responsive communication
• Professional working proficiency in English
• Understanding of lighting for storytelling (mood, time of day, cinematic framing)
• Ability to work efficiently with layered files and production-ready formats

Bonus:

• Experience working in comic production pipelines or cinematic environments
• Knowledge of 3D tools (e.g., Blender) for layout, blockouts, or perspective support

COMPENSATION DETAILS

Time Investment:

Part-time. Approximately 5-15 hours/week (flexible week on week, as we understand you may have other commitments) - you set your own boundaries and communicate your availability.

Salary:

At this point, there is no salary for anyone in our team (from the CEO to the producers to the set runner, nobody draws a salary). We instead give parts of the profit away:

Profit Participation:

We are currently in the development of a profit share/royalty system that will award everyone who is part of the project a piece of the pie without causing any upfront taxation. Upon request for an interview, we will send you a detailed breakdown so you can make a decision on whether or not you want to continue with the application. This is fundamentally an investment contract (time invested, profit participation/royalties gained), and as a result, we are happy to support any due diligence you want to undergo ahead of joining.

Thank you very much for considering the collaboration.

We hope to see you on the other side and that we grow together on these exciting projects!

All the best,

Your Soul Atlas Team