Gaming Contract Work from Office

Concept Artist

Company: Nintendo

Location: Austin, Texas, USA

Job Type: Contract

About the Role

Retro Studios, a Nintendo-owned game development studio, is seeking a talented Concept Artist to support the visual development of its upcoming game projects. This onsite contract role focuses on creating compelling concept art for characters, environments, props, effects, and gameplay experiences.

The position offers the opportunity to collaborate with world-class developers and artists while contributing to visually rich AAA game productions known for creativity and gameplay excellence.

Job Overview

The Concept Artist will work closely with art leadership, designers, and development teams to establish the artistic direction and visual consistency of game worlds and characters. This role requires strong drawing skills, visual storytelling ability, and adaptability across realistic and stylized art styles.

The artist will contribute gameplay thumbnails, concept illustrations, storyboards, and promotional artwork while supporting iterative game development throughout production cycles.

Key Responsibilities

  • Visual Development: Collaborate with Art Directors and Designers to establish visual direction for characters, environments, props, and boss encounters.
  • Gameplay Concepting: Create gameplay thumbnails and visual sequences that communicate interactions, mechanics, and gameplay flow.
  • Concept Art Creation: Produce concept sketches, paintings, reference sheets, breakdowns, and digital illustrations for various game assets.
  • Art Style Adaptation: Work across realistic and stylized visual styles while maintaining strong composition, color, and storytelling principles.
  • Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Partner with Design, Engineering, and Art teams to ensure high-quality visual solutions throughout development.
  • Storyboarding: Develop storyboards, background illustrations, and promotional artwork for game presentations and production needs.
  • Research & Feedback: Conduct visual research and provide constructive artistic feedback to support overall project quality.

Qualifications

  • 3 or more years of gaming industry experience as a Concept Artist.
  • Experience contributing to at least one shipped AAA game title.
  • Strong online portfolio demonstrating character and environment concept art.
  • Excellent 2D drawing skills with knowledge of composition, perspective, lighting, and color theory.
  • Experience using 3D modeling and rendering tools such as Maya or Blender.
  • Ability to execute a broad range of artistic styles and visual directions.
  • Strong communication, collaboration, and professional feedback skills.

Education

  • Undergraduate degree in an art-related field preferred.
  • Completion of an intensive art training program may be considered.
  • Equivalent professional experience and portfolio work are acceptable alternatives.

Benefits

  • Paid weekly compensation.
  • Health care benefits available.
  • Paid time off and paid holidays.
  • Access to Nintendo employee discounts.
  • Opportunity to work onsite with Retro Studios in Austin, Texas.

Retro Studios offers a unique opportunity for concept artists passionate about AAA game development and visual storytelling. If you are excited about creating imaginative worlds, dynamic characters, and visually engaging gameplay experiences, this role could be an excellent next step in your creative career.

Apply Now

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