Lead Concept Artist

Fanatics Collectibles • Seattle, WA

2h • $138,000 - $187,500

About The Position

Fanatics Collectibles is building the next generation of trading card games. The Fanatics TCG studio exists to create original worlds that can endure for decades — expressed through gameplay, art, story, collectibles, and community. Our ambition is not simply to launch games, but to build iconic franchises that become deeply embedded in culture and fandom over time. We are assembling a world-class creative team capable of building genre-defining universes from the ground up, and we are seeking a Lead Concept Artist to help shape the visual identity of those worlds at the highest level. This is a rare opportunity for an artist who wants to move beyond production execution and play a foundational role in defining the artistic vision, emotional tone, and visual DNA of entirely new franchises. The Lead Concept Artist will serve as a senior creative leader within the Fanatics TCG studio, helping establish and elevate the visual direction of our original IPs across characters, worlds, factions, environments, cultures, and key moments. This role goes beyond creating exceptional artwork. We are looking for someone who can help define the creative bar for the studio — a highly conceptual thinker with exceptional artistic taste, strong worldbuilding instincts, and the ability to guide visual development at both a strategic and executional level. You will partner closely with Creative Leadership, Design, Product, Narrative, and external artists to shape the foundational imagery and visual storytelling that will influence entire franchises for years to come. The ideal candidate combines elite-level craft with leadership, mentorship, and the ability to bring clarity and cohesion to large-scale creative exploration.

Requirements

• An exceptional portfolio demonstrating world-class concept art, visual storytelling, taste, and originality
• Expertise in one or more areas such as character design, creature design, environment design, costume design, or visual worldbuilding
• Deep understanding of composition, shape language, lighting, color, mood, cinematic storytelling, and franchise visual development
• Strong understanding of how concept art translates into scalable production pipelines
• Ability to lead visual exploration from ambiguity into clear and compelling creative direction
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills within highly creative and iterative environments
• Strong mentorship instincts and ability to elevate the work of others
• Genuine passion for fantasy, sci-fi, games, trading card games, and immersive worldbuilding

Nice To Haves

• 8+ years of experience in concept art, visual development, or franchise development within games, film, animation, publishing, or related industries
• Experience contributing to original IP creation or long-term franchise development
• Experience leading or mentoring artists within collaborative creative environments
• Experience working with external studios, freelancers, or outsourcing partners
• Strong understanding of collectible-driven art and fan engagement
• Passion for TCGs, gaming culture, fantasy art, and visual storytelling ecosystems

Responsibilities

• Define the Visual Identity of Original Worlds
• Lead the visual development of original TCG universes from earliest exploration through established franchise direction
• Create concept art that defines tone, atmosphere, visual language, emotional resonance, and world cohesion
• Help establish iconic characters, creatures, factions, environments, props, symbols, and visual motifs that become foundational to the franchise
• Push visual exploration beyond expected genre conventions to create distinct, memorable, and ownable worlds
• Drive Creative Vision & Artistic Excellence
• Help establish and uphold the artistic quality bar across the studio
• Influence visual direction through strong creative authorship, taste, and storytelling instincts
• Develop foundational artwork and visual targets that guide both internal teams and external partners
• Ensure consistency and cohesion across multiple visual initiatives and evolving franchise needs
• Contribute to long-term franchise identity and visual evolution strategy
• Collaborate Across Leadership & Development Teams
• Partner closely with Creative Directors, Game Designers, Narrative, Product, and Brand teams during early ideation and worldbuilding
• Translate abstract ideas, themes, and gameplay pillars into compelling visual direction
• Participate in high-level creative discussions influencing the future direction of original IP development
• Help align visual storytelling with gameplay, player fantasy, emotional engagement, and collectible appeal
• Mentor & Elevate the Creative Team
• Provide guidance, feedback, mentorship, and artistic direction to internal artists and external partners
• Help shape the studio’s artistic culture through collaboration, critique, references, and visual leadership
• Support external vendors and freelance artists to ensure alignment with franchise quality and direction
• Contribute to the development of scalable visual development pipelines and workflows
• Explore, Experiment & Innovate
• Drive rapid visual ideation and concept exploration across multiple creative directions
• Balance highly polished presentation work with fast iterative sketch and exploratory workflows
• Bring curiosity, experimentation, and fresh perspective into the development process
• Continuously push for stronger originality, emotional impact, and artistic differentiation

Benefits

• This is an opportunity to help create entirely new worlds at scale — worlds that will live across games, collectibles, communities, and global fandom for years to come.
• At Fanatics TCG, artists are not simply supporting production. They are helping define the emotional and visual identity of original franchises from the ground up.
• As a Lead Concept Artist, your work will shape the images, characters, and worlds that players and collectors connect with for years — potentially decades — into the future.
• If you want to build something enduring, ambitious, and culturally meaningful, we’d love to hear from you.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed