Hiring a Freelance Trading Card Illustrator: What to Know | Schotter Studio

General / 15 June 2025


If you’re developing a trading card game — for tabletop, Kickstarter, or a digital platform — hiring the right illustrator is key. Great card art helps your game stand out, tell a story, and connect with players. In this guide, you’ll learn what to look for when hiring a trading card illustrator and how to make the process smooth.

If you’d like to see examples of my comic-style, cartoon-style, and hand-drawn card illustrations, visit my trading cards portfolio 

Why Strong Trading Card Art Matters

The artwork on your cards does more than look good — it defines your game’s identity. Great trading card art:

  • Helps players quickly recognize card types and abilities

  • Adds depth and lore to your world

  • Builds excitement for collectors and backers

  • Creates a memorable visual style

For fantasy and sci-fi card games, comic-style and hand-drawn art helps bring characters, creatures, and artifacts to life.

What to Look for in a Trading Card Illustrator

When hiring an illustrator for trading cards:

  • Review their portfolio for detailed, clean small-format art

  • Look for consistency so your card set feels cohesive

  • Choose an artist experienced in comic-style, cartoon-style, or hand-drawn illustration if that fits your theme

  • Ensure they can work with your card dimensions and template requirements

Learn more about my card game services here: services page.

How the Commissioning Process Works

Here’s what to expect:

  1. You provide style references, templates, and asset lists

  2. I provide concept sketches for your review

  3. After feedback, I create the final detailed, colored art

  4. You receive layered files (PSD, PNG) ready for print or digital use

Clear communication ensures the artwork fits your vision and production needs.

Rights and Licensing for Card Art

Make sure your agreement covers:

  • Commercial use rights for printing and selling your cards

  • Whether the artwork is exclusive

  • What file formats will be delivered

This protects your project and ensures clarity.

Budgeting for Trading Card Illustrations

The cost of card art depends on:

  • Number of illustrations required

  • Complexity of the designs

  • Style (comic-style, cartoon-style, hand-drawn)

High-quality card art is a valuable investment. It helps attract players, backers, and publishers.

Ready to Hire a Trading Card Illustrator for Your Game?

Hiring a trading card illustrator is about finding someone who can balance detail, clarity, and style at small scale. I specialize in comic-style, cartoon-style, and hand-drawn illustrations that bring fantasy and sci-fi trading card games to life.

If you’re ready to bring your game’s cards to life, visit my contact page to get in touch.

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How to Hire a 2D Game Artist for Indie Game Projects | Schotter Studio

General / 14 June 2025


Hiring the right 2D game artist is one of the most important steps in creating a successful indie game. Whether you’re designing a platformer, RPG, or point-and-click adventure, high-quality 2D art helps your game stand out, tell a story, and connect with players. This guide explains how to hire a 2D game artist who can bring your vision to life.

If you want to see examples of comic-style, cartoon-style, and hand-drawn game art, visit my portfolio 

Why Hire a 2D Game Artist for Indie Games?

Strong visual design gives your game a unique identity and helps players engage with your world. A 2D game artist can provide:

  • Bold, character-driven designs with personality

  • Hand-drawn backgrounds that build atmosphere

  • User interface elements that match your game’s style

  • Game-ready assets that integrate cleanly into your engine

For point-and-click games, comic-style and cartoon-style art works especially well because it enhances storytelling and makes environments visually rich without overwhelming gameplay.

What to Look for When Hiring a 2D Game Artist

When you hire a 2D game artist, review their portfolio carefully. Look for:

  • Experience creating assets specifically for indie games

  • Consistency in comic-style, cartoon-style, or hand-drawn illustration

  • Characters and environments that support narrative and gameplay

  • Work that fits point-and-click adventures, platformers, or story-driven games

An artist who understands how their art fits into your game — not just someone who creates nice images — will save you time and make your project stronger.

The Process of Working with a 2D Game Artist

Here’s what to expect when you commission 2D game art:

  1. You provide a clear brief, including style references and asset requirements

  2. The artist provides sketches or concepts for review

  3. After your feedback, they move to line art, color, and final polish

  4. You receive layered, clean files (e.g. PSD, PNG) ready for integration

To learn more about my process and what I offer, visit my services page

Licensing and Commercial Rights

Make sure the agreement covers:

  • Commercial use rights for your game

  • Whether the art is exclusive (important for main characters, branding, or key backgrounds)

  • Formats you’ll receive

This protects both you and the artist and avoids problems later.

Budgeting for 2D Game Art

The cost of 2D game art varies based on:

  • The number and complexity of assets

  • The level of detail

  • Style (comic-style, cartoon-style, hand-drawn art)

High-quality art is an investment in your game’s success. Especially in point-and-click games, where visuals drive much of the player’s experience, polished art is essential.

Conclusion

Hiring a 2D game artist is about more than finding someone who can draw. It’s about choosing an illustrator who understands how to create clean, expressive art that fits your game and helps tell your story.

If you’re looking to hire a 2D game artist who specializes in comic-style, cartoon-style, and hand-drawn art for indie games and point-and-click adventures, I’d love to hear about your project. Visit my contact page

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