Aplications

Onward Star Studios is currently expanding its creative team as we begin production on our upcoming 2D animated series, Seedling. After securing our first $35,000 in production funding, we are moving forward with the pilot while continuing to raise additional funds to support the project’s development. We are looking for talented, passionate individuals to join our team and help bring this project to life.

2D Background Painter & Color Artist

Onward Star Studios is seeking a talented 2D Background Painter / Color Artist to work on our upcoming animated project, Seedling.

We are looking for an artist who specializes in digital painting, color, and environmental artwork. The position will focus exclusively on creating and painting the backgrounds and environments used throughout the series.

We will provide existing layouts, concepts, and creative direction. We are looking for someone who can take these materials and transform them into beautiful, colorful, and fully rendered environments.

Who We’re Looking For

Our ideal candidate specializes in 2D digital painting, background painting, and environmental artwork. A major part of Seedling’s visual identity revolves around plants and nature, so we are particularly interested in artists who are skilled at creating colorful, imaginative, and visually engaging natural environments.

We are specifically seeking established, professional-level artists with extensive experience and exceptionally strong portfolios. This is a high-paying professional production opportunity, not an entry-level position or a learning opportunity for beginners. Applicants should have a proven artistic background, a polished body of work, and the ability to consistently deliver artwork at a high professional standard.

We are looking for artists who can bring significant experience, creativity, and technical skill to our production team.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities will focus exclusively on background painting and environmental artwork, including:

Painting and rendering finished 2D backgrounds.
Coloring and developing existing background layouts and rough concepts.
Painting natural landscapes, forests, gardens, buildings, and interiors.
Developing colorful plant and botanical environments.
Applying lighting, shadows, textures, and environmental details.
Maintaining consistent colors and painting styles throughout the series.
Following existing layouts, concepts, and creative direction.
Working with the director to ensure backgrounds match the established visual style.

This position does not involve character design, animation, rigging, storyboarding, or scene layout development.

Ideal Background

We’re particularly interested in artists with experience in 2D background painting, digital painting, environment painting, children’s animation, independent animation, or television animation.

Professional television animation experience is preferred.

Experience with programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, or other digital painting software is a plus.

Portfolio

Your portfolio should ideally demonstrate finished 2D background paintings, environmental artwork, digital painting, landscapes, and/or plant and nature artwork.

We especially want to see artists who can take an existing layout or rough environmental concept and transform it into something colorful, original, charming, and visually memorable.

Examples of finished background paintings created without traditional outlines are particularly encouraged.

Compensation is negotiable based on experience, portfolio, availability, and level of involvement.

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Animator — 2D Cartoon Animation & Character Animation

Onward Star Studios is seeking experienced and creative 2D Animators to help bring our upcoming animated project, Seedling, to life.

We are looking for animators who are comfortable working with both rigged animation and traditional frame-by-frame animation. Because Seedling was designed without traditional line art, our characters and visual style allow for a combination of animation techniques, including rig-based animation.

We are particularly interested in animators who have a strong understanding of cartoon movement, character expression, timing, and storytelling, and who can bring personality and life to relatively simplistic character designs.

Who We’re Looking For

Our ideal candidate has experience in 2D cartoon animation and is comfortable working across different animation techniques.

A major part of Seedling revolves around plants, nature, and botanical characters, so we are particularly interested in animators who are familiar with or have experience animating:

Plant-based characters and botanical designs
Expressive cartoon characters and facial expressions
Character acting, body movement, and personality
Stylized movement commonly found in children’s cartoons
Both rigged animation and traditional frame-by-frame animation

We aren’t simply looking for someone who can make characters move. We’re looking for animators who understand how to bring characters to life through movement, personality, expression, and storytelling.

Responsibilities

Animators will work alongside the director and other members of the animation team to bring characters, environments, and scenes to life while maintaining the project’s established visual style.

Responsibilities may include:

Animating 2D cartoon characters and scenes
Creating both rigged animations and traditional frame-by-frame animations
Working with character rigs and developing animation cycles
Creating expressive character movements, facial expressions, and reactions
Animating plant-based characters and botanical elements
Creating walk cycles, idle animations, gestures, and other character movements
Maintaining consistent character proportions and visual styles
Working with storyboards, character designs, and animation references
Collaborating with the director and art department to achieve the intended movement and visual direction
Reviewing and revising animations based on creative feedback
Preparing completed animations for integration into the production

Ideal Background

We’re particularly interested in animators with experience in 2D cartoon animation, children’s animation, television animation, independent animation, or animated film production.

Experience working on cartoons, animated series, independent films, or other character-driven animation projects is highly desirable.

Professional animation experience is valuable, but a strong portfolio, technical ability, and understanding of character animation are more important to us than a specific job title.

Experience with programs such as Adobe Animate, Adobe After Effects, Toon Boom Harmony, Adobe Photoshop, or other 2D animation software is a plus.

We are especially interested in candidates who have experience using Adobe Animate and understand both rig-based and frame-by-frame animation workflows.