Painterly 2D Animation - 20/06/2026 10:46 EDT

Open

Prize:

$100 USD

Entries Received:

14 hours, 29 minutes remaining

Visual Development & Art Style Challenge ❌ AI-generated images Future Opportunity: The selected artist may be invited to join the larger development team for ongoing paid work including character development, world-building, visual development, storyboards, animation design, and franchise expansion. Project Overview Lira is an original animated fantasy adventure inspired by Mediterranean mythology, celestial folklore, music, and classic storybook illustration. The story follows Lira, a young musician gifted with a magical lyre whose music can heal, inspire, and alter destiny itself. Her journey takes her across oceans, ancient cities, celestial realms, and forgotten kingdoms as she confronts gods, monsters, and the constellations themselves. We are searching for artists who can help define a distinctive visual identity for the project, not simply imitate existing animation styles. Artistic Goal We are seeking artwork that combines: * Hand-painted storybook illustration * Mediterranean fantasy influences * Celestial and astronomical motifs * Painterly texture and visible brushwork * Warm, emotional character design * Rich environmental storytelling * A timeless animated-film quality Inspirations (for tone only) * Classic European storybooks * Golden-age animation background painting * Mediterranean coastal architecture * Renaissance and Pre-Raphaelite color sensibilities * Modern painterly animation development art Do not simply copy Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks, Ghibli, or existing properties. We are looking for a unique visual language. Contest Deliverables Artists should submit: 1. Character Illustration Create your interpretation of Lira based on the supplied character materials. Include: * Full-color illustration * Painterly rendering * Strong emotional expression * Focus on silhouette and personality 2. Style Exploration Show how you would evolve the visual language. Examples: * Brushwork studies * Texture tests * Color palette explorations * Lighting experiments * Shape language 3. Environment Concept One environment inspired by the world: Examples: * Cantilena * Venice-inspired coastal city * Aquamarina * Celestial realm * Star temples * Mythological coastlines What We Are Evaluating We are NOT looking for: ❌ Generic Disney imitation ❌ AI-generated images ❌ Anime clones ❌ Stock fantasy art We ARE looking for: ✅ Originality ✅ Painterly craftsmanship ✅ Strong storytelling ✅ Memorable shapes and silhouettes ✅ Emotional warmth ✅ World-building potential ✅ A style that could support an animated feature or series Future Development Opportunity The winning artist may be considered for additional paid work including: * Character development * Visual development * World-building * Story illustration * Animation development This contest is intended to identify artists interested in helping shape the long-term future of the project.

Guaranteed

Skills Required

2D Animation

2D Animation Explainer Video

3D Animation

After Effects

Animation

Digital Art

Motion Graphics

Toon Boom

Accepted File Formats

gif, jpeg, jpg, png

Clarification Board
No spam, self-promotion or advertisement is permitted.

Mohammad Anowar H.

@mdshuvoahmed8

3 days ago

Hello, I reviewed the attached reference PDF, but it appears to be blank or corrupted on my end. I’m unable to view the character inspiration materials for Lira. Would it be possible to re-upload the reference files or provide the intended character sheets and visual references? Thank you.

Shailesh M.

@shaileshmbusines

3 days ago

Hello. the uploaded files are corroupt. please reupload them

Subhajit B.

@barik9609

3 days ago

Please check my work #76

Kamal A.

@KamalGraphics22

3 days ago

Hi, the character reference PDF appears to be corrupted or not displaying correctly. The PNG file also appears blank. Could you please re-upload the character sheets and reference materials so artists can accurately interpret Lira and the visual direction?

Talita L.

@talitalima2303

5 days ago

Hello , the provided reference files are corrupted ,and impossible to see ,can you reload then or send via chat for me ,please

Eleonora A.

@Heleonore

4 days ago

Hi, I would like to participate but the attached files are corrupt. I can't see them. If you want you can send them via chat. Thank you

Subhajit B.

@barik9609

5 days ago

Sir please check my work #57 and give me a valuable rating.

Haroldiane M.

@DianaMaciel

6 days ago

The provided files are corruped.

Hussein A.

@alfadhlihus

6 days ago

Hi Contest Holder, Freelancer attachments are currently displaying incorrectly — images appear blank/distorted and PDFs may open empty. Could you please re-upload the references as a ZIP file or share a Google Drive/Dropbox link so we can follow the brief accurately?