I’m William McGuire, a senior illustrator, concept artist, and animator with 20+ years of experience creating character-driven art for film, games, and brands. I love turning undefined ideas into concrete, engaging visuals by guiding projects from mood boards and rough sketches to final renderings and animations. I’ve collaborated with a wide range of studios and brands, including Nickelodeon, Microsoft, Disney World, Warner Bros., Universal Studios, NPR, and numerous publishing and education clients. My work spans freelance, in-house, and leadership roles across illustration, animation, and toy design, always focusing on clear visual storytelling, high-quality renderings, and cohesive art direction across platforms.

William McGuire

I’m William McGuire, a senior illustrator, concept artist, and animator with 20+ years of experience creating character-driven art for film, games, and brands. I love turning undefined ideas into concrete, engaging visuals by guiding projects from mood boards and rough sketches to final renderings and animations. I’ve collaborated with a wide range of studios and brands, including Nickelodeon, Microsoft, Disney World, Warner Bros., Universal Studios, NPR, and numerous publishing and education clients. My work spans freelance, in-house, and leadership roles across illustration, animation, and toy design, always focusing on clear visual storytelling, high-quality renderings, and cohesive art direction across platforms.

Available to hire

I’m William McGuire, a senior illustrator, concept artist, and animator with 20+ years of experience creating character-driven art for film, games, and brands. I love turning undefined ideas into concrete, engaging visuals by guiding projects from mood boards and rough sketches to final renderings and animations.

I’ve collaborated with a wide range of studios and brands, including Nickelodeon, Microsoft, Disney World, Warner Bros., Universal Studios, NPR, and numerous publishing and education clients. My work spans freelance, in-house, and leadership roles across illustration, animation, and toy design, always focusing on clear visual storytelling, high-quality renderings, and cohesive art direction across platforms.

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Work Experience

Freelance Illustrator/Character Artist/Animator at Self-Employed / Freelance
January 1, 1995 - Present
Freelance illustrator, concept artist, and animator delivering end-to-end creative services from mood boards and roughs to color exploration, renderings, and animations. Manages client contracts, approvals, revisions, and promotions; conducts trend research and style exploration to guide projects and client presentations.
Designer/Character Artist/Animator at Elevated Games Inc
January 1, 2020 - December 31, 2021
Designed and implemented the team-wide work pipeline and approval process; led cross-disciplinary collaboration; sole developer of Ultraman/Kaiju character design, backgrounds, props; prepared character model sheets and animation presentations for corporate approval; oversaw rigging and 3D model teams; built a comprehensive library of character animation and conduct brand-consistent research on Ultraman history.
Senior Illustrator/Lead Character Artist/Animator at Recur Forever
January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2025
Illustration, rendering, and style exploration for a wide range of licensed Nickelodeon/Paramount characters; produced dozens of pose, expression, and prop variations; on-model renderings for entire NFT lines; conducted IP research for consistency and brand alignment.
Senior Illustrator/Concept Artist/Animator III at BigFish Game Studios
January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2021
Developed mascot characters (Squinions) and environment/game map concepts; performed 2D/3D animation, rendering, and asset creation; led promotional visuals and campaign artwork; contributed to art direction across multiple title campaigns.
Senior Illustrator/Concept Artist/Animator at Amazon Game Studios
January 1, 2011 - December 31, 2014
One of the original members of Amazon Game Studios; helped transition the studio from 2D (Flash) to 3D (Maya); concepting, character/environment design, rendering, and 2D animation for Living Legends; lead artist on game chapters; contributed to game design and Unity asset integration for multiple titles.
Senior Animator at Splainers Inc
January 1, 2019 - December 31, 2020
Consulted with local and national clients on explainer videos; concepted projects from start to finish, storyboard production, and client presentations; produced assets, backgrounds, and After Effects animation; provided ongoing project progress updates and on-the-fly adjustments.

Education

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Qualifications

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Industry Experience

Gaming, Media & Entertainment, Software & Internet, Professional Services