Adult Animated Series Concept Artist

We are looking for a concept artist to create and visualise characters, creatures and environments for an original British adult animated series. The project has a completed pilot script and series bible, and follows five barbers who lead double lives after the shop closes, including a DJ, underground fighter, delivery courier, hospital worker and dancer. We need character design sketches and turnarounds for the five lead characters, based on bios we will provide.

Visual Style & References
Urban British barbershop realism, blended with high-end animation craft and gritty, textured detail. Three shows anchor the look:

• The Boondocks (Season 2-3): Reference for detail and fluid animation — sharp linework, dramatic lighting, and highly expressive posing.
• Black Dynamite: Primary reference for texture and skin tone. Avoid flat, single-tone browns — skin should read rich, warm, and realistically textured under barbershop lighting. Notice the warm, richly modelled skin, structured volume given to natural hair, and confident, dynamic line work.
• Samurai Champloo: Reference for overall vibe. Take the realism of a British urban barbershop and filter it through anime fluidity, scored by the rhythmic pulse of UK Black music. Expect painterly backgrounds set against fluid, stylised character movement.

Character Roster

FLEX - Owner and DJ, early 40s, Black

• Physicality: Lean, wiry and sharp. Not bulky, but highly defined and precise.
• Design notes: Confident, relaxed stance. Fitted bomber jacket, tailored slim-fit trousers, clean low-top trainers, beanie. Linework should emphasise the structure of his shoulders and the sharp creases in his clothing.

LUCKY -, 25, mixed-race woman, Bare-knuckle fighter

• Physicality: Built and athletic, with defined muscle through the arms and core - she needs to read as a genuinely believable fighter.
• Design notes: Balance femininity with functional physicality: a softer silhouette through the face and hips, set against brutal, scarred knuckles and a sturdy fighting stance. Shading should do real work here, showing the tension in the muscle.

Notes for the Designer

• Tone: Mature and culturally sharp, not shock-comedy or gross-out. The humour comes from specificity and warmth, with room for real moments — grief, identity, belonging — alongside the comedy.
• Sample Work: We’re specifically looking for a piece with three or more Black characters in the same frame — show us how you varied skin tone, hair and features between them. That single thing tells us more than a full portfolio review.