Photoshop 2D Rig Layering
Budget: $30 – $250 USD
I have a batch of more than ten finished character illustrations—mix of humans and animals—that now need to be broken into clean, well-named Photoshop layers so my animation team can rig them in our 2D pipeline.
For each character I only require the functional rig parts: separate the head, torso, arms, hands, legs, and feet (plus tail or ears where applicable) into individual layers or groups. No clothing, accessories, or facial expression passes are needed at this stage; focus purely on the core body parts so we can establish the base skeleton quickly.
The source art is provided as high-resolution flattened PNGs and, where available, the original PSDs. You’ll return a neatly organised PSD per character, keeping original colours and line quality intact, with layers named clearly (e.g., Head, UpperArm_L, Forearm_R). Please avoid any extra effects or colour adjustments.
Accuracy and consistency across all files are critical, as the riggers will import straight from your PSDs. If you already work with animation tools like Spine, Live2D, or Moho, you’ll know exactly how precise pivot placement and overlap cuts need to be—that experience is a plus but not mandatory.
When you respond, let me know your typical turnaround time per character and share a sample of previous layer-separation work if possible.
Project Overview
We're producing a flat 2D animated children's series (Caribbean-set, cel-shaded illustration style). We have completed, approved flat character model sheets (single-layer PNGs) for our cast, and we now need those flat images broken apart into separated Photoshop layers so a rigger can build puppet rigs from them in Toon Boom Harmony.
This is NOT an illustration or design job. No drawing, redesigning, or artistic decision-making is required. This is precise, mechanical image-editing work: selecting, masking, and cleaning up existing artwork.
What You'll Be Given
For each character, a flat, single-layer PNG turnaround sheet showing:
Front view, 3/4 view, and side profile (full body)
A 4-6 panel facial expression sheet
Plain white/neutral background, no scenery
What You Need to Deliver
For each character, a single layered PSD file with the character's body cleanly separated into individual, clearly named layers, ready to be rigged (cut-out/puppet-style animation).
Required layer breakdown (adjust based on the character's actual pose/complexity):
Head (hair/ears included as one piece unless otherwise noted)
Torso
Upper arm — left / right
Forearm — left / right (only if the pose has a bend at the elbow; otherwise combine with upper arm)
Hand — left / right
Upper leg — left / right
Lower leg — left / right (only if the pose has a bend at the knee; otherwise combine with upper leg)
Foot — left / right
Any distinct props or accessories the character is holding or wearing (e.g., a bag, tool, glasses) as their own separate layer(s)
Simpler, more static poses (arms at sides, standing straight) need fewer splits. More dynamic poses (bent limbs, overlapping props) need more granular splits so the rigger can articulate each joint independently.
Step-by-step process we expect:
Select each body part cleanly using the Lasso, Pen tool, or Quick Selection (Pen tool preferred for the cleanest edges)
Copy each selected part onto its own new layer
Fill in the gap left behind on the layer underneath (e.g., if you cut out an arm, the torso layer will have an arm-shaped hole where it used to be covered — that hole needs to be patched with the correct flat color/shading so nothing shows a "hole" when the rig moves)
Content-Aware Fill works well for this on our flat, cel-shaded style (bold outlines, flat colors, minimal texture/gradient) — manual patching only if Content-Aware Fill leaves visible smudging or seams
Clean up all seams/edges at 100–200% zoom — no white halos, no jagged selection edges
Ensure every layer has a fully transparent background (not white)
Name every layer clearly and consistently (e.g., head, torso, arm_L_upper, arm_R_upper, hand_L, leg_L_upper, foot_R, etc.) — no default Photoshop layer names
Save/deliver as a properly organized .psd with all layers intact (do not flatten)
Required Skills
Strong working knowledge of Photoshop selection and masking tools (Lasso, Pen tool, Quick Selection, Select and Mask)
Experience with Content-Aware Fill and/or manual clone/patch techniques for filling in removed areas
Comfort working with flat, cel-shaded/vector-style illustration (not photographic retouching)
Meticulous attention to clean edges and consistent, logical layer naming
Ability to follow a written brief precisely and flag ambiguous cases (e.g., unclear where to split a limb) rather than guessing
Not Required
Illustration or drawing skill
Character design or concept art experience
AI image generation experience
Scope & Volume
Trial run: 1 character (we'll provide this first to confirm quality and process fit before further hires)
Full scope: up to 17 character sheets, each with 3 body views + expression panels
What "Approved" Looks Like (Quality Checklist)
All body parts cleanly separated per the required layer breakdown above
No visible gaps, holes, or mismatched color patches where parts were removed
No white halos or jagged edges at seams
All layers have transparent backgrounds
Layers are clearly and consistently named
File delivered as an unflattened .psd
Rate Structure
Please quote a flat per-character rate (rather than open-ended hourly billing) based on the sample character sheet provided, including one round of revisions if seams or gaps need touch-up.
For each character I only require the functional rig parts: separate the head, torso, arms, hands, legs, and feet (plus tail or ears where applicable) into individual layers or groups. No clothing, accessories, or facial expression passes are needed at this stage; focus purely on the core body parts so we can establish the base skeleton quickly.
The source art is provided as high-resolution flattened PNGs and, where available, the original PSDs. You’ll return a neatly organised PSD per character, keeping original colours and line quality intact, with layers named clearly (e.g., Head, UpperArm_L, Forearm_R). Please avoid any extra effects or colour adjustments.
Accuracy and consistency across all files are critical, as the riggers will import straight from your PSDs. If you already work with animation tools like Spine, Live2D, or Moho, you’ll know exactly how precise pivot placement and overlap cuts need to be—that experience is a plus but not mandatory.
When you respond, let me know your typical turnaround time per character and share a sample of previous layer-separation work if possible.
Project Overview
We're producing a flat 2D animated children's series (Caribbean-set, cel-shaded illustration style). We have completed, approved flat character model sheets (single-layer PNGs) for our cast, and we now need those flat images broken apart into separated Photoshop layers so a rigger can build puppet rigs from them in Toon Boom Harmony.
This is NOT an illustration or design job. No drawing, redesigning, or artistic decision-making is required. This is precise, mechanical image-editing work: selecting, masking, and cleaning up existing artwork.
What You'll Be Given
For each character, a flat, single-layer PNG turnaround sheet showing:
Front view, 3/4 view, and side profile (full body)
A 4-6 panel facial expression sheet
Plain white/neutral background, no scenery
What You Need to Deliver
For each character, a single layered PSD file with the character's body cleanly separated into individual, clearly named layers, ready to be rigged (cut-out/puppet-style animation).
Required layer breakdown (adjust based on the character's actual pose/complexity):
Head (hair/ears included as one piece unless otherwise noted)
Torso
Upper arm — left / right
Forearm — left / right (only if the pose has a bend at the elbow; otherwise combine with upper arm)
Hand — left / right
Upper leg — left / right
Lower leg — left / right (only if the pose has a bend at the knee; otherwise combine with upper leg)
Foot — left / right
Any distinct props or accessories the character is holding or wearing (e.g., a bag, tool, glasses) as their own separate layer(s)
Simpler, more static poses (arms at sides, standing straight) need fewer splits. More dynamic poses (bent limbs, overlapping props) need more granular splits so the rigger can articulate each joint independently.
Step-by-step process we expect:
Select each body part cleanly using the Lasso, Pen tool, or Quick Selection (Pen tool preferred for the cleanest edges)
Copy each selected part onto its own new layer
Fill in the gap left behind on the layer underneath (e.g., if you cut out an arm, the torso layer will have an arm-shaped hole where it used to be covered — that hole needs to be patched with the correct flat color/shading so nothing shows a "hole" when the rig moves)
Content-Aware Fill works well for this on our flat, cel-shaded style (bold outlines, flat colors, minimal texture/gradient) — manual patching only if Content-Aware Fill leaves visible smudging or seams
Clean up all seams/edges at 100–200% zoom — no white halos, no jagged selection edges
Ensure every layer has a fully transparent background (not white)
Name every layer clearly and consistently (e.g., head, torso, arm_L_upper, arm_R_upper, hand_L, leg_L_upper, foot_R, etc.) — no default Photoshop layer names
Save/deliver as a properly organized .psd with all layers intact (do not flatten)
Required Skills
Strong working knowledge of Photoshop selection and masking tools (Lasso, Pen tool, Quick Selection, Select and Mask)
Experience with Content-Aware Fill and/or manual clone/patch techniques for filling in removed areas
Comfort working with flat, cel-shaded/vector-style illustration (not photographic retouching)
Meticulous attention to clean edges and consistent, logical layer naming
Ability to follow a written brief precisely and flag ambiguous cases (e.g., unclear where to split a limb) rather than guessing
Not Required
Illustration or drawing skill
Character design or concept art experience
AI image generation experience
Scope & Volume
Trial run: 1 character (we'll provide this first to confirm quality and process fit before further hires)
Full scope: up to 17 character sheets, each with 3 body views + expression panels
What "Approved" Looks Like (Quality Checklist)
All body parts cleanly separated per the required layer breakdown above
No visible gaps, holes, or mismatched color patches where parts were removed
No white halos or jagged edges at seams
All layers have transparent backgrounds
Layers are clearly and consistently named
File delivered as an unflattened .psd
Rate Structure
Please quote a flat per-character rate (rather than open-ended hourly billing) based on the sample character sheet provided, including one round of revisions if seams or gaps need touch-up.