Create a Plush Toy Character
Budget: $250 – $750 USD
Character Concept Artist for Children's Breathwork Brand (Contract)
I'm looking for a character designer to refine and finalize an existing children's character into a polished, production-ready property that can live across a picture book, printed materials, presentation visuals, merchandise, and eventually a small character world.
About the character
She is a soft, rounded "breath puff" character at the heart of my children's content. She helps kids ages 3 to 12 learn to regulate through breath. She currently exists in a rough form, and I need someone to elevate her into a refined, consistent, ownable design without losing the warmth that's already there.
What I need
The goal is a character who reads instantly at any size, from a full picture-book spread down to a sticker or a plush tag, and who can carry emotion with very few features. I want simplicity that travels: a silhouette recognizable on its own, a face built from the smallest possible number of elements, and an expression range that stays her unmistakably across every pose. Think iconic and clean rather than detailed and busy. The less there is to redraw, the further she goes.
Specifically, I need:
A finalized character design with a clear, simple silhouette that holds up in one color and at small sizes. A model sheet / turnaround showing her from multiple angles so she stays consistent across illustrators and formats. An expression sheet covering a core emotional range (calm, worried, curious, joyful, proud, sleepy) built from minimal, repeatable features. A few key poses tied to breath and movement. Clean vector-ready files plus usage notes so anyone drawing her later stays on-model.
Design principles I care about
She should feel timeless, not tied to any current trend or aesthetic moment, so she still works five and ten years from now. She should be emotionally open enough that a child projects themselves onto her rather than reading her as one fixed personality. And she should be built as a flexible property from day one, designed to extend into companion characters and a small world later, not just illustrated for a single book.
You're a fit if
You've designed characters or mascots meant to live across products and formats, not just single illustrations. You think about silhouette, simplicity, and consistency as much as cuteness. You can hand off a character that other illustrators and manufacturers can stay true to without you in the room. Bonus if you've worked on characters for young children or on properties that became merchandise.
Logistics
This is a paid contract project with a defined scope and deliverables above. Please send your portfolio (character and mascot work especially), your rate or project quote, and your rough timeline. I work fast and value designers who communicate clearly and hit their dates.
I'm looking for a character designer to refine and finalize an existing children's character into a polished, production-ready property that can live across a picture book, printed materials, presentation visuals, merchandise, and eventually a small character world.
About the character
She is a soft, rounded "breath puff" character at the heart of my children's content. She helps kids ages 3 to 12 learn to regulate through breath. She currently exists in a rough form, and I need someone to elevate her into a refined, consistent, ownable design without losing the warmth that's already there.
What I need
The goal is a character who reads instantly at any size, from a full picture-book spread down to a sticker or a plush tag, and who can carry emotion with very few features. I want simplicity that travels: a silhouette recognizable on its own, a face built from the smallest possible number of elements, and an expression range that stays her unmistakably across every pose. Think iconic and clean rather than detailed and busy. The less there is to redraw, the further she goes.
Specifically, I need:
A finalized character design with a clear, simple silhouette that holds up in one color and at small sizes. A model sheet / turnaround showing her from multiple angles so she stays consistent across illustrators and formats. An expression sheet covering a core emotional range (calm, worried, curious, joyful, proud, sleepy) built from minimal, repeatable features. A few key poses tied to breath and movement. Clean vector-ready files plus usage notes so anyone drawing her later stays on-model.
Design principles I care about
She should feel timeless, not tied to any current trend or aesthetic moment, so she still works five and ten years from now. She should be emotionally open enough that a child projects themselves onto her rather than reading her as one fixed personality. And she should be built as a flexible property from day one, designed to extend into companion characters and a small world later, not just illustrated for a single book.
You're a fit if
You've designed characters or mascots meant to live across products and formats, not just single illustrations. You think about silhouette, simplicity, and consistency as much as cuteness. You can hand off a character that other illustrators and manufacturers can stay true to without you in the room. Bonus if you've worked on characters for young children or on properties that became merchandise.
Logistics
This is a paid contract project with a defined scope and deliverables above. Please send your portfolio (character and mascot work especially), your rate or project quote, and your rough timeline. I work fast and value designers who communicate clearly and hit their dates.