Hand-drawn character illustration — baby monkey and plush toy companion for crypto brand

Here is your complete Fiverr brief, written to attract exactly the right artist while filtering out the wrong ones:

PROJECT TITLE
Hand-drawn character illustration — baby monkey and plush toy companion for crypto brand

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

We are the team behind $PUNCH — a community project built around the story of Punch, a real baby Japanese macaque at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan who went viral worldwide after bonding with a stuffed orangutan plush toy named Oran-Mama. His story moved 98 million people. We are building a brand visual identity worthy of that story.

We are looking for an illustrator who can bring Punch and Oran-Mama to life in an original, hand-drawn style that feels warm, emotionally honest, and deeply human. This is not a typical crypto project brief. We are not looking for digital vector art, AI-assisted illustration, or anything that looks like standard memecoin graphics. We are looking for something that feels like it was drawn by someone who genuinely loves this story.

THE STYLE WE ARE LOOKING FOR

The closest reference points for the style we have in mind are:

Studio Ghibli — warm, painterly, nostalgic, emotionally rich. The kind of art that does not look cool. It looks like something worth caring about.

Traditional Japanese character illustration — expressive eyes, simplified forms, warmth over technical precision. Think early Nintendo, Sanrio, classic children’s book illustration.

Hand-drawn animal illustration — visible brush or pencil strokes, slightly imperfect lines, watercolour or gouache texture fills. Never cold flat digital colour.

If your portfolio contains any of the following please include it: animals illustrated with warmth and personality, plush toys or soft objects drawn with texture and character, children’s book style illustration, Japanese-influenced character art.

THE DELIVERABLE — FIRST PROJECT

We are commissioning one hero illustration to start. If the working relationship is strong we are looking to bring the right artist on as a long term collaborator with a monthly retainer.

The hero illustration brief:

Draw Punch — a baby Japanese macaque — clutching Oran-Mama, his stuffed orangutan plush toy companion, to his chest with both arms. His cheek rests gently against her. The mood should feel like the opening scene of a Studio Ghibli film — gentle, hopeful, and slightly bittersweet. Punch should look small and vulnerable but quietly brave. Oran-Mama should look soft, warm, and slightly worn — she has been through things with Punch.

Specific character details:

Punch — infant Japanese macaque. Very small. Soft downy grey fur with warm undertone. Large round pink face. Oversized expressive dark eyes that convey both vulnerability and quiet determination. Never fierce. Never fully grown. Always an infant.

Oran-Mama — stuffed orangutan plush toy. Warm amber-orange fur. Visible stitching and slightly floppy limbs. Clearly fabric and soft rather than a real animal. She should look almost as large as Punch — emphasising how much he depends on her. Her sewn smile should always be visible and warm.

Background — simple and suggested rather than fully rendered. A soft warm wash of colour. The suggestion of a zoo enclosure floor — concrete texture loosely implied. Let the characters breathe. No detailed or distracting background.

Format — square 1080 x 1080px at 300dpi. Transparent background version also required. Delivered as PNG.

COLOUR PALETTE

Please work within these brand colours:

Punch’s fur — soft blue-grey with a warm undertone. Never cold.
Oran-Mama — warm amber orange (#D4842A)
Background wash — warm cream or off-white (#F5EED8). Never pure white.
Outlines — deep charcoal (#2C2C2C). Never pure black.
Overall mood — warm, golden, intimate.

WHAT WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR

To save everyone’s time — please do not apply if your portfolio is primarily:

AI-generated or AI-assisted illustration
Cold geometric vector art or flat design
Anime or manga style with sharp lines and high contrast
Dark or aggressive imagery
Photorealistic digital painting
Standard crypto or NFT art — rockets, laser eyes, generic characters

ABOUT THE LONG TERM OPPORTUNITY

If the hero illustration is right we are looking for a dedicated brand artist to join the $PUNCH team on a monthly retainer. This would involve four to six original illustrations per month covering our weekly content rhythm — character art, campaign graphics, social media illustrations, and seasonal content.

You would receive full credit on every published piece. Your name alongside every $PUNCH illustration published publicly. For an illustrator building their portfolio this is meaningful exposure — Punch’s story has been covered by BBC, CBS, ABC, NBC, AFP, and dozens of major international outlets.

HOW TO APPLY

Please include in your message:

Three pieces from your existing portfolio that you feel best represent the style described above. Do not send your entire portfolio — send your three most relevant pieces.

A brief note — in your own words — about why you think your style suits this brief. We are looking for someone who connects with the story, not just the technical brief.

Your rate for the hero illustration and your availability for a monthly retainer conversation if the first piece goes well.

BUDGET

We are happy to pay fairly for the right work. Please quote your honest rate for the hero illustration. We would rather pay correctly for something extraordinary than underpay for something average.