Board Game Illustrator Wanted – Pirate-Themed Card Game

Hello everyone,

My name is Devrim Özsoy, and I am an independent board game designer and publisher.

I am currently looking for a professional illustrator for Black Flag, a competitive pirate-themed card game for two players. Each player commands a different pirate captain and competes to control several islands using fleets and tactical powers.

The graphic design and card layouts are already being handled separately. This is an illustration commission consisting of 25 original illustrations:

* 1 main box illustration
* 2 captain portraits
* 2 pirate ship illustrations
* 10 island landscapes
* 10 action scenes for power cards

I am looking for a distinctive, stylized 2D illustration style suitable for a modern board game. The artwork should be atmospheric, expressive and clearly readable at card size.

### Schedule and First Milestone

The target deadline for completing the full set of 25 illustrations is February 2027.

However, I have an immediate production requirement: the main front-cover illustration must be completed within the next 10 days. Applicants must therefore be available to begin work immediately.

The front-cover illustration will serve as the paid test and first production milestone. The shortlisted artist will first develop the cover through the required thumbnail, sketch, colour-study and work-in-progress approval stages. If the result and collaboration are successful, the same artist will be awarded the remainder of the project.

The adaptation of the front-cover artwork to the complete exterior box wrap will be finalised later, once the official printer dieline is available.

### Project Requirements

* The artist must be available to complete the entire scope to ensure visual consistency.
* All artwork must be entirely human-created. Generative AI may not be used at any stage.
* Sketches and work-in-progress stages will be required.
* Final layered PSD source files must be provided.
* Experience preparing artwork for professional print production is preferred.
* This is a paid commercial project, and the selected artist will be credited in the published game.

### Interested?

Please review the attached complete illustration brief before applying.

Your application should include:

* A link to your portfolio
* Three examples particularly relevant to this project
* Your current availability and earliest possible starting date
* Confirmation that you can complete the front-cover illustration within the next 10 days
* Your fixed-price quotation and estimated production schedule
* Any previous experience with board games, card games or publishing
* Confirmation that you work without generative AI

Thank you!