We’re actually looking for a couple different types of artists for a somewhat-but-not-really secret project we’ve been working on. There’s a few different types of art we need, and we’re actually planning on paying out the big moderate bucks to get our hands on your fabulous art. Plus, of course, you’ll also get recognition, which is just icing on the getting-paid-with-green-paper-I-can-buy-cake-with cake.

Here’s kind of what we’re looking for, maybe you’re interested in helping us out (or know somebody who would be?).

The Project

All the projects revolve around this half-crab, half-alligator half-manbearpig silhouette I whipped up when we first named our project. Of course, I suck at drawing, photoshopping and everything like that, so we won’t be using the image up above, but it sort of gives you an idea of what we were originally thinking when we came up with all this. There’s a couple totally different art styles we’re looking for though (all spawning off this half-alligator half-crab thing). They are:

Art-Type #1: Cartoon Epic

EPIC

I don’t know if that’s the right way to describe things, but the first thing we’re looking for is an illustration that is sort of on the realistic side of things (but not too real), containing our crab-alligator (I’m thinking a giant version) ravaging a city / doing battle with something, kaiju style. This piece of art would go on the landing (home) page of the website. There’s also going to be potential for more in the future as we want to rotate out the art to something new later on, but that’s the future, and most people can’t tell the future, so we’ll see.

Art-Type #2: Cute, Mascot

 Freddie The Mailchimp is awesome!

The second thing we need is a simpler version of the alli-crab. This would involve darker/stronger lines, more solid colors, and a much simpler (though not necessarily easier) illustration that we’d use for the mascot. We hope that the person who does the mascot can also do add-ons later on (like, monocles, top hats, and other fancy things) which we can just add to the original alli-crab you draw for us. Although the first illustration should be epic style, gritty, and more detailed, this one should be more cute and lovable (but not toooo lovable). It’s a alligator-crab hybrid after all, so it does need some spunk.

Art-Type #3: Badges

Some examples of what I mean by “badges”

We’re also looking for someone to illustrate badges for us down the line. We’re not quite ready for this side of things right now, but in a month or two or three, we’ll be needing quite a few of these. They’ll be for completing various tasks, etc., etc. We’d be interested in collecting names for this for the future and then getting back to you a bit later on when we’re ready, though we’re not ready right at this moment.

Send Us Your Portfolio!

Right now we’re just looking to narrow down options and get some sketches going. We obviously can’t hire everybody (gotta pay those taxes soon!), but we are hoping to get a few people picked to help us out in the next couple weeks, maybe quicker. I know a lot of you are fabulous artists, so I’m hoping a few of you will be good fits!

So, here’s what to do:

1. Send an email to art@tofugu.com
2. Inside, feel free to put whatever you want, but I’d recommend a few sentences about yourself / why you’d be awesome for this / which project you were most interested in (all of them is okay too). Don’t write too much though – almost everybody at Tofugu is illiterate.
3. Add a link to your portfolio (or attach art to the email).
4. If you’re feeling really fancy, you could attach some sketches relating to the alligator crab, too, but you don’t have to.
5. Let us know what price range you’re thinking. We’re kind of poor right now. Seriously, taxes, wth.
6. Give us some tiiimmeeee.

Although I was pretty specific about style and such up above, I’m definitely open to changes / alternatives. I’m not the artist, obviously, so feel free to tell me what would be better, and maybe I’ll agree ;)

We’ll need your submissions in the next couple of weeks – let’s say by March 16, 2012. Then we’ll get rolling with things pretty soon after that.

On a side note, there’s also other art-related projects I’ve wanted artists for that have nothing to do with the allicrab too (things for Tofugu/TextFugu), so there’s a chance that there’ll be more than just this, if you’re interested too. We’ll see though – one thing at a time.

Hit me up in the comments if you have any questions! Thanks much!

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