u/_SOWO

Hi, I’m the founder of a small wooden toy brand called SOWO that I’ve been building from the ground up.

The concept is pretty simple: wooden toys inspired by city life, specifically New York. Think pigeons, bodega cats, rats, squirrels, neighborhood dogs, raccoons and eventually people, buildings, storefronts, vehicles, etc. I’m trying to build something that feels unmistakably urban without becoming cheesy or overly “NYC souvenir.”

Right now I have the physical silhouettes of the first collection designed and manufactured, and I’m looking for the illustrator/character designer who can help me develop the artwork that goes on them.

What I need right now:

I have 6 animal characters that need to be illustrated. The silhouettes already exist, so the challenge is designing within those shapes and giving each animal a lot of personality without relying on overly complicated artwork.

The style I’m looking for is character-driven, graphic, playful, slightly quirky. These are wooden toys, but I dont want them to look like generic children’s clip art or overly cute nursery illustrations. I want them to feel designed and collectible.

Personality and expression are really important to me. I’m much more interested in someone who can make a pigeon look like he’s quietly plotting something than someone who can draw a technically perfect realistic pigeon.

If we work well together, there will be a lot more such as future toy collections, human characters, buildings/storefronts, packaging artwork, website illustrations, social content, potentially books/storytelling elements, and whatever else the brand eventually grows into.
Ideally I’d love to find one illustrator whose work becomes part of SOWO’s visual identity over time.

For now, this would be paid per project, rather than a salaried position. I’m a self-funded startup, so I’m trying to grow responsibly, but I absolutely expect to pay artists for their work.
If this sounds like something you’d genuinely be interested in, send me your portfolio/site/Instagram.

Budget: $800-$1200 (with full rights)

Hi, I’m the founder of a small wooden toy brand called SOWO that I’ve been building from the ground up.

The concept is pretty simple: wooden toys inspired by city life, specifically New York. Think pigeons, bodega cats, rats, squirrels, neighborhood dogs, raccoons and eventually people, buildings, storefronts, vehicles, etc. I’m trying to build something that feels unmistakably urban without becoming cheesy or overly “NYC souvenir.”

Right now I have the physical silhouettes of the first collection designed and manufactured, and I’m looking for the illustrator/character designer who can help me develop the artwork that goes on them.

What I need right now:

I have 6 animal characters that need to be illustrated. The silhouettes already exist, so the challenge is designing within those shapes and giving each animal a lot of personality without relying on overly complicated artwork.

The style I’m looking for is character-driven, graphic, playful, slightly quirky. These are wooden toys, but I dont want them to look like generic children’s clip art or overly cute nursery illustrations. I want them to feel designed and collectible.

Personality and expression are really important to me. I’m much more interested in someone who can make a pigeon look like he’s quietly plotting something than someone who can draw a technically perfect realistic pigeon.

If we work well together, there will be a lot more such as future toy collections, human characters, buildings/storefronts, packaging artwork, website illustrations, social content, potentially books/storytelling elements, and whatever else the brand eventually grows into.
Ideally I’d love to find one illustrator whose work becomes part of SOWO’s visual identity over time.

For now, this would be paid per project, rather than a salaried position. I’m a self-funded startup, so I’m trying to grow responsibly, but I absolutely expect to pay artists for their work.
If this sounds like something you’d genuinely be interested in, send me your portfolio/site/Instagram.

Budget: $800-$1200 (with full rights)