Illustrator (Murals) - EA SPORTS (6 months)

Electronic Arts; Vancouver; Hybrid; CAD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading video game company is seeking a talented Illustrator-Graphic Artist to develop original art which includes murals, logos, and graffiti-style visuals for gaming experiences. This role emphasizes collaboration with the Art team and a strong understanding of street art techniques. Applicants should have extensive experience in illustration and graphic design, demonstrating creativity across diverse styles. This position adopts a hybrid work model in the Vancouver-Burnaby area, blending onsite and remote work.

Benefits

3 weeks of vacation per year

10 days of sick leave per year

Extended health/dental/vision coverage

Basic life insurance

Qualifications

• Strong passion for illustration, conceptualizing a wide range of art pieces.
• Experience in designing and conceptualizing illustrations from rough sketches to refined art.
• Portfolio must demonstrate ability to create in diverse styles.
• Enthusiastic about cultural and street art trends.
• Versatile in designing characters from imagination and reference.
• Experience in developing graphic design elements.
• Strong graphic design and typography skills.
• Proficient in creating Directional Packages.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work collaboratively.
• Willingness to share knowledge and work-in-progress.
• Ability to understand and translate creative direction.

Responsibilities

• Review in-world spaces and create street-themed art based on measurements.
• Translate mood board ideas into sports-themed visuals.
• Collaborate with Art Leads to create diverse references and mood boards.
• Develop and present design roughs for approval and feedback.
• Assist 3D artists with visual guides for artwork translation.
• Ensure murals and graphics are readable from intended camera angles.
• Coordinate with Development Directors on task management.

Skills

Illustration

Graphic Design

Street Art Techniques

Strong Communication

Tools

Photoshop

Illustrator

Job description

Description & Requirements

Electronic Arts creates next-level entertainment experiences that inspire players and fans around the world. Here, everyone is part of the story. Part of a community that connects across the globe. A place where creativity thrives, new perspectives are invited, and ideas matter. A team where everyone makes play happen.

EA SPORTS is one of the world's leading sports entertainment brands, known for top-selling video game franchises, award-winning interactive technology, and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected gaming experiences that bring the emotion of sports to life through industry-leading titles, including Madden NFL, EA SPORTS FC, NHL, NBA LIVE, and UFC.

At EA SPORTS, artists play a vital role in shaping the game's visual target. Collaborating closely with the Art Team, they help visually interpret creative briefs, explore original ideas, and create artwork that determines the final style and mood of the project. Our Art Team is highly collaborative and for that reason we have adopted a hybrid work model. The Art team works onsite in the Vancouver-Burnaby area 3 days/week (Tuesday – Thursday) with the option to work the two remaining days at home or in the office.

We are currently in need of a talented Illustrator-Graphic Artist to help us develop a series of original art murals, street art, logos and graffiti-style art. The completed artworks will be represented in a realistic game world setting that showcases a sports theme. All completed artwork will be produced digitally using Photoshop, Illustrator, or other art programs. Final hi-res files will be in a game-friendly import file format such as .png, .jpg etc.

Responsibilities:

• Working with the World Art Director and Lead Concept Artist, you will review in-world spaces, determine sightlines and create street-themed art based on pre-determined measurements and sizes (portrait, landscape, wrap-around walls, building sides etc.)
• The basic subjects, themes and styles will be suggested from existing mood boards. We will rely on your creative talent to translate these loose ideas into compelling sports-themed visuals that drive the game vision forward.
• Collaborate with Art Leads to gather references and create mood boards for a diverse range of street art across a range of styles, seasonal themes, and genres.
• Develop and present multiple design roughs for directional approval, incorporate feedback, and produce detailed final illustration art within established timelines.
• When necessary, assist 3D artists by providing clear, well-structured visual guides that ensure seamless translation of your art into in-game assets.
• Design artwork with a strong understanding of in-game readability, scale, and player perspective, ensuring murals and graphics read clearly from intended camera distances and gameplay angles.
• Coordinate with Development Directors on task management, scheduling, and assignments; collaborate with Art Directors to achieve visual targets; and provide support to the World Art team throughout production cycles.

Required Qualifications:

• A strong passion for illustration is essential, as the primary focus of this position will be to conceptualize a wide range of art pieces across the in-game world environments.
• Experience in designing and conceptualizing illustrations across all phases, from rough sketches to refined line art and fully rendered illustrations.
• Your portfolio must demonstrate an ability to create and illustrate in a diverse range of styles and subject matter. We have a large number of assets across the world that will need to look as if multiple artists created them.
• Be enthusiastic and informed on a diverse set of world, cultural, street and graphic art trends, including stencil art, lettering, tags, graffiti and larger mural art pieces. You should be up to date on trending styles, subject matter and techniques, and will be expected to continuously bring fresh ideas and innovations to the team.
• Versatile in designing and conceptualizing both realistic and heavily stylized characters, drawing from both imagination and reference. These figurative art pieces will be used to add personality and a neighborhood feel to our world art spaces.
• Experience in developing graphic design elements with pattern variations using color, texture, and graphics. These graphic-based art pieces will decorate large walls and building fronts.
• Strong graphic design and typography skills, with the ability to create logos, tattoos, faux brand names, and other stylized art elements commonly seen in Street Art. These elements will add local and cultural flavor to game world environments.
• Proficient in creating Directional Packages, including position notes, detailed shots, and material callouts when required.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively with cross-disciplinary teams. Positive, proactive attitude and openness to feedback and iteration.
• Willingness to share knowledge, ideas, and work-in-progress in close collaboration with the Art Director and Concept Art team. Ability to work efficiently under tight deadlines while maintaining quality and attention to detail.
• Ability to clearly understand creative direction and translate feedback into high-quality artwork and graphic design that meets visual and production goals.

Software & Tools Proficiency:

• Experience with industry-standard 2D digital painting software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.

Nice to Have:

• Ability to create art that is production-aware, accounting for technical constraints such as texture resolution, tiling, UV layouts, material usage, and performance considerations.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The ranges listed below are what EA in good faith expects to pay applicants for this role in these locations at the time of this posting. If you reside in a different location, a recruiter will advise on the applicable range and benefits. Pay offered will be determined based on a number of relevant business and candidate factors (e.g. education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, or business needs).

PAY RANGES

In British Columbia, we offer a package of benefits including vacation (3 weeks per year to start), 10 days per year of sick time, and extended health/dental/vision coverage and basic life insurance.

About Electronic Arts

We’re proud to have an extensive portfolio of games and experiences, locations around the world, and opportunities across EA. We value adaptability, resilience, creativity, and curiosity. From leadership that brings out your potential, to creating space for learning and experimenting, we empower you to do great work and pursue opportunities for growth.

We adopt a holistic approach to our benefits programs, emphasizing physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support a balanced life. Our packages are tailored to meet local needs and may include healthcare coverage, mental well-being support, retirement savings, paid time off, family leaves, complimentary games, and more. We nurture environments where our teams can always bring their best to what they do.

Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will also consider employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. EA also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.