2D Pixel Artist — Character Equipment Sprites & Frame Animations for Classic Isometric MMO

We will be paying per item you create! We will work this out, but I will need a rough idea what you will charge. ## Job Description We run a private server (custom "shard") for the classic isometric MMO **Ultima Online** and are building a library of original wearable items — cloaks, robes, hats, boots, gloves, armor pieces, weapons — that appear on the character in-game and animate with every action the character performs. We're looking for a pixel artist who can produce **frame-by-frame equipment animations** that overlay the game's existing character sprites. This is classic low-resolution 2D sprite work (individual frames are small — roughly 30–60 pixels on a side), drawn in an isometric perspective, in a muted late-90s fantasy palette. **You do NOT need to know Ultima Online or its file formats.** We handle all technical importing on our end. You deliver art as transparent PNG frames in an organized folder structure, following templates and reference frames we provide for every animation and direction. ### What a typical item involves For each wearable item you'll deliver: 1. **In-game animation frames** — the item redrawn over every frame of the base character's animation set: walking, running, standing idle, combat-stance walking, ~7 attack/spellcasting animations, 2 death animations, and mounted (riding) still + running. Each animation covers 5 drawn directions (the game mirrors the rest). A complex item like a cloak is roughly 300–400 small frames; simple items (hats, boots, gloves) are far fewer because they barely move. 2. **Paperdoll art** — one larger static image of the item as worn, fitted to BOTH the male and female character templates we provide. 3. **Inventory icon** — one small static image of the item as it appears in a backpack/on the ground. 4. **Reference GIFs** — short preview GIFs for at least 2 directions per animation so we can verify alignment before import. ### Critical technical requirements (deal-breakers) - Every frame must be painted **directly on the template frame we provide, at its exact original canvas size** — never cropped, resized, or re-centered. Frame-for-frame parity with the base animation is what makes the item align on the character in-game. - One transparent-background PNG per frame, named and foldered per our convention (we provide the structure). - Motion must match the base garment's physics: e.g., a cloak's back flap sways, but the shoulder/collar portion stays nearly stationary. ### Skills we're looking for - Strong pixel art fundamentals: clean silhouettes, hand-placed pixels, limited palettes, anti-aliasing at low resolution - Frame-by-frame sprite animation experience (Aseprite, Photoshop, GraphicsGale, Pro Motion, or similar) - Comfort working over provided template frames with strict canvas/alignment rules - Organized file delivery (consistent naming, folders per animation/direction, RAR/ZIP packages) - Good written communication and responsiveness to revision notes with in-game test footage ### Nice to have - Prior work on retro/classic MMO sprites, mods, or private server assets - Familiarity with isometric sprite perspective ### How the engagement works - We start with **one paid trial item** at a fixed price so both sides can validate the pipeline. - After that: we assign items in batches of 3–5, you pick your order, and **each completed item is a milestone payment**. Ongoing work through and beyond our launch. - Revisions: we test every delivery in-game and send back annotated video/GIFs; minor alignment or fill fixes are part of the item's scope.