Illustrator / Artist – Folk Art, Block Print & Hand-Drawn Style | Ongoing Work

We are a growing U.S.-based quilting and fabric company looking for a talented illustrator/artist to help us develop an original collection of artwork for merchandise and other products.

This is not a typical Canva or graphic-design position. We are looking for someone who is genuinely talented at illustration and has a strong artistic point of view.

Our preferred aesthetic is inspired by vintage American and Scandinavian folk art, block printing, linocut, hand-stamped artwork, vintage textiles and surface-pattern design.

We love artwork that feels handmade rather than digitally perfect—stylized florals and botanicals, birds, vines, decorative motifs, expressive hand lettering, simplified shapes, imperfect lines, subtle texture and interesting use of color.

Think traditional folk art and block-printed artwork interpreted in a fresh, feminine and modern way.

We will provide inspiration images that demonstrate the overall aesthetic we love. These images are for creative direction only. We do not want existing artwork copied, traced or recreated. Our goal is to develop an original and recognizable visual identity for our own brand.

Our First Collections

Our initial artwork will center around two primary themes:

QUILTING, SEWING & MAKING

We will create artwork around phrases celebrating quilting, sewing, creativity and handmade things. Examples might include:

* “Every Quilt Has a Story”
* “Gather the Pieces, Make Something Beautiful”
* “There Is Joy in the Making”
* “Made by Hand, Made with Heart”

FAITH & VINTAGE HYMNS

We also plan to develop a collection based on traditional Christian hymns and public-domain hymn lyrics. Examples might include:

* “It Is Well with My Soul”
* “Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound”
* “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”
* “Blessed Assurance”

We will provide all phrases and approved hymn lyrics. You will not be responsible for researching copyright.

What You’ll Create

Initially, designs will primarily be created for apparel, but successful artwork may also be adapted for:

* T-shirts and sweatshirts
* Tote and project bags
* Stickers
* Quilt labels
* Mugs and other merchandise
* Art prints
* Packaging and marketing materials
* Other products as our collections grow

We would love to find an illustrator who can work with us long-term and help establish a cohesive artistic identity across multiple collections.

Surface-pattern or textile-design experience is a plus and could lead to additional opportunities in the future.

The Style We Love

We are especially drawn to:

* Folk-art illustration
* American and Scandinavian folk-art influences
* Block-print and linocut-inspired artwork
* Hand-stamped texture
* Imperfect, hand-created edges and lines
* Vintage textile and surface-pattern influences
* Stylized florals, botanicals, leaves, birds and nature
* Expressive hand lettering and typography
* Decorative and sometimes symmetrical compositions
* Warm, interesting and slightly muted color palettes
* Artwork that feels collected, handmade and timeless

We are NOT looking for:

Generic POD/T-shirt graphics, rustic farmhouse signs, Canva-style graphics, corporate vector artwork, stock illustrations, copied artwork or AI-generated designs.

You do not need to physically carve blocks or create traditional linocuts. Digital illustration is completely acceptable. We are describing the visual character and handmade quality we want the finished artwork to have.

The Person We’re Looking For

You may be a great fit if you:

* Are an illustrator/artist first, rather than solely a graphic designer
* Can draw original botanical, floral and decorative elements
* Have a strong understanding of composition
* Have excellent typography or hand-lettering instincts
* Can interpret a phrase creatively instead of simply placing decorations around text
* Understand vintage, folk-art and handmade aesthetics
* Can maintain a cohesive style across a collection
* Can prepare professional artwork for commercial printing
* Communicate well and are comfortable receiving creative feedback
* Are interested in ongoing creative work

Experience with Procreate, Adobe Illustrator and/or Photoshop is helpful.

Artwork Requirements

Final deliverables will generally include:

* High-resolution 300 DPI artwork
* Transparent-background PNG suitable for commercial printing
* Print-ready files suitable for DTF/apparel production
* Editable/source files when applicable (AI, PSD, Procreate, SVG, etc.)
* Additional color versions when requested

All commissioned artwork must be original artwork created by you.

Approved commissioned artwork will require commercial merchandise usage rights for our company. Specific ownership/usage terms and payment will be agreed upon before commissioned work begins.

Paid Trial

We plan to select a small number of promising applicants for a paid trial project.

Selected artists will receive the same phrase and general creative brief. We intentionally will not tell you exactly what to draw.

We want to see how you interpret the concept—your composition, illustration style, typography and artistic instincts.

We do not ask applicants to create free sample artwork.

The artist who best fits our vision will be offered additional paid projects, with the potential for an ongoing relationship as we develop new collections.

How to Apply

Please begin your application with the words FOLK ART so we know you have read the entire job description.

Then please include:

1. A brief introduction about yourself and your illustration experience.
2. 3–5 examples of your own original artwork that are closest to the aesthetic described above. Please do not send a large generic graphic-design portfolio.
3. Tell us which programs or techniques you use to create your illustrations.
4. Tell us whether you use AI-generated imagery at any point in your illustration process.
5. Tell us about any experience you have with folk art, block-print/linocut styles, hand lettering, surface-pattern design, textiles or apparel artwork.
6. Your desired hourly rate and/or typical price for a completed illustration of this type.
7. Approximately how much time you would expect to spend creating a detailed finished illustration combining hand lettering and botanical/folk-art elements.
8. Tell us why this particular project and aesthetic interest you.

Please do not create new artwork or a free sample as part of your application. Portfolio examples are all we need at this stage.

We are excited to find an artist whose work we love and hopefully build a long-term creative partnership.