Posted Aug 25, 2026

Hand-Drawn Saloon Illustrations

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Gold Creek Films is producing a feature documentary titled "Las Vegas: A Sure Bet," a historical film on the origins of Las Vegas. We are hiring a skilled illustrator to hand-draw 17 period illustrations that will appear in the film. STYLE Black-and-white or sepia-toned pen-and-ink illustration in the tradition of late 1800s and early 1900s illustrated newspapers and Western illustrators like Frederic Remington and Charles Russell. Detailed cross-hatched shading, dramatic oil-lamp lighting, expressive character work, textured wood and fabric rendering. SUBJECT MATTER All 17 illustrations depict scenes inside a period Western saloon: a young piano player performing for older patrons, cowboys drinking and playing cards, bartenders behind wood-plank bars, moonlit doorways, lantern-lit interiors. Reference images will be supplied for each of the 17 pieces so you know exactly what to draw. Your job is to redraw those references 100% by hand in your own polished illustration style. One reference is attached to this post. DELIVERABLES - 17 hand-drawn illustrations - Minimum resolution: 4096 x 2160 pixels (4K DCI) on the final scan - Scanned at 300 DPI minimum from the original artwork - File format: TIFF or PNG (lossless, no JPEG) - Landscape orientation matching the provided references - 100% hand-drawn on paper (ink, pencil, or mixed media) - Short progress video or timelapse photos as proof of authorship for each piece - Full transfer of usage rights to Gold Creek Films for the documentary and its promotional materials TIMELINE 2 to 3 weeks for all 17 illustrations. Faster turnaround welcome. Milestone deliveries acceptable (batches of 5 or 6 at a time). BUDGET $50 per illustration flat. Total budget: $850 for all 17. TO APPLY Please share three samples of your black-and-white pen-and-ink work, ideally in a period, Western, or historical setting. Include your proposed timeline and confirm you can work to the $50 per illustration rate. US-based illustrators only. English proficiency required. Serious artists only. Portfolios showing period-illustration work will be prioritized.