Salary Range
€k - €k
Job Zone

In Brief...

An Art Director ensures consistent visual style, overseeing creative content and collaborating across departments to maintain the production’s artistic vision from pre-production to post-production.

Knowledge

  • Design Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  • English Language Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Computers and Electronics Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Fine Arts Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
  • Communications and Media Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Knowledge areas are ranked by their importance to this career

Skills

  • Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Speaking Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Judgment and Decision Making Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Time Management Managing one's own time and the time of others.
  • Complex Problem Solving Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Skills are ranked by their importance to this career

Work Environment

Art Director - 2D Artists typically work in the following Career Sectors:

Animation
Media, Film, TV & Animation

Videos on the Web

Most commonly reported Work Activities

  • Thinking Creatively Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
  • Interacting With Computers Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Organising, Planning, and Prioritising Work Developing specific goals and plans to prioritise, organise, and accomplish your work.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems Analysing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
  • Communicating with Persons Outside Organisation Communicating with people outside the organisation, representing the organisation to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
  • Scheduling Work and Activities Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.

 

 

The Work

An Art Director implements the established art direction throughout the production. They create and define the level and standard of the show. The Art Director works with all creative departments to uniform the production for the level and style that the production requires.

The Art Director manages, reviews, and adjusts assigned art/technical content to meet creative direction throughout pre-production, production, and post production.

Work Aspects

  • Contribute innovative and original ideas towards optimising the look development for the production.

  • Work closely with the Supervising Director and Episode Directors to achieve an overall artistic direction.

  • Lead several creative departments throughout the production in order to define the look development of that production.
    This includes, pre-production character, props and environment artists, asset production character, props, and environment modelling and texturing artists, FX and Lighting departments and Post Production with Tech Reviews, Online and grading viewings.

  • Create a look development bible for the entire production.

  • Assign work to different supervisors, department leads and artists.
  • Reinforce the importance of deadlines, and alerts the Production Manager, CG Asset Lead, CG Supervisor VFX Supervisor and Production Coordinators of any problem arising that could effect the schedule.
  • Assist in the documentation and communication of technical and process guidelines for lighting creation and implementation.

Works with

  • CG Asset Lead
  • Directors
  • Assistant Art Directors
  • CG Supervisor
  • Production Manager
  • Production Coordinators
  • Producers
  • Lighting Department
  • VFX Supervisor

 

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

  • Formulate basic layout design or presentation approach and specify material details, such as style and sise of type, photographs, graphics, animation, video, and sound.
  • Manage own accounts and projects, working within budget and scheduling requirements.
  • Confer with creative, art, copywriting, or production department heads to discuss client requirements and presentation concepts and to coordinate creative activities.
  • Present final layouts to clients for approval.
  • Review and approve art materials, copy materials, and proofs of printed copy developed by staff members.
  • Work with creative directors to develop design solutions.
  • Create custom illustrations or other graphic elements.
  • Confer with clients to determine objectives, budget, background information, and presentation approaches, styles, and techniques.
  • Review illustrative material to determine if it conforms to standards and specifications.
  • Negotiate with printers and estimators to determine what services will be performed.

Qualities - Art Director - 2D Artist

Is this the Role For Me?

To succeed at this job, you need:

  • Several years production experience in artistic animation design, production design and creative direction. Art Director is not an entry level role.
  • Ability to communicate ideas clearly
  • You have to have a high level of attention to detail with strong creative and leadership skills.
  • Experience with working with Overseas Studios
  • Excellent skills in drawing, composition, colour concept, moods and lighting.
  • Great organisational skills and ability to manage a very busy team with, while meeting production timetables and budgets.

Interests - Art Director - 2D Artist

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

Creative

Creative people are drawn to careers and activities that enable them to take responsibility for the design, layout or sensory impact of something (visual, auditory etc). They may be atrracted to the traditional artistic pursuits such as painting, sculpture, singing, or music. Or they may show more interest in design activities, such as architecture, animation, or craft areas, such as pottery and ceramics.

Creative people use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. Creative people like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer a minimum of routine.

Enterprising

Enterprising people like situations that involve using resources for personal or corporate economic gain. Such people may have an opportunistic frame of mind, and are drawn to commerce, trade and making deals. Some pursue sales and marketing occupations. Many will eventually end up owning their own business, or in management roles in larger organisations. They tend to be very goal-oriented and work best when focused on a target. Some have an entrepreneurial inclination.

Entry - Art Director - 2D Artist

Last Updated: April, 2025

Pay & Salary - Art Director - 2D Artist

View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available

Labour Market Updates - Art Director - 2D Artist

Useful Contacts - Art Director - 2D Artist

Close