Lead Character Artist
$156,800–$235,200 year
On-site · Austin, Texas, United States
Job Summary
Lead Character Artist at Skeleton Key (a studio within Wizards of the Coast) in Austin, TX. Responsible for creating iconic 3D characters and driving the art quality bar for an upcoming AAA project. Roles include shaping the look for characters and creatures, planning and implementing character art pipelines (mesh processing, materials, hair, etc.), mentoring team members, collaborating with Tech Art, external co-dev partners, and the Art Director to ensure a cohesive modeling and texturing style. Requires 7+ years in AAA game development as a Character Artist, proficiency with Maya/ZBrush or equivalent, deep knowledge of asset pipelines and Unreal Engine, and a proven ability to translate high-level concepts into finished characters with strong silhouette and visual impact.
Required Qualifications
- 7+ years of focused experience in AAA game development as a Character Artist specializing in organic forms using Maya, Zbrush or similar tools.
- Experience collaborating and iterating with other Character Artists both internally and externally.
- The creative vision to take a character to completion from either a detailed or a high-level concept image.
- Deep hands-on knowledge of next-generation asset creation pipelines, tools, and workflows in Unreal Engine.
- Experience partnering with an Art Director or visual lead in developing a unique and cohesive modeling and texturing style and process for characters, creatures, and manufactured forms.
- Exceptional understanding of character form, shape, structure, and silhouette.
- Skill in contributing, interpreting, and clearly communicating art direction within a team.
- Able to effectively collaborate with game designers and programmers, with a collaborative approach to problem-solving and prototyping.
- A passion for deep, horror and fantasy stories and role-playing games.
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