Character Surfacing Artist

Rodeo FX; Montreal; On-site; CAD 42,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

Mikros Animation is seeking a Surfacing Artist to help finalize character and prop appearances across film and TV projects. You will texture, shade, and light assets in Maya, Katana, Substance Painter or Mari, ensuring consistency with the film’s visual style.

The role involves working with Paris, Montreal and Bengaluru studios in a bilingual setting. You should have strong problem-solving skills, an eye for color and light, and a passion for high-quality images.

Qualifications

• Experience as a Surfacing Artist in film production, animated TV series or VFX.
• Strong knowledge of Maya and Katana, Substance Painter or Mari.
• Good knowledge of Arnold and lighting/shading concepts.
• Strong problem-solving skills and aesthetic sense aligned with film style.
• Curiosity and interest in technical challenges.
• Ability to work in a bilingual, international collaboration environment.

Responsibilities

• Create the final look of characters and props and provide nuances to achieve the desired look.
• Create textures and materials based on concepts and references.
• Create UVs and texturing that meet shader and look needs; build shading networks for assets.

Skills

Surfacing Artist experience

Maya/Katana proficiency

Arnold knowledge

Problem-solving

Artistic shading sense

Curiosity for technical challenges

Lighting/color understanding

Tools

Autodesk Maya

Katana

Substance Painter

Mari

Arnold

Job description

Mikros Animation is a global CGI animation studio located in Paris, Montreal and Bangalore offering end-to-end animation services for feature and episodic. In over a decade, Mikros Animation has contributed to 17 feature-length animated films and numerous high-quality episodic shows for the world’s best-known animation studios such as Paramount, Netflix and DreamWorks. It has also produced hundreds of hours of programming, broadcast by notable channels including Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and TF1, with their content airing and streaming in over 180 countries. Their portfolio includes blockbuster hits like PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, Star Trek: Prodigy, Orion and the Dark, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.

In 2025, Mikros Animation joined the Rodeo FX group, the creative company notably behind the visual effects of The Rings of Power, Stranger Things and Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

Job Description

Production

• Create the final look of characters and props and provide the necessary nuances to achieve the desired look
• Create textures and materials based on concepts and references
• Create UVs and texturing that meet shader and look needsCreate shading networks for specific assets

Qualifications

Required skills:

• Demonstrated experience as a Surfacing Artist in a film production environment, animated TV series or visual effects
• Excellent knowledge of Autodesk Maya and Katana, Substance Painter or Mari
• Good knowledge of Arnold
• Strong problem-solving skills
• An aesthetic sense to produce high quality images that are true to the style of the film
• Curiosity and interest for technical challenges
• Excellent understanding of lighting, color, contrast, shade, shadow, and shading

Optional skills:

• Knowledge of Substance Designer is a plus
• Knowledge in procedural texturing and sculpt

*The person in this role will work closely with our Paris, Montreal and Bengaluru studios in a bilingual environment, as well as with international partners, talent, and clients. They will regularly interact with non-French-speaking stakeholders across various productions and strategic communications, in order to present and promote the creative and technical strengths of Mikros Animation on a global scale.

Additional Information

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Mikros Animation is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing an inclusive, equitable and respectful work environment where every person is welcomed, considered and evaluated based on their skills, experience and potential.

We are committed to fostering a workplace free from discrimination, where employment decisions are made without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, family status, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, citizenship, veteran or military status, political beliefs, socioeconomic status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.

Each member of our team brings a unique perspective that enriches our creativity, broadens our thinking and contributes to the quality of the stories we bring to the screen.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in Recruitment

Mikros Animation may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support certain stages of the recruitment process, including interview transcription or preliminary candidate application analysis. These tools may be operated by third-party providers, and certain data may be processed outside of Quebec.

These tools never replace human decision-making: all final hiring decisions are made by our recruitment team and hiring managers.