Senior Creature Asset Artist

Barnstormvfx; Montreal; Hybrid; CAD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading visual effects studio in Montreal is seeking a highly skilled Creature Asset Artist with expertise in modeling and texturing realistic quadrupeds. The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of experience and proficiency in software like Maya, ZBrush, and Substance Painter. This role emphasizes collaboration with various teams and maintaining high visual quality. Benefits may vary based on employment status, and remote work options are available.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in high-end VFX creature modeling and texturing for episodics or features.
• Demonstrated ability to create photo-real hero creatures, with emphasis on quadrupeds.
• Strong understanding of PBR and lookdev fundamentals; creature lookdev experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Model realistic hero quadrupeds with accurate proportions.
• Create detailed skin and surface texture maps.
• Collaborate with other teams to ensure visual quality.

Skills

Creature modeling

Texturing

Anatomical accuracy

Maya

ZBrush

Substance Painter

Lookdev

Collaboration

Tools

Maya

ZBrush

Substance Painter

Arnold

Mudbox

Job description

About Barnstorm

Barnstorm is an Emmy and VES-nominated visual effects studio based in Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, and Montreal providing photo-realistic visual effects for a variety of television and online streaming projects. We pride ourselves in our artists’ talent and dedication to producing world-class visual effects.

Who You Are

You are a highly skilled Creature Asset Artist with deep experience modeling and texturing photo-real creatures—especially hero quadrupeds— with anatomical accuracy and artistic sensitivity. You have a strong command of creature topology, form, muscle structure, and skin/surface detail. You understand how creature assets feed into rigging, CFX, and lookdev, and you build models and textures that set downstream departments up for success. You bring a creature-focused artistic eye and a problem-solving mindset, thriving in a collaborative pipeline where accuracy, believability, and performance-readiness matter.

What You’ll Do

Creature Asset Creation (70%)

• Model high‑fidelity creatures and characters—particularly realistic hero quadrupeds— with anatomically correct proportions and clean, deformation‑friendly topology.
• Sculpt fine‑resolution anatomical, surface, and tertiary details in ZBrush or Mudbox.
• Create physically accurate skin, fur‑ready, and scale/surface texture maps using Substance Painter and/or Mari.
• Develop layered PBR materials and lookdev setups in Arnold or Houdini; creature lookdev experience is a bonus.
• Prepare assets for rigging and CFX handoff, ensuring geometry, UVs, and materials meet technical and performance requirements.
• Support texture detail consistency across close‑up, mid‑range, and wide shots.

Process & Collaboration (25%)

• Work closely with Creature, Rigging, Lookdev, and CFX teams to ensure anatomical accuracy and predictable deformation.
• Participate in creature asset reviews.
• Troubleshoot issues in modeling, UVs, displacement, textures, and shading to maintain visual quality and technical stability.

People & Cross‑Team Support (5%)

• Share creature‑specific modeling, texturing, and lookdev techniques with peers and junior artists.
• Help guide the quality bar for creature assets across the studio.
• Communicate clearly with Production and Supervisors regarding progress, risks, and technical constraints.

What You Bring

• 5+ years of experience in high‑end VFX creature modeling and texturing for episodics or features.
• Demonstrated ability to create photo‑real hero creatures, with emphasis on quadrupeds.
• Expert proficiency in Maya, ZBrush, Mari, Substance Painter, and Arnold (preferred).
• Strong artistic foundation in anatomy, silhouette, form, fine surface detail, and realism.
• Experience building assets for rigging and simulation (muscle, skin, fur/hair workflows).
• Strong understanding of PBR and lookdev fundamentals; creature lookdev experience is a significant plus.
• Ability to debug and optimize geometry and textures while maintaining believability.
• Collaborative communication style well suited to multi‑show environments.
• Scripting familiarity (ex., Python) is a plus but not required.

About This Role

This role is open to North America and UK locations. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in their country of residence and be willing to work on‑site/hybrid as required by production and studio location. As this is a contract position, benefits may vary by employment status. Eligible contract artists may have access to certain benefits based on project length and local plan offerings.

Barnstorm VFX is committed to cultivating a diverse and inclusive work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment. We aim to recruit, support, and retain talented individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, people of color, people of all genders or non‑genders, and people with disabilities.

We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.