Surfacing Artists - (Mid & Senior)

stellarcreativelab; Vancouver; Hybrid; CAD 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid schedule

Extended health benefits

Professional development support

Collaborative culture

Job summary

Stellar Creative Lab in Vancouver seeks Surfacing/Texture Artists at Mid and Senior levels for a premium Marvel Animation series. You will craft textures for characters, environments and objects with a painterly aesthetic and an eye for color and material physics.

You will collaborate with modeling, lighting, and leadership teams, ship high-quality assets on a tight schedule, and mentor junior artists as needed. Hybrid work and BC residency are part of the role.

Qualifications

• Strong traditional painting skills with a deep understanding of color theory and design.
• 3–5+ years of production experience for Mid level or 5+ years for Senior level in production environments.
• Proficiency with 3D painting tools: Mari, Substance Painter and Photoshop.

Responsibilities

• Create high-quality textures for characters, environments and props in a painterly style.
• Dial in and optimize shader networks to balance look and rendering performance.
• Collaborate with Modelers, Lighting Artists, Look Dev, and CG Supervisors to achieve the final in-film look.
• Mentor junior artists and contribute to internal tooling and workflow improvements.

Skills

Artistic eye

Color theory

Education

Bachelor's Degree in 3D animation

Tools

Mari

Substance Painter

Photoshop

Maya

ZBrush

Job description

At Stellar, we aim to build a studio where people actually want to work.We face the inevitable ups and downs of production as a truly supportive and connected team, prioritizing open communication over anyone working in isolation. We value honesty, creativity, and looking out for one another.

The Opportunity:

We are expanding our team and looking for talented Surfacing/Texture Artists at the Mid, and Senior levels to join us on a premium streaming series for Marvel Animation.

In this role, you are the artist who gives our worlds their tactile reality. You will be responsible for creating the look, feel, and texture of characters, environments, and objects. This role requires an incredible eye for color design, a deep understanding of material properties, and exceptional painting skills to achieve a specific "painterly" aesthetic. If you love collaborating across departments to dial in the perfect look and want to raise the bar on a new series, we want you on our team.

In this role, success looks like:

Artistic Execution & Look Development:

• Create high-quality textures that strictly adhere to the show’s production design across sets, props, and characters.
• Utilize excellent brushwork to express a highly stylized, painterly aesthetic.
• Accurately read surface art references and intuitively determine their physical material components (both natural and synthetic surface characteristics).

Technical Pipeline & Optimization:

• Dial in and modify shader networks to achieve the specified look, always keeping a close eye on how your texturing setups impact overall rendering performance.
• Design and build basic, optimized materials that can be reused efficiently throughout the studio.
• Actively participate in the larger departmental effort to design and test new tools and workflows that benefit the entire surfacing team.

Collaboration & Accountability:

• Act as a self-starter who consistently meets deadlines within a fast-paced, long-format production schedule.
• Collaborate closely and communicate effectively with Modelers, Lighting Artists, Look Dev, and Leadership (VFX & CG Supervisors) to achieve the final in-film look. (Seniors will be expected to help mentor and guide Junior artists.)
• Take constructive guidance from the Director and Modeling & Surfacing Supervisor and other creative/technical supervisors.

The Requirements

Must-Haves:

• Experience (Choose your level):
  • Mid-Level: 3–5+ years of production experience. You can hit the ground running, dial in complex shader networks, and require minimal supervision.
  • Senior: 5+ years of production experience. You are an expert at surfacing the most complex hero assets, optimizing render performance, and are comfortable mentoring junior artists.
• Core Tools: Professional experience using 3D painting tools like Mari, Substance Painter, and Photoshop.
• Artistic Eye: Strong traditional painting skills with a deep understanding of color theory and design.
• Education: A Bachelor's Degree in 3D animation (or equivalent high-level industry experience/art school training).
• Eligibility: Legally eligible to work in British Columbia, Canada.

Nice-to-Haves:

• Previous Look Dev experience is a definite plus.
• The experience and technical ability to model using Maya or ZBrush.

Why Join Stellar?

• Flexible Environment: We offer a flexible hybrid schedule that will vary with project and team requirements.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Extended health benefits.
• Growth: Professional development support to help you stay ahead of tech and creative trends.
• Culture: A collaborative, ego-free environment where technical expertise fuels creative magic.

Competitive salary range: $70,000 - $85,000,based on your experience and skills.

At Stellar Creative Lab, we believe diversity and inclusion are key to creativity and collaboration. We’re committed to building a supportive, open, and diverse community where everyone can thrive. We're always looking for ways to improve accessibility, so feel free to share any feedback or suggestions with us.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, though priority will be given to BC Residents, Canadians and Canadian Permanent Residents.