Lead Character Artist

Madfish; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading 3D outsourcing studio is seeking a Lead 3D Character Artist. This role involves developing high-quality characters for games and cinematics, leading a team, and ensuring assets meet industry standards. Ideal candidates will have over 5 years of experience and expertise in industry-standard software. The position offers fully remote collaboration and a project-based contract with growth potential.

Benefits

Work on high-end characters

Fully remote collaboration

Project-based contract

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in game development or CGI industry as a character artist.
• 1+ years in a leadership or senior position.
• Strong portfolio showcasing character art.

Responsibilities

• Lead character art development process.
• Supervise work for quality consistency.
• Collaborate with teams for visually compelling characters.

Skills

Character art development

Anatomy expertise

Communication skills

Time management

Tools

ZBrush

Maya

Substance Painter

Photoshop

Job description

[HIRING] Lead 3D Character Artist (Games & Cinematics)

Location: Remote

Type: Project-based (with potential for long-term contract)

About Us

HiMASTERS is a 3D outsourcing studio led by senior artists with decades of experience on top-tier projects and franchises including Metro Exodus, Halo, Battlefield, Microsoft Flight Simulator, War Thunder, World of Tanks, and many more. We deliver top-quality assets for both games and cinematics — stylized or realistic, always production-ready.

About the Role

We’re looking for a Lead Character Artist who specializes in semi-realistic, realistic and hyperrealistic human characters — both in game development and cinematic production. You’ll work closely with a senior team to deliver hero-quality characters with precise anatomy, clean topology, and engine-ready output.

This is a hands‑on, production‑focused role for someone with deep knowledge of the character pipeline — from sculpting and simulation to texturing and final engine integration.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own and lead the character art development process — from sculpting high‑resolution models to game‑ready assets (retopo, UVs, baking, texturing).
• Supervise and review work produced by the character team to ensure consistency in quality, style, and technical requirements.
• Collaborate closely with Art Director, Rigging, Animation, Tech Art, and Game Design teams to ensure characters are visually compelling and technically sound.
• Translate 2D concepts or photogrammetry scans into 3D characters that are production‑ready.
• Establish and maintain pipelines, workflows, naming conventions, and documentation for efficient production and onboarding.
• Ensure optimal asset performance for real‑time engines (Unreal Engine / Unity), including LODs, polycount budget, and texture memory usage.
• Mentor and support junior and mid‑level artists, providing feedback, training, and guidance when needed.
• Research and implement new tools and techniques to improve character production efficiency and quality.
• Drive outsourcing coordination: giving feedback, performing QA, and ensuring external deliveries match studio standards.

Requirements:

• 5+ years of experience in game development or CGI industry as a character artist.
• 1+ years of experience in a leadership or senior position.
• Strong portfolio showcasing realistic or stylized character art (including anatomy, costuming, and facial expression systems).
• Expert knowledge of industry‑standard software: ZBrush, Maya/Blender, Marvelous Designer, Substance Painter/Designer, Marmoset/Toolbag, Photoshop, etc.
• Solid understanding of topology for deformation, rigging constraints, and blendshape creation.
• Familiarity with character integration into game engines (UE5 or Unity), including material setup and shader basics.
• Excellent communication and time management skills; ability to work across departments and manage production schedules.
• Passion for characters, storytelling, and pushing visual quality to the next level.

What We Offer

• Work on high‑end characters for game and cinematic productions
• Fully remote collaboration with a skilled and supportive team
• Project‑based contract with the potential to grow into a long‑term role
• Opportunity to work across styles: realism, stylized realism, semi‑stylized
• Real impact on projects delivered in Unreal and Unity pipelines

How to Apply

Send your CV and Portfolio