Principal Character Artist

People Can Fly, Sp. z o.o.; Warszawa; On-site; PLN 100,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical healthcare (UK)

Gympass for employees and family

Language classes (Polish and English)

Pension scheme access

Virtual health and mental wellbeing

Personal development opportunities

Global team environment

Creative team with passionate people

Job summary

People Can Fly is seeking a skilled Character Artist to maintain artistic direction and quality across characters, creatures, and props. You will work closely with Art Directors and Leads to define and uphold visual standards, ensuring timely delivery within pipelines and contributing to ongoing R&D initiatives.

The role requires a strong portfolio, proficiency in industry-standard 3D tools, and experience with Unreal Engine.

Qualifications

• Strong portfolio showcasing character modeling and texturing skills.
• Excellent knowledge of industry-standard software for 3D modeling and high-poly sculpting (Maya, Max, ZBrush, Photoshop, or equivalents).
• Excellent knowledge of working in Substance Painter or similar PBR texture workflow.
• Ability to create believable characters with life and personality.
• Ability to create high poly and low poly models and textures.
• Strong organic modeling skills (human faces, clothing, creatures).
• Ability to create complex creature types from bipeds to quadrupeds and beyond.
• Artistic interpretation of concepts and pushing beyond initial ideation.
• Excellent understanding of art fundamentals and anatomy for both bipeds and quadrupeds.
• Strong hard-surface modeling skills (armor, weapons).
• Experience with PBR shaders.
• Experience working with Unreal Engine.
• Adaptive and able to develop specific art styles and workflows with minimal guidance.

Responsibilities

• Produce high quality character, creature, and props aligned with project universe and visual direction.
• Collaborate on setting artistic vision benchmarks and maintain quality standards across the development pipeline.
• Produce work within specifications and meet deadlines.
• Bug fix and document R&D case studies in knowledge base.
• Participate in reviews and implement feedback from leads and peers.
• Provide feedback to improve visual quality and share knowledge.
• Collaborate with Tech Art/Animation and lead R&D initiatives to improve pipelines.
• Assist leads and HR with recruitment and onboarding of new hires.
• Work closely with Animation and Tech departments to meet quality expectations.
• Tune or create surface shaders for in-game characters.

Skills

Character modeling

Texturing

High-poly sculpting

PBR textures

Unreal Engine

Maya/Max/Modo/Blender

ZBrush

Photoshop

Substance Painter

Tools

Maya

3D modeling software

ZBrush

Substance Painter

Job description

*The role is open to candidatesonly from the game industry who are based in Europe. People Can Fly is one of the leading independent AAA game development studios. Our international team consists of hundreds of talented individuals working from offices in Poland, the UK, Ireland, the US, and Canada, as well as remotely across the globe.

Founded in 2002, we made our mark on the shooter genre with titles such as Painkiller, Bulletstorm, Gears of War: Judgment, and Outriders. As one of the most experienced Unreal Engine studios in the industry, we continue to expand on our expertise and push the boundaries of what’s possible in game development.

Our creative teams are currently working on several exciting titles: Gears of War: E-Day developed in collaboration with Microsoft; Project Echo for KRAFTON; and Lost Rift, an original IP we are developing in-house under our self-publishing model. We are also exploring new platforms and experiences with VR and other unannounced projects.

With over 20 years of experience, PCF continues to explore new horizons. We aim to combine our expertise with the creativity of the best and most forward-thinking talent in the industry, building the next generation of action games for players worldwide.

If you join us on this journey, you’ll have the chance to perfect your craft, expand your knowledge, and work alongside industry leaders to create unique, unforgettable experiences for gamers everywhere.

Job Description

Maintain artistic direction and quality

• Produce high quality character, creature, and props suitable technically and artistically with the project's universe and visual direction.
• Cooperation on setting artistic vision benchmarks and helping define the style under Art Director/Lead supervision, as well as maintaining the quality standards across the entire development pipeline.

Production/Deadline

• Produce work within specifications and maintain workflow pipelines within given deadlines.
• Bug Fixing and describing R&D case studies in the knowledge base.

Feedback

• Participate in reviews, adapt to, and implement feedback from leads and peers in a professional manner.
• Provide feedback and improvement to visual quality.
• Knowledge sharing.
• Collaborate with Tech Art/Anim and lead on R&D initiatives, to explore new techniques and implement improvements to pipelines and workflows.
• Occasionally support leads and HR collaboration in recruitment efforts.
• Occasionally support new hires onboarding process.

Other artistic specificity

• Working closely with Animation and Technical departments to ensure the character fulfills the quality expectations.
• Tuning (or creating) surface shaders for in-game characters.

Qualifications

• A strong portfolio showcasing character modeling and texturing skills.
• Excellent knowledge of industry-standard software packages for 3D modeling, high-poly sculpting (Maya, Max, ZBrush, Photoshop, or their equivalents).
• Excellent knowledge of working in Substance Painter or similar PBR texture workflow.
• Ability to create believable characters that are full of life and personality.
• Ability to create high poly and low poly models as well as textures.
• Strong organic modeling skills (human faces, clothing, believable creatures).
• Ability to create complex creature types from bipeds to quadrupeds and beyond.
• Artistically interpret concepts or creatively push beyond an initial ideation.
• Excellent understanding of art fundamentals (shape, form, texture, value and color) and anatomical knowledge of both bipedal and quadrupedal forms.
• Strong hard-surface modeling skills (armor, weapons).
• Experience with PBR based shaders.
• Experience working with Unreal Engine.
• Adaptive.
• Ability to adapt, and develop specific art style, techniques and workflows with minimum guidance.

Software:

• Maya/Max/Modo/Blender, and ZBrush, marvelous
• Designer, Substance Painter, Photoshop

Additional Information

UK

• Private medical healthcare (Vitality) and BUPA dental insurance for PCF's employees and their families.
• Gympass for employees and family members.
• Online Polish and English language classes.
• Access to the pension scheme.
• Free virtual health and mental wellbeing sessions included in the plan for members and their dependents.
• Personal development opportunities and ability to work in a global environment.
• Work in a creative team with people full of passion for what they do.

Poland

• Private medical healthcare including dental treatment for PCF members and their families (Signal Iduna).
• MultiSport card for you and your family members or friends.
• Free library with a wide range of games and books you have unlimited access to.
• In-company Polish and English language classes.
• Fresh fruit, snacks, and beverages for everyone in the office.
• Free virtual health and mental wellbeing sessions are included in the plan for members and their dependents.
• Personal development opportunities and ability to work in a global environment.
• Work in a creative team with people full of passion for what they do.