Senior Character Artist — Real-Time, PBR, Remote

31Stunion; San Mateo (CA); Hybrid; USD 128,000 - 189,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

401(k) plan

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Paid holidays

Paid vacation (15–25 days)

Sick days

Parental leave

Wellbeing programs

Job summary

31st Union is seeking an expert Character Artist to lead high‑fidelity character creation for our next titles. You will translate concepts into production‑ready assets, mentor peers, and help uphold artistic and technical standards across the team.

We expect 8+ years of game character art experience, a standout portfolio, and mastery of real‑time pipelines using ZBrush, Maya, Substance Painter, and Unreal Engine. Hybrid onsite work in California is available with strong benefits.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional character art experience in games.
• Strong online portfolio with breakdowns showing character work.
• Mastery of anatomy, proportion, costume, color, materials and design.
• Real-time character pipelines: sculpting, topology, UVs, texturing, materials, engine integration.
• Proficiency with ZBrush, Maya, Substance Painter, Unreal Engine, Photoshop.

Responsibilities

• Create benchmark characters, creatures, and weapons from high‑res sculpts through modeling, topology, UVs, bakes, textures and engine integration.
• Own complex character assignments translating concepts into production‑ready assets for gameplay, animation and art direction.
• Help establish visuals and technical standards via benchmark assets, docs, and workflow improvements.
• Partner with art and cross‑discipline teams to ensure assets deform, perform, and read as intended in game.
• Mentor other artists through critique and example‑setting, improving workflows and processes.
• Self‑manage assignments, priorities, dependencies, and risks with leadership alignment.
• Provide craft oversight for external vendors, clarifying expectations and reviewing deliverables.

Skills

Character art

Portfolio

Anatomy mastery

Real-time pipelines

ZBrush

Maya

Substance Painter

Unreal Engine

Texture painting

Tools

ZBrush

Maya

Substance Painter

Unreal Engine

Photoshop

Job description

31st Union is seeking an expert Character Artist to lead high‑fidelity character creation for our next titles. You will translate concepts into production‑ready assets, mentor peers, and help uphold artistic and technical standards across the team.

We expect 8+ years of game character art experience, a standout portfolio, and mastery of real‑time pipelines using ZBrush, Maya, Substance Painter, and Unreal Engine. Hybrid onsite work in California is available with strong benefits.