Senior Character Artist

Placements24; Polokwane; Hybrid; ZAR 350,000 - 700,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Professional development

Collaborative work environment in Polp

Access to cutting-edge software

Diverse and exciting projects

Job summary

Placements24 in Polokwane is seeking a Senior Character Artist to shape high-quality character models for real-time and cinematic projects. You will collaborate with art directors to define visual identity and ensure assets meet technical requirements.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in game or animation, expert ZBrush, Maya/3ds Max, Substance Painter/Designer, Photoshop, and a strong understanding of anatomy and PBR workflows.

Qualifications

• 5+ years as a Character Artist in game development or animation.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating high-quality character work.
• Expertise with ZBrush for sculpting and Maya/3ds Max for modeling.
• Proficiency in texturing with Substance Painter/Designer and Photoshop.
• Solid understanding of PBR workflows and real-time rendering techniques.
• Experience with game engines (Unreal Engine or Unity) and asset pipelines.
• Strong knowledge of human and creature anatomy.

Responsibilities

• Sculpt, model, and texture high- and low-poly characters for real-time and cinematics.
• Create realistic and stylized character designs from concept art and direction.
• Develop UV layouts, texture maps, and material setups.
• Optimize character models for performance and engine integration.
• Collaborate with riggers and animators to support animation requirements.
• Provide feedback and guidance to junior character artists.

Skills

Character modeling

Anatomy knowledge

Art direction collaboration

Portfolio merit

Tools

ZBrush

Maya/3ds Max

Substance Painter/Designer

Photoshop

Unreal Engine

Unity

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking a talented Senior Character Artist to join their creative team in Polokwane . You will be responsible for creating high-quality, compelling character models that bring virtual worlds to life. This role requires a deep understanding of anatomy, form, and proportion, combined with exceptional artistic skill in modeling, sculpting, texturing, and rendering. You will work closely with art directors and game designers to establish the visual identity of characters, ensuring they meet artistic and technical requirements for various projects. This is an excellent opportunity to contribute your expertise to exciting and visually rich productions.

Key Responsibilities

• Sculpt, model, and texture high-polygon and low-polygon characters for real-time and cinematics.
• Create realistic and stylized character designs based on concept art and art direction.
• Develop detailed UV layouts, texture maps (diffuse, normal, specular, etc.), and material setups.
• Ensure character models are optimized for performance and integrate seamlessly into the game engine.
• Collaborate with riggers and animators to ensure models are built to support animation requirements.
• Provide feedback and guidance to junior character artists.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience as a Character Artist in the game development or animation industry, with a strong portfolio.
• Expertise in ZBrush for sculpting and Maya or 3ds Max for modeling.
• Proficiency in texturing software such as Substance Painter/Designer and Photoshop.
• Solid understanding of PBR workflows and real-time rendering techniques.
• Experience with game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity) and their respective asset pipelines.
• Strong knowledge of human and creature anatomy.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.
• Opportunities for professional development and training in the field of 3D art.
• A collaborative and inspiring work environment in Polokwane .
• Access to cutting-edge software and hardware.
• The chance to work on diverse and exciting projects.