Senior Character Artist

Placements24; Randburg; Hybrid; ZAR 420,000 - 780,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental and vision insurance

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Professional development

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Character Artist in Randburg, Gauteng to lead character creation for our high-profile game projects. You will sculpt, texture, and refine characters from concepts, ensuring they meet art direction and technical requirements for real-time rendering.

We expect 5+ years of professional character art in games, with strong anatomy knowledge and expertise in Maya/3ds Max/Blender, ZBrush, Substance Painter/Designer, and Photoshop.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years as a Character Artist in games with a strong portfolio.
• Proficiency in Maya, 3ds Max, or Blender and ZBrush.
• Expertise in Substance Painter/Designer and Photoshop.
• Strong understanding of anatomy and proportions for humans and creatures.
• Experience with game-ready assets in Unreal Engine or Unity.
• Knowledge of PBR workflows and material creation.
• Good topology and UV layout practices for efficient texturing and animation.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Sculpt, model, and texture high-quality 3D characters for real-time rendering.
• Create detailed character anatomy, facial features, hair, and clothing.
• Develop and apply PBR materials and textures for realistic or stylized looks.
• Work from concept art to match the established art direction.
• Collaborate with riggers and animators to ensure proper setup.
• Optimize assets for performance, manage polygons, textures, and LODs.
• Participate in art reviews and provide constructive feedback.
• Stay updated with latest character art techniques and tools.
• Troubleshoot technical issues in asset creation and implementation.
• Contribute to pipelines and workflows for character art.

Skills

Character art

Anatomy understanding

Team collaboration

Art direction interpretation

Tools

Maya

3ds Max

Blender

ZBrush

Substance Painter

Substance Designer

Photoshop

Unreal Engine

Unity

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a distinguished studio acclaimed for its memorable characters and stunning visual fidelity, is looking for a talented Senior Character Artist to join their esteemed team in Randburg, Gauteng . This role is pivotal in bringing compelling characters to life, responsible for the modeling, texturing, and refinement of characters that form the heart of our games. You will work closely with character art leads, concept artists, and animators to ensure characters are visually striking, technically sound, and align perfectly with the game's art direction. We seek an individual with a passion for character creation, exceptional artistic skill, and a keen eye for anatomy, costume design, and detail. This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute your expertise to high-profile projects and leave your mark on the visual identity of our games. Join our collaborative environment in Randburg and help create characters that resonate with players worldwide.

Key Responsibilities

• Sculpt, model, and texture high-quality 3D characters suitable for real-time rendering.
• Create detailed and believable character anatomy, facial features, hair, and clothing.
• Develop and apply PBR materials and textures to achieve realistic or stylized character appearances.
• Work from concept art and briefs to produce characters that match the established art direction.
• Collaborate with riggers and animators to ensure characters are properly set up for animation and deformation.
• Optimize character assets for performance, managing polygon counts, texture memory, and LODs.
• Participate in art reviews, providing and receiving constructive feedback to maintain quality standards.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest character art techniques, tools, and industry trends.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues related to character asset creation and implementation.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of character art pipelines and workflows.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience as a Character Artist in the game industry, with a strong portfolio showcasing exceptional character work.
• Proficiency in 3D modeling software (e.g., Maya, 3ds Max, Blender) and digital sculpting tools (e.g., ZBrush).
• Expertise in texturing software such as Substance Painter, Substance Designer, and Photoshop.
• Strong understanding of human and creature anatomy, proportion, and form.
• Experience with creating game-ready assets within game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity).
• Knowledge of PBR workflows and material creation.
• Good understanding of topology and UV layout best practices for efficient texturing and animation.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Ability to interpret and execute art direction effectively.
• Experience with hair grooming tools is a plus.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and performance bonuses.
• Opportunity to work on exciting, high-profile character-driven games.
• A collaborative and creative studio culture in Randburg .
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Retirement savings plan.
• Generous paid time off and holiday allowance.
• Professional development opportunities, including workshops and conferences.
• Access to the latest art software and hardware.
• Regular team-building events.