Senior Character Artist & Modeler – AAA Games (Paarl)

Placements24; Stellenbosch; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health benefits

Professional growth opportunities

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Character Artist & Modeler for their Paarl, Western Cape studio to bring AAA-quality characters to life, from high-poly sculpts to optimized game-ready assets.

You will collaborate with an art team, mentors juniors, and contribute to pipelines, with strong emphasis on anatomy, textures, and real-time engine readiness.

The role offers growth in a respected game studio working on acclaimed titles in the vibrant Western Cape.

Qualifications

• A strong portfolio showcasing exceptional character modeling and texturing skills for video games.
• Proficiency in Maya, ZBrush and Blender for character creation.
• Expertise in texturing with Substance Painter, Mari, and Photoshop.
• Understanding of anatomy, form, proportion and material definition.
• Experience with real-time engines (Unreal Engine, Unity) and asset pipelines.
• Familiarity with rigging and animation processes.
• Strong artistic eye and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, essential for collaboration in our Paarl, Western Cape studio.
• Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, Computer Graphics, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

Responsibilities

• Create high-quality, game-ready character models, including sculpting, retopology, UV mapping, and texturing.
• Develop realistic and stylized textures, utilizing PBR workflows and tools like Substance Painter.
• Ensure character models meet performance requirements and technical specifications for real-time engines.
• Collaborate with art directors and leads to define character aesthetics and ensure consistency with project style guides.
• Work closely with animators to ensure models are properly rigged and deformed.
• Contribute to the development of character art pipelines and workflows.
• Provide constructive feedback and mentorship to junior character artists.
• Stay updated on the latest trends and technologies in character art and 3D modeling.
• Maintain clear communication with the art team and other development departments.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues related to character assets.

Skills

Character sculpting

Retopology

UV mapping

Texturing

Portfolio presentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts/CG or equivalent

Tools

Maya

ZBrush

Blender

Substance Painter

Mari

Photoshop

Unreal Engine

Unity

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Character Artist & Modeler for their Paarl, Western Cape studio to bring AAA-quality characters to life, from high-poly sculpts to optimized game-ready assets.

You will collaborate with an art team, mentors juniors, and contribute to pipelines, with strong emphasis on anatomy, textures, and real-time engine readiness.

The role offers growth in a respected game studio working on acclaimed titles in the vibrant Western Cape.