Character Artist

Description

When you see random lines on a canvas, are you mentally creating an aesthetically pleasing form? Do you have a secret obsession with character design art books knowing you can transform them into 3D models with almost the exact features? If so, we’d love to speak with you!

We are looking for a seasoned and enthusiastic Character Artist to join our talented Art Team at Piranha Games. Under the guidance of the Art Director, you will model characters with a special focus on their anatomy and ensure that all of them meet the same standards in terms of quality and style. This is a position where you integrate current and emerging 3D modeling trends to craft visually stunning characters.

What you will be doing:

• Implement the overall artistic vision of characters based on designs, concepts and descriptions
• Work with Art Director to combine ideas and methodologies of character production to create an efficient, streamlined pipeline
• Design, model, and texture high quality 3D characters, paying close attention to anatomical proportions, scale, and skeletal templates
• Ensure that the character models are able to convey a ‘sense of personality’ in the game (morphology, silhouette, facial expressions, etc.)
• Collaborate closely with concept artists, animators, game designers, and VFX artists to ensure the visual target is met or exceeded
• Assist with the integration of a character development process that works in congruence with the creative direction, meets the technical constraints of the game, as well as production deadlines
• Actively participate in technical and aesthetic problem solving discussions with the team
• Display exceptional integrity and understanding of the work; constantly seeking ways to improve the efficiency of the workflow and provide documented feedback to improve in-house tools
• Stay up to date on best practices and industry trends, work to integrate them into the project and share knowledge with inter-project colleagues
• Mentor and train junior artists
• Other ad-hoc responsibilities as requested

What you will bring with you:

• 5+ years’ experience of working on AAA console and/or PC titles with at least 2 shipped games as a Character Artist
• Possess an exceptional understanding of human and animal anatomy with a keen eye towards form, structure, and silhouette
• Solid knowledge of character modeling, texturing, and lighting as related to game development
• Comprehensive knowledge of a major 3D package (3ds Max, Maya, XSI), Photoshop, Z-brush and or Mudbox
• Excellent understanding of efficient techniques for game production
• A detail obsessed eye for creating and manipulating texture maps and excellent understanding of the value of UV space.
• An above-average understanding of working within game engine(s) and pipeline
• Expert experience using of advanced material shader systems for characters
• Ability to work within a team; building collaborative relationships and resolving conflicts in a constructive manner
• Proven track record of being resourceful and come up with creative solutions
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize work based on feedback/critiques
• Willingness and aptitude to learn new techniques and best practices
• Positive attitude and ability to give and receive constructive feedback
• Exemplary oral and written communication skills
• Have a genuine enthusiasm and interest in video games
• Knowledge of animation typology (rigging, skinning, etc.)
• Expertise in incorporating characters in game engines (Unreal, Cry Engine, or Unity)

What we considered as pluses!

• Experience developing art for MMO style games
• Experience working in an Agile/Scrum development environment
• Traditional sculpting and art fundamentals experience
• Experience with developing characters for facial animation, cloth, and hair
• Experience working with external vendors
• Animation experience is a plus

If this sounds like the opportunity you’re looking for, we invite you to submit your resume and online portfolio through our Online Application System. For more information about Piranha Games, please visit our website at www.piranhagames.com.

We thank you for your interests in this position. Due to the amount of applications, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.