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At Wizards of the Coast, we connect people around the world through play and imagination. From our genre defining games like Magic: The Gathering® and Dungeons & Dragons® to our growing multiverse, we continue to innovate and build new ways to foster friendship and connection. That’s where you come in!
Skeleton Key is a new game development studio and division of Wizards of the Coast. We are a group of industry veterans who are guided by the belief that empowering our teams and providing the proper time, tools, and support we can foster a creative culture where everyone can do their best work.
Our new studio will be located in Austin, TX, and we are looking for a passionate and dedicated Lead Character Artist to join us. We are considering on-site and hybrid working options as well as full-time remote candidates.
Reporting to the Art Director, you will play a critical role on the project by crafting iconic characters and creatures as we move from concept to pre-production. You'll also help us establish the quality, style, and pipelines for character art as a subject area within the studio.
What You'll Do:
- Sculpt high-resolution AAA quality characters, build clean game topology, UV's and textures for character assets.
- Foster a collaborative relationship with others to build appealing characters, creatures, character skins, and other AAA content.
- Support character concept and design teams.
- Work with other art teams, and game direction to establish visual style and production pipelines/processes for crafting character models.
- Collaborate across crafts and fields to help guide the Character Art team through pre-production visual development tests and conceptualization, as well as production execution.
- Work closely with the Tech Art team to maintain guidelines for model deliveries that allow for effective deformation and expression, as well as optimization.
- Assist and partner with the Art Director to drive and maintain high visual quality of character models
- Be an active mentor, leader and role model for the art team.
What You'll Bring:
- 5+ years of experience, with at least 2 years as a Character Artist in a leadership role.
- A portfolio that demonstrates a breadth of both technical and artistic execution of Character Art.
- Communication skills and knowledge to both effectively give and receive creative and artistic critique.
- Excellent understanding of anatomical proportions, silhouette and a strong sense of compositional design and balance.
- Experience using real-time engines such as Unreal or Unity.
- Knowledge of art assets optimization for games.
- Expertise in both hard surface and organic high poly techniques.
- Outstanding knowledge of PBR texture/material workflows.
- Experience with Substance Painter.
- Understand rigging and skinning.
- Passion for making and playing game.
- Enthusiastic, positive, team-oriented; must have the ability to interact and collaborate with all departments and teams.
- Self-sufficient and self-motivated, can perform duties with little oversight.
We are an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer
The above is intended to describe the general content of and the requirements for satisfactory performance in this position. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of the duties, responsibilities, or requirements of the position.
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation range for this role. The range listed is just one component of Wizards of the Coast’s total compensation package for employees. Employees may also be eligible for annual and long-term incentives. In addition, Wizards of the Coast provides a variety of benefits to employees. Here’s a look at what your benefits package may include: Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance, Paid Vacation Time & Holidays, Generous 401(k) match, Paid Parental Leave, Volunteer Program, Employee Giving & Matching Gifts Programs, Tuition Reimbursement, Product Discounts, and more.
