Concept Artist [Contract] (Retro Studios)

Nintendo•Austin, TX

3h•Onsite

About The Position

Retro Studios, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nintendo Co., Ltd., is seeking a Concept Artist for an onsite contract position in Austin, Texas. This role involves collaborating with the Art Director, Artists, and Designers to define the visual style of games, with a particular emphasis on boss characters. The artist will work closely with Design to iterate on gameplay thumbnails and produce concept art across a broad range of styles, from realistic to highly stylized. Responsibilities include creating concept art for bosses, characters, environments, and props, providing visual support for game design, performing research, and offering feedback to other artists. The position requires a strong understanding of artistic principles and the ability to adapt to different styles, while also fostering a collaborative and professional environment.

Requirements

3 or more years' gaming industry experience as a concept artist, including at least one complete product cycle shipping AAA title.
Must present online portfolio with high-quality, varied examples of character and environment concept art.
Excellent 2D drawing skills with a strong grasp of composition, color theory, perspective, lighting, environment and architecture.
Examples of modern rendering process using 3D art and modeling tools (Maya, Blender).
Mastery of fundamental artistic principles.
Experience executing a wide range of artistic styles.
Good communicator, self-motivated, driven to grow professionally.
Undergraduate degree in art-related subject, completion of an intensive art training program, or equivalent professional experience.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with the Art Director, Artists, and Designers to define the look of our games by working to establish consistent visuals for characters, environments, props, and effects, with an emphasis on boss characters.
Work closely with Design to rapidly iterate gameplay thumbnails to be used in conjunction with design specifications to communicate gameplay properties, interactions and sequencing of boss characters.
Adopt a broad range of styles from realistic to highly stylized based on goals and direction for a given project to produce concept art with an appropriate sense of color, drama, shape language, personality, and design.
Take ownership of concept work for various game features while actively collaborating with other disciplines such as Design, Art, and Engineering to achieve high-quality, innovative concept art.
Produce boss, character, environment, and prop concept art in the form of thumbnails, sketches, breakdowns, reference sheets, paintings, and other digital imagery.
Provide visual contextualization support for game design efforts at all stages.
Perform research as necessary to support visual development.
Work with Art Director and Leads to provide feedback and guidance to artists.
Create storyboards, background illustrations, and promotional artwork.
Provide and receive feedback professionally.