Lead Character Artist

Hasbro•Austin, TX

19h•Onsite

About The Position

Skeleton Key is a 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 necessary time, tools, and support we can foster a creative culture where everyone can do their best work. Our studio is located in Austin, TX, and we are looking for a passionate and dedicated Lead Character Artist to join us and bring our first AAA game to life. This role will be based out of Austin, TX. Reporting to the Art Director, you will be a key contributor as we enter pre-production, by bringing your extensive modeling and material experience to help us build outstanding characters and creatures. You will assist in defining the overall look for a cast of compelling characters and the process used to create them. This role requires a strong technical sense as well as the ability to implement the highest-quality art.

Requirements

The internal drive, collaborative mentality, and positive team-player approach to build a truly outstanding game.
7 +yrs of focused experience in AAA game development as a Character Artist specializing in organic forms using Maya, Zbrush or similar tools.
Experience collaborating and iterating with other Character Artists both internally and externally.
The creative vision to take a character to completion from either a detailed or a high-level concept image.
Deep hands-on knowledge of next-generation asset creation pipelines, tools, and workflows in Unreal Engine.
Experience partnering with an Art Director or visual lead in developing a unique and cohesive modeling and texturing style and process for characters, creatures, and manufactured forms.
Exceptional understanding of character form, shape, structure, and silhouette.
Skill in contributing, interpreting, and clearly communicating art direction within a team.
Able to effectively collaborate with game designers and programmers, with a collaborative approach to problem-solving and prototyping.
A passion for deep, horror and fantasy stories and role-playing games.

Responsibilities

Create iconic 3D characters that establish and drive the quality bar for our project.
Assist Tech Art and Engineering in planning and implementing our character art process and pipelines including mesh processing, materials, hair and other associated work.
Elevate, visualize and evangelize our artistic vision as part of an outstanding development team.
Deep understanding of the Art creation process and pipeline, in relation to AAA 3D game development.
Outstanding communication skills both written and verbal. You can effectively articulate technical process and provide critical visual feedback for external artists
Work with outsource co-dev partners to ensure continuity and compatibility with the artistic vision.
Provide leadership and mentorship to a your team and facilitate growth in their career paths.