Senior Character Artist

Keywords Studios

1d•Remote

About The Position

Keywords Studios is seeking a Senior Character Artist to contribute to the art vision for characters, producing high-quality assets optimized for real-time game engines. This role involves close collaboration with concept artists, designers, animators, and technical artists, ensuring assets meet technical requirements and performance standards across all gaming platforms. The position also includes mentoring junior artists and contributing to pipeline improvements. Applicants must be currently residing in Japan and possess valid authorization to work in Japan.

Requirements

Extensive experience as a Character Artist within the video game industry, with a strong portfolio showcasing high-quality real-time game assets.
Strong understanding of industry-standard 3D software such as Autodesk Maya, Blender, 3ds Max, ZBrush, Substance Painter, and related tools.
Strong understanding of modelling, sculpting, UV mapping, texturing, anatomy, form, colour theory, and material creation.
Experience creating optimized assets for modern real-time game engines such as Unreal Engine or Unity.
Ability to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams, communicate ideas effectively, and incorporate feedback throughout production.
Knowledge of game development pipelines and the ability to adapt artistic styles to suit various game genres and target platforms.
Fluent in Japanese and with a high degree of English language proficiency.
Currently residing in Japan and possess valid authorization to work in Japan.

Nice To Haves

Passion for gaming and a strong understanding of market trends, player expectations, and gaming cultures across PC, Console, and Nintendo platforms.
Experience successfully guiding and communicating with other art teams to ensure artistic vision and asset quality are maintained from concept through to final in-game implementation.

Responsibilities

Contributing to the art vision for the Characters
Produce assets that align with the project’s artistic direction and technical requirements.
Develop polished models, textures, shaders, and materials optimized for real-time game engines.
Work closely with concept artists, designers, animators, and technical artists to translate concepts into final in-game assets.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams throughout the production pipeline to ensure artistic consistency and quality.
Participate in reviews, feedback sessions, and iterative development processes.
Ensure assets meet performance, memory, and platform-specific requirements across all gaming platforms.
Apply strong understanding of optimisation techniques.
Maintain consistency in quality while adhering to technical constraints and engine limitations.
Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, tools, and workflows.
Contribute ideas and improvements to pipelines and production processes.
Continuously push the visual quality and innovation of game art production.
Provide guidance, mentorship, and constructive feedback to junior and mid-level artists.
Support collaboration across internal teams and external vendors to maintain consistent asset quality.
Contribute positively to team culture and artistic growth within the department.