What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Character Artist (Unannounced Project) position at ArenaNet?
As a Senior Character Artist, you will be instrumental in shaping the artistic vision for our game by helping to define the look and quality of our characters within a semi-stylized visual direction. Reporting to the Art Manager and working closely with the Character Lead, you’ll take direction and collaborate to ensure the integrity of all character-related assets. This role is ideal for a self-starter with a passion for character art, someone ready to help develop new pipelines and contribute to character customization, including both human and non-human characters.
Your experience will help answer critical creative questions: How do characters look and move in our world? How do we create diverse and inclusive customization options that resonate with players? You’ll also play a part in ensuring that character creation aligns with gameplay progression and aesthetic customization.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
- Collaborate with the Character Lead and Art Director to establish and maintain the game’s character style and quality standards.
- Develop models, textures, and PBR materials for characters, clothing, armor, and weapons, with a strong focus on customization and anatomical modeling.
- Ensure character assets maintain consistency and meet the high-quality bar throughout development.
- Contribute to the development of innovative character creation systems, with an emphasis on diversity and customization, including non-human characters.
- Work closely with Tech Art and Engineering to ensure assets are optimized and meet performance constraints within the engine.
- Assist in building and refining character pipelines, including developing best practices for next-gen character asset creation.
- Participate in team playtests and discussions to support the holistic development of the game.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL
- 5 years of industry experience with at least one title shipped in a Senior Character Artist role or equivalent.
- Experience in both armor/clothing and anatomical modeling.
- Strong collaboration skills, with the ability to take direction from leads while maintaining autonomy in execution.
- A positive attitude and adaptable temperament, with excellent communication skills and the ability to work across departments.
- Familiarity with next-gen pipelines and a willingness to tackle new technical challenges and workflows.
- Solid understanding of anatomy, shape language, silhouette, color theory, and material definition.
- Experience creating character topology for rigging and animation and a working knowledge of rigging workflows and techniques.
- Proficiency with Maya, ZBrush, Photoshop, and Substance Painter/Designer.
- Strong experience with Unreal Engine and familiarity with modern game engines.
- Familiarity with semi-stylized character workflows and techniques in AAA game development.
