5 Great Job Positions for Various Types of Artists

1. UE4 VFX Artist – Contract/Freelance at REALTIME

The Manchester-based company REALTIME is looking for a talented VFX artist. You’ll be a key artist in the team and, if possible for you, provide guidance on both creative and technical work across all aspects of VFX including shaders, emitters, materials, blueprints, sims, and more.

Responsibilities:

• Provide good direction and roadmaps on how to develop our in engine UE4 VFX team in the long term.
• Work with pipeline TD’s and technical artists to continually develop a future proof pipeline for VFX.
• Work with Executive Producer and clients to help define project goals and expectations.
• Develop, test, and refine a variety of FX based on detailed client and studio briefs.
• Create and refine materials and shaders to form the foundation of your FX work

Software Requirements:

• Good knowledge of UE4 – especially the material editor, Niagara, Cascade, and the lighting tools.
• Good knowledge of Blueprints in UE4.
• Good knowledge of 3D modeling software.
• Good knowledge of at least one program to create maps/textures – ideally Photoshop or Substance Suite.
• Experienced with Houdini and incorporating the digital assets into scenes in UE4.

2. Junior Houdini Artist at Phospho Ltd

Phospho is a London-based biomedical animation studio founded in 2014. Their exciting client base is split 50/50 between the life science industry and academic researchers. They use the power and detail of procedural animation to explain how the body works. Phospho is looking for someone who has a passion for building intricate and wonderful procedural animations in Houdini.

Essential 3D skills:

• 1+ years of professional experience using SideFX Houdini, either in a studio environment or as a freelancer.
• Skilled in using SOPS and DOPS inside of Houdini, basic knowledge of coding with VEX.
• Skilled in lighting, texturing, and rendering cinematic scenes, specifically using Redshift.
• Comfortable with compositing and editing using non-linear video editors, specifically DaVinci Resolve.
• Excited to continue 3D skill development and learn new software.

Essential professional skills:

• Ability to independently storyboard and plan an animation based on a brief.
• Self-motivating and able to execute a project to a high standard from start to finish.
• Great communication skills, ability to synthesize project feedback, and take artistic direction.

3. UE4 Level Designer at Fracture Labs

Fracture Labs is a company responsible for the upcoming game Decimated. They are looking for experienced Unreal Engine level designers to create sci-fi points of interest for the multiplayer online PvPvE game. The job will involve working from concept art and creating levels in-engine using assets provided by the art team, and creating placeholder assets in 3DS Max, Maya, or Blender as required to block out the level, for 3D artists and production partners to create more detailed props.

Requirements:

• Passion for Sci-Fi, Survival, and Cyberpunk games
• At least one published title on PC or console
• Good knowledge of UE4
• English at a level that allows reading and creating technical documentation
• Ability to work effectively in a team
• Ability to relocate to Malta

4. Stylized Character Artist – Contract/Freelance at Toast VR

This Australian company is looking for a Character Artist specializing in stylized art to help create a variety of characters for their next VR title. If you have 2D concept and character design skills and experience with mobile game development, then this position is worth checking out.

Job Responsibilities:

• Interpret concept and sketches to create stylized 3D characters that are optimized for use within a VR game
• Comfortable with creating a variety of character types including humanoid and quadruped with organic and hard surface pieces
• Create optimized low-resolution game meshes
• Sculpt or create Sub-D high poly meshes to use for baking
• Produce clean stylized texture maps

Qualifications:

• Solid understanding of 3ds Max/ Maya or equivalent, ZBrush and Substance Painter
• Ability to work independently and QA your own work
• Excellent communication and time management skills
• Minimum of 2 years experience in 3D design and modeling
• An up to date portfolio showcasing a selection of stylized characters demonstrating a solid understanding of form, shape, and color as well as the technical skills required to create a game-ready asset

5. Senior Environment Artist at Phaser Lock Interactive INC

PHASER LOCK INTERACTIVE is currently seeking a talented Senior Level Environment/Prop Artist with great communication skills, an eye for detail, and a mind for creativity with the passion to create game art that pushes the boundaries of what is possible in VR. 

Responsibilities:

• Work closely with the Art Lead to bring to life a stunning new world with beautiful and exciting set pieces and locations
• Work with Designers, Concept Artists, and other Environment Artists to create game environments from the early block-out phase to final game art.
• Produce highly detailed, hand-painted environment/props and scenes and convert them into game assets
• Communicate clearly and consistently with the Art Lead and Production Team
• Be proactive during meetings and contribute interesting, creative ideas to the project
• Work efficiently to produce high-quality artwork within set deadlines
• Create models and assemble scenes for both architectural and organic environments
• Troubleshoot levels and maintain them to stay in frame rate, memory, and design spec

Experience and Skills:

• 5+ years of professional experience working as an artist in the games and/or entertainment industries
• Amazing painting skills with a passion for environments and props
• Strong artistic ability to visualize entire levels and detail with minimal concept art and direction
• Excellent time management skills and the ability to handle large workloads efficiently.
• At least 1 shipped title
• Traditional and digital illustration/concepting skills
• Knowledge of 3D software (3ds Max preferred), ZBrush, Substance Painter, Photoshop, and the Unity Engine
• Strong communication skills