Senior Character Artist

Lightforge Games is a new studio bringing the roleplaying back into RPGs.

We're looking for people of all levels, backgrounds, voices, identities, and perspectives to join us on our journey. We strongly believe the key to making a better game, better company, and better industry begins with a diverse set of voices.

We value transparency, empathy, and personal growth, and we believe that making games is both an art and a science.

As a fully remote company, we're open to teammates living nearly anywhere. We practice nonlinear workdays, allowing everyone to determine how and when they work best. We also follow an open salary policy where all pay details are shared with everyone. This holds us accountable to fair pay.

Lightforge Games is very much a work-in-progress, and you can help shape who we are. Come join us to build something special!

Lightforge Games is looking for a Senior Character Artist! 

We are looking for an artist with a proven track record in creating appealing, stylized, AAA quality 3D game characters, who also enjoys the collaborative environment of a great team. In this role, you will be critical in helping fine-tuning the look and style of all characters, character attire, and creatures. In addition to creating models and helping with direction for outsourced art, we will also be looking to your experience for feedback on all aspects of our art pipeline.

By joining us at this early stage, you’ll play a big role in helping to guide the direction of our project and company. We’re looking for an artist with proven experience who can grow with the company.

• Work closely with the Art Director and Character Art Lead to develop and enhance the look and style of the game’s characters, armors and creatures, defining the approach and pipeline from start to finish.
• Execute complex character sculpts, re-topos, UVs, bakes, and textures with an ability to maintain consistent style and efficient workflow.
• Embrace organic feedback, loose ideas, and rough concepts with the ability to make them your own, adding your creativity and artistry.
• Collaborate with tech art to refine model and PBR shader workflows that accommodate character customization related systems.
• Expand upon a robust character creation library and layered armor system that covers a multitude of body types, modular parts, and blendshape-driven face options.
• Lead in identifying, determining, implementing and resolving pipelines and workflows to meet our game’s vision.
• Create proxy models in order to prototype and support testing of new systems as they are developed.
• Review and provide organized and concise feedback to internal and outsourced character art team members, helping to ensure that all 3D assets are achieving our established quality and style standards.
• Work closely with our animation and rigging teams to ensure character assets will deform naturally and believably.
• Outside of art, contribute to Lightforge Games' direction and values.

• Portfolio that represents a strong ability to sculpt, with a clear knowledge of how to properly retopologize, and texture high quality, game ready character assets.
• Excellent stylized modeling abilities (human faces, body types, sculpted clothing, creatures) showing fluency in stylized art.
• Passion for creating characters, gear, and creatures that reflect a fantasy world setting.
• Solid hard-surface modeling skills (armor, weapons).
• Fluent understanding of human and animal anatomies and physiologies.
• Experience working with modular assets.
• Understanding of working within the limits of existing rigs.
• Fundamental understanding of color and color theory.
• An understanding of PBR workflows.
• Expert knowledge of game development 3D programs.
• Strong familiarity with UE4 or UE5 development.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work with internal and external team members.
• Self-motivated and proactive, with the ability to work remotely while collaborating with a team.
• Great organizational and analytical skills in regards to art creation.

• 2D or 3D concept art ability.
• Experience authoring shaders for characters such as skin, eyes, hair, etc.
• Knowledge of a character creator pipeline, working with morph targets.
• Experience with creature art/anatomy
• Familiarity with procedural content creation using Houdini or similar techniques.
• Interest in sometimes creating 3D environments, weapons, props, and points of interest.
• Experience working on live-service games.

LFG is committed to an annual review of compensation ranges to account for inflation. As of March 6, 2023 - we've increased our existing salary ranges by roughly 3%. The updated base salary range for this role is between $123,300 - $139,100, depending on levels of skills and experience.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy:

Lightforge Games is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment. We value diversity and inclusivity and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

All employment decisions at Lightforge Games are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to any protected characteristic. Our commitment to equal employment opportunity extends to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, compensation, benefits, promotions, training, disciplinary actions, and termination.

We strive to foster a workplace that is diverse, respectful, and inclusive, where every employee feels valued and empowered. We believe that a diverse workforce brings different perspectives and ideas, leading to innovation and success.

If you need assistance or accommodation during the application process due to a disability, please contact Mary Chan at [email protected]