Lighthouse Games is a premier AAA studio situated in the historic gaming heartland of Royal Leamington Spa. Defined by a pedigree of industry-leading talent and a fierce ambition to build a best-in-class gaming experience, we are assembling a team of “future greats.” When you join Lighthouse, you aren’t just filling a seat; you are entering a collaborative, hybrid environment designed to help you produce the absolute best work of your career.
As a Character Artist, you will be at the literal forefront of our storytelling. You will work in lockstep with the Character Art team, Animation department, and the Art Director to breathe life into protagonists, antagonists, and the inhabitants of our new world. We are looking for an artist who doesn’t just “sculpt models” but creates memorable experiences through digital flesh, bone, and fabric.
Job Overview: Character Artist
Category Details
Company Name Lighthouse Games
Job Title Character Artist
Location Royal Leamington Spa, England (Hybrid)
Job Type Full-Time
Estimated Salary Range £45,000 – £75,000 GBP (Based on experience + Discretionary Bonus)
Key Software ZBrush, Maya/Max, Marvelous Designer, Substance Painter
Core Engine Unreal Engine
Benefits Private Healthcare, Dental, Optical, Studio Shutdown
The Role: Craft, Collaboration, and Culture
Your mission is to bridge the gap between 2D concepts and living, breathing 3D entities. This role requires a master’s touch in anatomy and a scientist’s precision in technical optimization.
1. High-Fidelity Asset Creation
You will be responsible for the end-to-end creation of realistic human characters. This involves:
- Sculpting & Modeling: Utilizing ZBrush and Maya/3DS Max to create high-poly sculpts that capture every nuance of human expression and anatomy.
- Technical Tailoring: Using Marvelous Designer to simulate realistic clothing, ensuring that folds, weight, and layers interact naturally with the character’s form.
- Surfacing & Texturing: Mastering Substance Painter and Photoshop to create complex skin shaders, weathered fabrics, and intricate material definitions that hold up under the scrutiny of 4K resolutions.
2. Cross-Disciplinary Integration
Characters do not exist in a vacuum. You will act as a vital link in the production chain:
- Animation & Rigging: Working with the Animation team to ensure that your topology allows for realistic deformation. You must understand how the human body moves and how clothing shifts during high-intensity action sequences.
- Technical Art & Engineering: Partnering with Tech Art to ensure assets are optimized for performance. This includes managing draw calls, polygon counts, and texture memory without sacrificing visual fidelity.
- Shaders & Lighting: Collaborating with the Lighting team to ensure your characters react beautifully to dynamic environments and complex shader networks.
Lighthouse Games is an evolving studio. We want you to help us build the “how” as much as the “what.”
- Assist in developing new techniques and tools to streamline the character art pipeline.
- Participate in rigorous studio critiques, offering and seeking feedback to ensure a “rising tide lifts all boats” atmosphere.
- Contributing to a healthy, inclusive studio culture where ego is secondary to the quality of the game.
Required Qualifications
To thrive at Lighthouse, you must demonstrate a blend of artistic intuition and technical discipline:
- Industry Experience: You must have shipped at least one title as a Character Artist (AAA experience preferred).
- Anatomical Expertise: A profound understanding of human anatomy, including skeletal structure, musculature, and the subtleties of facial movement.
- Software Mastery:
- Sculpting: Expert-level ZBrush.
- Modeling/UV: Proficiency in Maya or 3DS Max.
- Clothing: Advanced skills in Marvelous Designer.
- Texturing: Deep knowledge of Substance Painter and the PBR (Physically Based Rendering) workflow.
- Optimization: A proven ability to produce game-ready assets that are optimized for modern consoles and PC hardware.
- Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills to navigate a hybrid work model effectively.
Desired Attributes
- Unreal Engine Knowledge: Experience navigating and integrating assets within Unreal Engine.
- Traditional Arts: A background in life drawing or traditional sculpture.
- Trend Awareness: A passion for keeping up with the latest advancements in real-time hair (grooming), skin shading, and facial capture technology.
We believe that peak creativity requires peak health. Our benefits package is designed to support every aspect of a Rioter’s life (or in this case, a Lighthouse Developer).
Time Off & Balance
- Standard Leave: 25 days of annual holiday.
- Personal Milestone: An extra day off for your birthday to celebrate however you choose.
- The Big Reset: A full studio shutdown between Christmas and New Year, allowing the entire team to recharge simultaneously.
- Private Healthcare & Dental: Full coverage for your physical health.
- Optical Treatments: Specialist care for those long hours spent perfecting pixels.
- Mental Health Support: Access to dedicated resources and professional support to ensure your psychological well-being.
- Health & Well-Being Benefits: Additional stipends or programs aimed at maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle.
- Discretionary Bonus Scheme: Share in the success of the studio through our performance-linked bonus structure.
- Private Pension Scheme: A robust plan to help you secure your future beyond the games industry.
Life in Royal Leamington Spa
Joining Lighthouse Games means moving to the “Silicon Spa,” a picturesque town that doubles as a world-class gaming hub.
- The Community: Work in a town where the person sitting next to you at the coffee shop is likely a fellow developer. The networking and community feel are unparalleled.
- The Environment: Leamington Spa offers a mix of stunning Regency architecture, award-winning parks, and a vibrant nightlife, all within easy reach of London and Birmingham.
- Hybrid Model: We offer a flexible hybrid working environment, allowing you to find the perfect balance between the energy of the studio and the focus of your home office.
How to Apply
We receive a high volume of interest, and the best way to stand out is through your Portfolio. We are looking for:
- Recent Examples: Show your most current work that demonstrates a high-quality “end-to-end” process (Concept to In-Game).
- Breakdowns: Include wireframes, texture maps, and high-poly sculpts to show your technical cleanliness.
- Humanity: Characters that feel alive, not just like statues.
Note: A passion for video games and an understanding of current character art trends is essential. We want to see that you are an enthusiast of the medium as much as a practitioner.
Lighthouse Games is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you are ready to create the best work of your career, the light is on.
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