Blind Squirrel Games (BSG) is a proud, independent studio that joins forces with developers and publishers seeking an innovative partner in creating quality games. At BSG, people are our purpose, so we prioritize an inquisitive, proactive, and collaborative work environment for all our squirrels.
We operate as a hybrid-remote studio and currently have locations in Irvine, California; Austin, Texas; and Auckland, New Zealand.
Skills and experience are highly valued at BSG, but we recognize that talent is a product of hard-work, resilience, and a growth-mindset. We champion individuals who have demonstrated they have the grit to overcome challenges and subscribe to the notion that inclusion breeds synergy and innovation. To us, diversity isn't a metric—it's a must!
Senior Technical Artists at BSG...
You have a deep understanding of the technical art pipeline, complemented by a refined skillset, honed through experience on numerous AAA titles. You're recognized as a dependable developer with the insight to know when to seek feedback. You welcome challenges, setting high standards for yourself and delivering high-quality work consistently.
While your influence is vital to the department's success and you provide mentorship to junior developers, creating and implementing technical art assets remains your core focus. You excel in independent work but also value collaboration through teamwork.
Location
This is a full-time position, and we welcome candidates interested in onsite, hybrid, or remote work arrangements.
Compensation:
The salary range being considered for this role is $107,000 - $134,000. The specified salary range pertains to Southern California, and the actual amounts may differ based on experience, performance, and location. These salary ranges do not apply to locations outside the United States.
Role and Responsibilities
Blind Squirrel Games (BSG) is looking for a is looking for a Senior Technical Artist to join us for an upcoming project.
Supported by the Art Director and Project Leads, the Senior Technical Artist will collaborate closely with artists, designers, and engineers to solve technical challenges, contribute to content creation, and ensure the seamless integration of art assets within the game engine.
As a Senior Technical Artist at BSG, you will contribute to the project by developing and optimizing art assets and ensuring their seamless integration within the game engine.
The ideal candidate for this role is passionate about foliage and developing new biomes and will drive the quality bar for vegetation across the project. Our ideal candidate is excited about creating plants, bushes, and trees using SpeedTree as well as other production tools and techniques in a highly collaborative environment.
Responsibilities
- Create foliage assets using procedural and semi-procedural tools including SpeedTree
- Develop and implement custom materials that support the visual and technical requirements
- Assist in the development of new biomes, including asset placement, lighting, atmospherics and post process settings
- Integrate environment assets and effects into game engines, troubleshoot integration issues, and optimize performance.
- Develop and implement custom materials using node-based systems.
- Generate seamless tiling textures and create one-off textures for unique elements.
- Efficiently unwrap UVs for art assets and generate realistic terrain meshes.
- Create and modify 3D models, optimizing for performance and visual quality.
- Assist in the development of custom scripts and tools for supporting and optimizing art pipelines
- Manage and organize art assets within database systems, ensuring proper version control and backup.
- Collaborate with production to maintain a clear and realistic schedule.
- Work directly with other artists, designers, and engineers to complete environments.
- Document technical art pipelines, workflows, and best practices for reference and training purposes.
Qualifications and Education Requirements
- 4+ years of industry experience in game development specializing in technical art.
- At least two shipped titles as a Technical Artist.
- Portfolio demonstrating diverse foliage and biomes in one or more game engines, using a variety of styles and techniques.
- Significant experience and techniques in the creation of trees, plants, shrubs, and vines using cards/flats and other techniques.
Preferred Skills
- Proactive communication and problem-solving abilities.
- Excellent leadership and mentoring skills.
- In-depth knowledge of art pipelines, dependencies, and project scope.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills.
- Advanced proficiency in Maya, Photoshop, Substance Designer/Painter, and Zbrush.
- Strong foundational skills in composition, design, structure, silhouette, and color theory.
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Proficiency with project management and task tracking software like Jira.