Lead Character Artist

Company Description  The Magician Software is an independent game development company focused on creating original, high-quality interactive experiences. The studio values creative freedom, experimentation, and close collaboration across disciplines. Team members are encouraged to contribute ideas that shape characters, worlds, and gameplay from early concept through release. As a smaller independent team, The Magician Software offers the opportunity to have a visible impact on the final product and grow alongside the studio.

Role Description  The Lead Character Artist will be responsible for driving the visual direction and production of all character art for our games. This full-time, remote role is based in Vancouver, BC and involves close collaboration with art, design, and engineering teams. Day-to-day tasks include creating high-quality character models and textures, defining character art pipelines, and setting quality standards for the character art team.

The Lead Character Artist will provide mentorship and feedback to other artists, review and polish character assets for in-game use, and ensure that character designs align with gameplay, story, and technical constraints. The role also includes working with animators and technical artists to make sure characters are optimized, expressive, and ready for implementation in the game engine.
Compensation  For transparency, this role is based on a revenue-share model. While this is common in the Indie side of the industry, it's not for everyone. Feel free to reach out for more details.
Location  This position is fully remote, with no in-studio time required. The studio is based in Vancouver, BC, Canada, as is the majority of its staff.
Qualifications
Strong skills in character design and art, with a portfolio demonstrating expressive, realistic characters suitable for games.
Hands-on experience in 3D modeling and texturing for game-ready characters, including topology, UVs, materials, and optimization.
Understanding of game development workflows and engines, with the ability to collaborate effectively with designers, programmers, and animators.
Experience leading or mentoring other artists, setting visual standards, and providing clear, constructive art direction.
Proficiency with industry-standard tools (e.g., Maya/3ds Max/Blender, ZBrush, Substance Painter/Designer, Photoshop or equivalents).

Experience with Unreal is a plus, but not mandatory.
Solid grasp of anatomy, silhouette, proportion, and visual storytelling through character design.
Previous experience in game development or shipped titles as a character artist; lead or senior experience is an asset.