Character Concept Artist (Principal/Senior)

Bonfire is seeking a talented and passionate Senior/Principal Concept Artist to help us visualize captivating and believable characters for Arkheron, our first game and new original IP. The ideal candidate is a creative problem-solver with exceptional draftsmanship and a solid understanding of human and creature anatomy, costume, and prop design. A successful candidate not only generates innovative ideas, but also possesses the ability to translate those ideas into effective design solutions that elevate both the characters and the narrative.

Bonfire Studios is a highly collaborative, cross-disciplinary environment where every developer’s voice shapes the company, the game, and the tasks we work on each day. This role is anticipated to be an on-site work position at our Irvine, California studio.

What you’ll do:

• Create concept art for characters, creatures, and props– ranging from loose exploration sketches all the way to fully rendered designs.
• Valuing clear concepts is essential for this role, and through developing visually striking and clear character skin concepts, you will help build a rich narrative that seamlessly aligns with the IP.
• Work closely with Art Directors, Artists, Animators, and Designers on character and creature design and function.
• Collaborate with 3D Artists by providing extensive paint-overs to push the visuals further and problem-solve.
• Create thoroughly researched mood boards and quick iterative sketches that inspire new possible themes.
• Your ultimate impact on the studio will be unbounded; we lean on each other's passions and embrace one another's unique perspectives on game development to help us all grow as a team together. You will have many opportunities to contribute to areas of the game and the company outside your core focus

What we’re looking for:

• A stunning portfolio that highlights the best of your craft. You have built a career working on projects that push the limits of quality and creativity. This can come from designing characters, costumes, and creatures that are memorable and beloved (or loathed!) in AAA gaming or film. You demonstrate outstanding draftsmanship, a strong understanding of artistic fundamentals, and have a depth of knowledge in costume and fashion design across various eras and cultures. You have a strong sense of materials and the ability to communicate them visually. You are able to illustrate FX and animation through storyboards, and have expert-level Photoshop skills. Keeping the art quality bar high is important to you, and you proactively look for ways to adapt to and address creative challenges.
• Your passion for collaboration is high. You have the ability to work effectively in various team settings and adapt communication styles to meet the needs of your team (written, verbal, and visual). You enjoy working across disciplines, and proactively seek and apply feedback to enhance visual design. You show curiosity for the challenges your team is facing, and use those insights to better understand how art supports gameplay. You embrace accountability, meet deadlines, and can self-start and self-manage yourself to keep pace with the development team.

You’ll love working at Bonfire because we…

• Have strong values that include transparency, ownership, and trust. We are a people-first studio that also strives for a high bar of excellence in our creations.
• Celebrate craft expertise because we are a small, tight-knit group of highly experienced game developers who are as passionate about our team as we are our game.
• Offer opportunities to learn and contribute beyond your focused discipline in areas of interest or passion.
• Practice candor and feedback, leveling ourselves and each other up in the process.
• Play games and have fun together, kindling our own love for games and learning about each other.

The base salary for this position as a Senior is $196,500 annually. If your experience is more (principal level) or less (mid-level), your salary will be more/less than that rate (based on market data). We consider candidates' potential impact holistically, not just their years of experience or skill level. There is also more to our total comp package than salary, we offer equity to every new hire as well as a comprehensive benefits package and more. We will be happy to share more about our compensation opportunities when we chat with you!

You can learn more about Bonfire's studio culture, team, benefits, and perks on our website: www.bonfirestudios.com. Any information you submit is used for recruiting purposes only, and is never shared. You can learn more in our privacy policy.