Summary
We are seeking a Character Outsourcing Artist to join our team and help bring compelling characters to life in our game world. This role will serve as a bridge between internal development and external vendors, ensuring that outsourced character assets meet our quality standards, artistic vision, and technical requirements. The ideal candidate will be both a strong Character Artist and an effective collaborator - comfortable reviewing, integrating, and refining outsourced content while also creating high-quality hand-made Character Art when needed, that does not depend on scans.
Core Responsibilities
- Review, provide feedback, and integrate character assets from external outsourcing partners to ensure alignment with the project’s artistic and technical standards.
- Create high-quality character models, textures, and materials that meet the project’s style and fidelity goals.
- Maintain consistency across outsourced assets by ensuring adherence to visual benchmarks, technical specifications, and naming conventions.
- Collaborate with Art Director, Lead Character Artist, and the Technical Animators to ensure character assets are visually striking and function properly in-engine.
- Provide clear and actionable feedback, documentation, and reference materials to outsourcing teams to improve efficiency and quality.
- Troubleshoot and resolve Art related technical issues related to asset integration.
Core Qualifications
- Proven experience as a Character Artist in the video game industry, with at least one shipped AAA or equivalent title.
- Strong portfolio showcasing character modeling, texturing, technical ability, and material creation skills.
- Proficiency in software: Maya, ZBrush, Perforce, Substance Painter, Marvelous Designer, and Photoshop.
- Familiarity with Unreal game engine and understanding of asset implementation.
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to provide clear feedback to external vendors.
- Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and ability to manage multiple assets and tasks simultaneously.
Plus If...
- Strong drawing and painting skills.
- Experience working directly with outsourcing teams on character pipelines.
- Skilled in Marvelous and Hair/Fur Xgen workflows.
- Knowledge of rigging, skinning, or animation support for characters.
- Has some fun ideas.
Description
- Full time job with benefits
- Role is on-site in Santa Monica, CA
- Office is located near downtown Santa Monica – near metro and freeways.
The base pay range for this position is $120,000 to $140,000 per year. Actual compensation is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. We also offer a competitive package of benefits including vacation time, sick time, company holidays, parental leave, medical/dental/vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and 401(k) matching to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity.
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What We Do
Absurd Ventures is an entertainment company creating new IP across all mediums including video games, live-action and animated TV, film, fiction podcasts, books, comic books and more. Absurd Ventures’ original properties include the sci-fi thriller universe “A Better Paradise”, the crime fiction universe “American Caper,” and the comedy satire universe “Absurdaverse”. The company has already launched a chart-topping audio fiction series set in the “A Better Paradise” universe and will be debuting an American Caper comics series and Absurdaverse animation projects in 2025. Founded by Dan Houser, Absurd Ventures is headquartered in Santa Monica, with additional studio offices in Marin, CA. Storytelling. Philanthropy. Ultraviolence.






