Art Director

At Velan Studios, we foster a culture of curiosity. Our games embrace diversity and are fueled by the adventurous spirit of our team. We are the creative minds behind titles like Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, Knockout City, Hot Wheels Rift Rally, Midnight Murder Club as well as the VR game Bounce Arcade, and our journey continues! Our studio's mission is to pioneer groundbreaking gaming experiences and reimagine play in new ways. We're committed to pushing the boundaries of traditional gaming, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, and revolutionizing the industry one game at a time. 

Velan Studios is entering pre-production on an exciting new fantasy RPG based on a high-profile IP.  We are looking for a skilled and passionate Art Director to join our team and drive critical visual and art direction decisions on this project.  

The Art Director will be a critical member of our studio and will work with various team sizes. They are expected to have a deep understanding in one or more art disciplines, such as: concept art, character modeling, environment building, VFX, etc. This role will help define the visual and aesthetic direction of our projects by working closely with our teams and establishing the style of the environments, characters, and at times the look and feel for brand-new IP’s. 

If you’re brimming with passion and curiosity and ready to create the best work of your career, we want to hear from you! 

Responsibilities 

• Work closely with the Game Director, Leads, and other key stakeholders to help define and build out the look of the project. 
• Knowledge of IP development and how to work with a Product and Marketing team to create a strong Brand Identity.  
• Highly skilled in 3D programs such as Maya, Blender, Max, and/or Zbrush with a deep understanding of how to create stylized and optimized in-game assets. 
• Provide clear feedback, direction, and oversight to project artists to ensure they meet brand, style, and art direction guidelines.  
• Expert knowledge of industry standard gameplay engines, such as Unity and Unreal. 
• Full understanding of a game’s development cycle, from pre-production to ship, in order to guide various art team’s pipelines and standardized ways of working. 
• Work closely with Production to keep work flowing and on track for internal and external deadlines. 
• Create high quality artwork to support studio needs such as marketing, pitch decks, and PR events. 
• Leadership and/or mentoring experience with a willingness to train and mentor other artists at the studio. 

Requirements

• 8+ years of industry experience as a game artist, with 2+ years of those being AD experience. 
• Strong understanding of anatomy, storytelling, lighting, composition, perspective, and color theory. 
• Experience using 3D applications such as ZBrush, 3DSMax, Maya, Substance Designer, and/or other game production tools. 
• Strong foundational art skills and a keen eye for keeping art consistent and on-model. 
• Knowledge of the entire art pipeline and ability to implement art assets into an engine. 
• A portfolio of work showcasing, but not limited to, fantasy artwork which includes; characters, environments, and props. 
• Experience creating Art Bibles for other artists to reference and keep their work on-model.  
• Very comfortable giving and receiving feedback on artwork for the production pipeline. 
• Strong communication and organizational skills. 

Big Plusses 

• Experience with other artistic areas in game content creation outside of your main skillset (ex. UI, graphic design, lighting, etc.) 
• Ability to storyboard. 
• Prototyping experience on a project while being an AD or Artist. 

This is a hybrid or onsite position. Hybrid is 3 days a week in studio. Our studio is located in Toronto, ON.

The salary for this position is typically within the range specified below* per year. Please note that the actual base pay may vary based on factors such as your qualifications, skills, experience, and other relevant considerations. 

*Specialist $95,000.-$145,000. CAD
*Principal $115,000.-$170,000. CAD

Velan Studios is dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you are excited about a role, but your experience doesn’t align perfectly, we encourage you to submit a General Application. Velan Studios is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion, diversity, and providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment. We seek to create a work culture that matches the diversity of our players.