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Look Development Artist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Senior Lighting Artist

Herndon, VA ยท On-site

$130K - $156K/yr

The role requires a skilled artist with strong understanding of lighting and rendering ... Mastery of look development and lighting for photorealistic renders, including human skin, eyes ...

Senior Lighting Artist

Herndon, VA ยท On-site

$130K - $156K/yr

The role requires a skilled artist with strong understanding of lighting and rendering ... Mastery of look development and lighting for photorealistic renders, including human skin, eyes ...

Storyboard Artist - Ink

Los Gatos, CA ยท On-site

$74.52/hr

Position Summary We are seeking a Storyboard Artist to join our pioneering team in developing ... Work closely with leadership to resolve issues and address notes Drive look development and visual ...

Position Summary We are seeking a Storyboard Artist to join our pioneering team in developing ... Drive look development and visual experimentation efforts by pioneering new approaches to blend ...

Senior Level Artist

Novato, CA ยท On-site

$149K - $178K/yr

As a Senior Level Artist at Cloud Chamber, you will join our talented development team to shape the ... Participate in look development, creating visual benchmark environments and level layouts to ...

Position Summary We are seeking a Storyboard Artist to join our pioneering team in developing ... Drive look development and visual experimentation efforts by pioneering new approaches to blend ...

Position Summary We are seeking a Storyboard Artist to join our pioneering team in developing ... Work closely with leadership to resolve issues and address notes Drive look development and visual ...

Position Summary We are seeking a Storyboard Artist to join our pioneering team in developing ... Drive look development and visual experimentation efforts by pioneering new approaches to blend ...

Senior Level Artist

Novato, CA ยท On-site

$149K - $178K/yr

As a Senior Level Artist at Cloud Chamber, you will join our talented development team to shape the ... Participate in look development, creating visual benchmark environments and level layouts to ...

As an Environment Artist, you will work with the Creative Director, Art Leads, Vis Dev Artists and ... development We look forward to meeting you! Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer ...

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Look Development Artist information

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How much do look development artist jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 8, 2026, the average hourly pay for look development artist in the United States is $34.86, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $33.65 and $37.02 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the highest paid art job?

In the field of art, roles such as art directors, concept artists, and senior visual effects artists tend to have the highest salaries, especially in industries like film, video games, and advertising. These positions often require extensive experience, strong technical skills, and proficiency with tools like Adobe Creative Suite or 3D modeling software. Salaries can vary based on industry, location, and level of expertise.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Look Development Artist position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Look Development Artist, you need a strong background in 3D modeling, texturing, shading, and rendering, ideally with a degree in computer graphics or a related field. Expertise in industry-standard software such as Maya, Houdini, Substance Painter, and rendering engines like Arnold or V-Ray is crucial. Attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication make candidates stand out in collaborative production environments. These skills ensure visually compelling assets that align with the creative vision and technical requirements of animation, VFX, or game projects.

Are 3D artists paid well?

3D artists, including Look Development Artists, can earn competitive salaries that vary based on experience, location, and industry. Entry-level positions typically start lower, while experienced artists working in gaming, film, or advertising can command higher wages, especially with proficiency in tools like Maya or Blender. Overall, 3D artists are generally considered to be well-compensated within creative and technical fields.

What does a look development artist do?

A look development artist creates the visual style and surface details for characters, environments, and objects in a digital project, ensuring they match the desired aesthetic. They use tools like Maya, Substance Painter, and Photoshop to develop textures, materials, and shading that bring the design to life and maintain consistency throughout the production process.

How much do visual development artists get paid?

Visual development artists typically earn between $50,000 and $90,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and industry. Entry-level positions may start lower, while experienced artists with strong portfolios and skills in tools like Photoshop or SketchUp can earn higher salaries.

What are the typical daily responsibilities of a Look Development Artist in a production environment?

A Look Development Artist spends their day creating high-quality textures, shaders, and surface materials for 3D models, ensuring that assets achieve the desired visual style. They collaborate closely with lighting, modeling, and compositing teams to make necessary adjustments and troubleshoot technical issues. Daily tasks often include reviewing renders, refining materials based on feedback, and staying up-to-date with the latest tools and workflows. This role is highly collaborative and involves regular communication with supervisors and other artists to maintain consistency and meet project deadlines.

What does a Look Development Artist do?

A Look Development Artist is responsible for defining the final appearance of 3D assets in films, TV, and games. They focus on creating textures, shaders, and materials that give objects realistic or stylized visual qualities. They work closely with lighting, modeling, and surfacing teams to ensure assets match the artistic vision. Using software like Maya, Substance Painter, and Houdini, they refine colors, reflections, and surface details. Their work helps bring characters, environments, and props to life with high-quality visual fidelity.

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What cities are hiring for Look Development Artist jobs? Cities with the most Look Development Artist job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Look Development Artist jobs? The most popular types of Look Development Artist jobs are:
What states have the most Look Development Artist jobs? States with the most job openings for Look Development Artist jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Look Development Artist jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Look Development Artist jobs are:
Infographic showing various Look Development Artist job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 50% Full Time, 49% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $72,499 per year, or $34.9 per hour.

Senior Lighting Artist

Scattermesh

Herndon, VA โ€ข On-site

$130K - $156K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 20 days ago


Job description

Scattermesh is a fast-paced small company looking to disrupt, transform, and innovate on behalf of our clients. We are inventors, technologists, artisans, problem solvers, and collaborators seeking to redefine the content experience by changing how content is managed and delivered to clients. We have an amazing team and we want to add a few talented revolutionaries who want to make a difference solving hard problems. Create your story and start making an indelible impact today.
Job Summary
Scattermesh is expanding its team and we are looking to hire Senior 3D Lighting artists to work across client projects on a full time basis on-site in Herndon, VA. The role requires a skilled artist with strong understanding of lighting and rendering photorealistic images of primarily organic characters. The ideal candidate will have experience lighting scenes from photo reference and should have a strong understanding of customizing shaders to replicate real interactions between surfaces and light.
Responsibilities and Duties
  • Realize the Vision - Elevate high quality 3D character models by optimizing textures, shaders and lighting environments to create realistic renders.
  • Construct Reality - Create and maintain the overall look, color, and quality across multiple sequences to create storylines.
  • Collaborate - Work with artists, leads, and supervisors to understand day to day production needs and push pipeline solutions.
  • Mentor - Elevate the performance and skills of your team by providing helpful critique and spreading your knowledge.

Qualifications and Skills
  • 10+ years' experience as a 3D artist or relevant portfolio
  • Mastery of artistic fundamentals - scale, composition, perspective, proportion, mass and volume, light and color, and surface properties
  • Strong understanding of real-world lighting and photography, exposure, color grading, lens and camera behavior and HDR workflows
  • Mastery of standard art packages such as Maya, Arnold, Substance / Adobe Painter, etc
  • Mastery of look development and lighting for photorealistic renders, including human skin, eyes, teeth and hair.
  • Skilled in replicating physically accurate lighting environments in 3D
  • Deep understanding of PBR rendering and optimizations using Arnold or similar engines and familiarity working with render farms.
  • Experience developing tools and automations with Python a plus
  • Experience working within an established studio pipeline and file structure
  • Is self-motivated and self-reliant
  • Must have a learning mind-set
  • Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
  • US citizenship required

Benefits and Perks
Scattermesh is as obsessed about our employees as our customers. We want to provide great benefits and perks so you can focus on making an impact. We recognize that industry is moving away from better benefits so we have decided to do our part to start reversing the trend. Join us in our quest to disrupt, transform and innovate.
Benefits
  • Competitive Market Leading Pay
  • 25-30 days - Paid Time Off (PTO) / Holiday
  • 100% Company paid medical/dental/vision/plans
  • Health Savings Account (HSA)
  • Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
  • 401(k) Matching with no cliff vest