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Surfacing Artist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Epic Games

Senior Hard Surface Artist

Cary, NC · On-site

What You'll Do Epic Games is looking for a Senior Hard Surface Artist to join our team working on an exciting collaboration with Disney. In this role, you will partner closely with art, design ...

Epoch Games

3D Hard Surface Artist

Winston Salem, NC · On-site

We are looking for 3D Artists skilled in creating Hard Surface assets and textures, such as Architecture, Clothing, Armor, Weapons, Shields, Tools, etc. Communication is key to a smooth and efficient ...

Epoch Games

3D Hard Surface Artist

Winston Salem, NC · On-site +1

We are looking for 3D Artists skilled in creating Hard Surface assets and textures, such as Architecture, Clothing, Armor, Weapons, Shields, Tools, etc. Communication is key to a smooth and efficient ...

INSPYR Solutions

3D Artist

Menlo Park, CA · On-site

$50 - $80/hr

Title: 3D Artist Location: Remote US Duration: 8 months + Extensions Compensation: $50-80/hr Work ... Hard Surface Modeling: * Model assets with a focus on accuracy and realism. * Maintain clean ...

Scattermesh

3D Lighting Artist

Herndon, VA · On-site

The role requires a skilled artist with strong understanding of lighting and rendering ... surfaces and light. Responsibilities and Duties * Realize the Vision - Elevate high quality 3D ...

Scattermesh

3D Lighting Artist

Herndon, VA · On-site

The role requires a skilled artist with strong understanding of lighting and rendering ... surfaces and light. Responsibilities and Duties * Realize the Vision - Elevate high quality 3D ...

Scattermesh

Senior Lighting Artist

Herndon, VA · On-site

$130K - $156K/yr

... surfaces and light. Responsibilities and Duties * Realize the Vision - Elevate high quality 3D ... Collaborate - Work with artists, leads, and supervisors to understand day to day production needs ...

Scattermesh

Senior Lighting Artist

Herndon, VA · On-site

$130K - $156K/yr

... surfaces and light. Responsibilities and Duties * Realize the Vision - Elevate high quality 3D ... Collaborate - Work with artists, leads, and supervisors to understand day to day production needs ...

Scattermesh

3D Character Artist

Herndon, VA · On-site

$124K - $130K/yr

Strong artistic fundamentals - scale, composition, perspective, proportion, mass and volume, light and color, and surface properties * Strong understanding of human facial anatomy, including eyes ...

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All JobsSurfacing Artist Jobs

Surfacing Artist information

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$13

$51

$190

How much do surfacing artist jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 9, 2026, the average hourly pay for surfacing artist in the United States is $51.37, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $20.91 and $38.46 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Surfacing Artist?

A Surfacing Artist is a professional in the animation, visual effects, or video game industries responsible for creating the textures, materials, and finishes that define the look and feel of 3D models. They apply color, patterns, and surface qualities to characters, environments, and props, ensuring they appear realistic or stylized as required by the project. Surfacing Artists work closely with modelers, lighting artists, and art directors to achieve the desired visual outcome. Their work is crucial for making digital assets look believable and appealing on screen.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Surfacing Artist, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Surfacing Artist, you need a solid understanding of texture painting, shading, and material definition, usually supported by a degree in art, animation, or a related field. Proficiency in industry-standard software such as Autodesk Maya, Substance Painter, Photoshop, and rendering engines like Arnold or RenderMan is typically required. Strong attention to detail, creativity, and collaboration skills help artists produce visually compelling surfaces that match the project's artistic vision. These skills ensure assets look realistic or stylistically appropriate, directly impacting the quality and believability of digital environments and characters.

What is the difference between Surfacing Artist vs Texture Artist?

AspectSurfacing ArtistTexture Artist
CredentialsTypically requires a background in 3D modeling, texturing, and digital art, often with a focus on surfacing techniquesRequires skills in texturing, shading, and material creation, often with similar software knowledge
Work EnvironmentWorks primarily in 3D modeling and rendering pipelines within game or film studiosWorks in digital art and texturing departments, often collaborating closely with modeling and lighting teams
Industry UsageCommonly used in game development, film, and animation for creating detailed surface qualitiesUsed across similar industries for adding surface detail and realism to models

While both roles involve creating surface details for 3D assets, Surfacing Artists focus on defining the look and feel of surfaces, including materials and finishes, whereas Texture Artists primarily apply textures to models to add detail and realism. Both roles require similar skills and often overlap, but their specific focus areas differ within the pipeline.

What are some common challenges Surfacing Artists face when ensuring visual consistency across different assets?

Surfacing Artists often work on multiple assets that need to look cohesive within a project’s visual style, which can be challenging due to varying lighting conditions, asset types, and technical limitations. Achieving consistent textures and materials requires close collaboration with modelers, lighting artists, and art directors, as well as a strong understanding of the project’s shaders and rendering pipeline. Staying organized and maintaining clear documentation of texture maps and naming conventions helps streamline the process and minimize inconsistencies.
More about Surfacing Artist jobs
What cities are hiring for Surfacing Artist jobs? Cities with the most Surfacing Artist job openings:
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Surfacing Artist jobs near you
Infographic showing various Surfacing Artist job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 52% Full Time, 43% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $106,858 per year, or $51.4 per hour.
Senior Hard Surface Artist

Senior Hard Surface Artist

Epic Games

Cary, NC • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 7 days ago

Job description

WHAT MAKES US EPIC?
At the core of Epic's success are talented, passionate people. Epic prides itself on creating a collaborative, welcoming, and creative environment. Whether it's building award-winning games or crafting engine technology that enables others to make visually stunning interactive experiences, we're always innovating.
Being Epic means being a part of a team that continually strives to do right by our community and users. We're constantly innovating to raise the bar of engine and game development.
ART
What We Do
Push your artistic talent to the limit on a team of world-class environment, character and concept artists who strive to innovate and inspire.
What You'll Do
Epic Games is looking for a Senior Hard Surface Artist to join our team working on an exciting collaboration with Disney. In this role, you will partner closely with art, design, animation, tech animation, and production teams to help create a steady stream of high-quality mechanical and organic content for an unannounced project. You'll bring complex assets to life through exceptional modeling, texturing, and artistic execution while helping establish the visual standard for hyper-realistic hard surface content.
In this role, you will
  • Create highly detailed hard surface models with strong articulation and animation support.
  • Develop simple to moderately complex organic meshes as needed to support gameplay and world-building requirements.
  • Model and texture high-poly and low-poly assets, including weapons, vehicles, gadgets, and other mechanical elements.
  • Collaborate closely with gameplay, animation, tech animation, visual effects, and tech art teams to ensure assets meet artistic and technical requirements.
  • Produce high-quality hyper-realistic models, materials, and textures that support the project's visual direction.
  • Translate 2D and 3D concept art into fully realized in-game assets while maintaining fidelity to the original artistic vision.
  • Help drive quality standards and contribute to visual problem-solving across the art pipeline.
What we're looking for
  • Exceptional hard surface modeling skills with experience creating high-quality mechanical assets for games or real-time experiences.
  • Strong proficiency with industry-standard 3D software, including tools such as Maya, 3ds Max, Blender, Plasticity, and ZBrush.
  • Excellent understanding of texturing workflows, PBR materials, and realistic surface creation.
  • Ability to take assets from concept through final implementation with strong attention to detail and craftsmanship.
  • Experience creating functional and articulated mechanical models suitable for animation pipelines.
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively across multiple disciplines.
  • Passion for creating world-class visual content and pushing quality to the next level.
EPIC JOB + EPIC BENEFITS = EPIC LIFE
Our intent is to cover all things that are medically necessary and improve the quality of life. We pay 100% of the premiums for both you and your dependents. Our coverage includes Medical, Dental, a Vision HRA, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance & a 401k with competitive match. We also offer a robust mental well-being program through Modern Health, which provides free therapy and coaching for employees & dependents. Throughout the year we celebrate our employees with events and company-wide paid breaks. We offer unlimited PTO and sick time and recognize individuals for 7 years of employment with a paid sabbatical.
ABOUT US
Epic Games spans across 25 countries with 46 studios and 4,500+ employees globally. For over 25 years, we've been making award-winning games and engine technology that empowers others to make visually stunning games and 3D content that bring environments to life like never before. Epic's award-winning Unreal Engine technology not only provides game developers the ability to build high-fidelity, interactive experiences for PC, console, mobile, and VR, it is also a tool being embraced by content creators across a variety of industries such as media and entertainment, automotive, and architectural design. As we continue to build our Engine technology and develop remarkable games, we strive to build teams of world-class talent.
Like what you hear? Come be a part of something Epic!
Epic Games deeply values diverse teams and an inclusive work culture, and we are proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. Learn more about our Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy here.
Note to Recruitment Agencies: Epic does not accept any unsolicited resumes or approaches from any unauthorized third party (including recruitment or placement agencies) (i.e., a third party with whom we do not have a negotiated and validly executed agreement). We will not pay any fees to any unauthorized third party. Further details on these matters can be found here.

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