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Surfacing Artist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

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 ...

MARKETSCALE LLC

3D Artist

Dallas, TX · On-site

$50K - $65K/yr

Texturing / Surfacing * Rigging * Animation * Editing Requirements: * 3-5 years in 3D design and ... The 3D Artist position is a full-time role, with competitive salary, full employee medical benefits ...

MARKETSCALE LLC

3D Artist

Dallas, TX · On-site

$50K - $65K/yr

Texturing / Surfacing * Rigging * Animation * Editing Requirements: * 3-5 years in 3D design and ... The 3D Artist position is a full-time role, with competitive salary, full employee medical benefits ...

TRICK 3D

TECHNICAL ARTIST

Atlanta, GA · On-site

$120K - $144K/yr

The ideal Technical Artist will be a technical problem-solver and have a passion for technical ... Experience with organic and hard surface modeling with clean, optimized topology and UVs.

Scattermesh

Senior 3D Character Artist

Herndon, VA · On-site

$124K - $130K/yr

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

Trick 3d

TECHNICAL ARTIST

Atlanta, GA

$120K - $144K/yr

The ideal Technical Artist will be a technical problem-solver and have a passion for technical ... Experience with organic and hard surface modeling with clean, optimized topology and UVs.

Scattermesh

Senior 3D Character Artist

Herndon, VA · On-site

$124K - $130K/yr

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

AGBO Films LLC

Asset Artist

Los Angeles, CA · On-site +1

The ideal candidate is a well-rounded 3D artist with strong skills in modeling, surfacing, layout, and optimization, and a deep understanding of real-time production pipelines. You should be ...

AGBO

Asset Artist

Los Angeles, CA

The ideal candidate is a well-rounded 3D artist with strong skills in modeling, surfacing, layout, and optimization, and a deep understanding of real-time production pipelines. You should be ...

Scattermesh

3D Artist (Environment)

Herndon, VA · On-site

This role requires an artist with a keen eye for detail and an attention to the storytelling that ... Mastery of PBR surfacing * Knowledge of preparing 3D models for rendering within Maya using Arnold ...

UNAVAILABLE

Designer, 3D Texture/Surfacing

NJ

$75K - $85K/yr

... Surfacing with the costume design team to create PBR textures and materials for garment printing ... artist Strong PBR (physically based rendering) fundamentals experience Hands-on experience using ...

Scattermesh

3D Artist (Environment)

Herndon, VA · On-site

This role requires an artist with a keen eye for detail and an attention to the storytelling that ... Mastery of PBR surfacing * Knowledge of preparing 3D models for rendering within Maya using Arnold ...

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Surfacing Artist information

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$13

$51

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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.

3D Character Artist

Scattermesh

Herndon, VA • On-site

$124K - $130K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 2 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 experienced 3D Character Artists to work across client projects on a full time basis on-site in Herndon, VA. The role requires a skilled artist with a strong foundation in anatomy, sculpting, and character design. The ideal candidate will have experience creating photorealistic human characters of various demographic backgrounds, xgen hair/groom, and painting detailed realistic texture maps.

 

Responsibilities and Duties

  • Surpassing Uncanny Valley - Create believable and detailed 3D characters applying your strong understanding of anatomy, modeling, sculpting and texturing expertise from scratch or scan data based on concept art.
  • Deliver Results - Conceptualize, present, and execute ideas within a schedule, while actively participating in technical and artistic problem solving.
  • Collaborate - Work alongside your fellow artists and studio managers to meet production goals.
 

Qualifications and Skills

  • 5+ years’ experience as a 3D artist or relevant portfolio
  • Strong artistic fundamentals - scale, composition, perspective, proportion, mass and volume, light and color, and surface properties
  • Strong understanding of human facial anatomy, including eyes, skin and hair
  • Skilled in realistic character creation, including sculpting, texturing, hair grooming, shading and rendering
  • Understanding of FACS, facial blendshapes, facial performance animation, and wrinkle-map systems is a plus.
  • Mastery of standard art packages such as Maya, Substance / Adobe Painter, Zbrush etc.
  • Experience with Metahuman to Maya tools 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

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