1

Visual Development Artist Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Technical Artist

Chicago, IL Β· On-site +1

$130K - $156K/yr

Experience implementing visual effects in an industry standard or proprietary Game Engine from ... Support for personal professional development

Technical Artist

Chicago, IL Β· On-site

$130K - $156K/yr

Experience implementing visual effects in an industry standard or proprietary Game Engine from ... Support for personal professional development

Showing results 21-40

Visual Development Artist information

See Chicago, IL salary details

$37.6K

$111.2K

$157.2K

How much do visual development artist jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 15, 2026, the average yearly pay for visual development artist in Chicago, IL is $111,166.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $91,200.00 and $156,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a visual development artist?

A Visual Development Artist creates the overall look and feel of a project by designing characters, environments, props, and color schemes. They work closely with directors and art teams in animation, film, and gaming to establish a cohesive visual style. Their work helps guide the production team in bringing the story to life. This role requires strong artistic skills, creativity, and knowledge of digital painting and design tools.

What does a visual development artist do?

As a Visual Development Artist, your day often begins by reviewing project briefs and collaborating with the art director or other team members to align on creative direction. You’ll spend a significant portion of your time sketching, painting, and revising environment designs, characters, or color scripts, either digitally or traditionally. Regular feedback sessions with the team are common, providing opportunities to iterate and improve your work. Throughout the day, you may also research visual references and ensure your designs are consistent with the project’s overall style and story. This mix of creative independent work and collaborative interaction is key to shaping the visual identity of the project.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a visual development artist?

To thrive as a Visual Development Artist, you need strong skills in drawing, color theory, composition, and storytelling, often backed by a degree in art or a related field. Proficiency with digital painting tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter, and knowledge of 3D software like Blender or Maya is typically required. Creativity, adaptability, and effective communication are crucial soft skills, helping you translate concepts into compelling visuals and collaborate with other team members. These abilities enable you to contribute high-quality visual assets that guide the look and feel of animation, film, or game projects.

How much do visual development artists make?

The average salary for a visual development artist ranges from $50,000 to $90,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and industry. Entry-level artists typically earn lower wages, while those with advanced skills in digital tools like Photoshop and Maya can command higher salaries.

What do you need to be a visual development artist?

A visual development artist typically needs strong artistic skills, including drawing, painting, and design, along with proficiency in digital tools such as Photoshop or SketchUp. A relevant portfolio demonstrating concept art and visual storytelling is essential, and a background in fine arts, illustration, or animation can be beneficial. Knowledge of industry workflows and collaboration with other creative teams is also important.

What are the most commonly searched types of Visual Development Artist jobs in Chicago, IL?

The most popular types of Visual Development Artist jobs in Chicago, IL are:

What are popular job titles related to Visual Development Artist jobs in Chicago, IL?

For Visual Development Artist jobs in Chicago, IL, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Visual Development Artist jobs in Chicago, IL look for?

The top searched job categories for Visual Development Artist jobs in Chicago, IL are:

Infographic showing various Visual Development Artist job openings in Chicago, IL as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 88% Full Time, 6% Part Time, and 6% Contract. Highlights an 88% In-person, 6% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $111,166 per year, or $53.4 per hour.

Technical Artist (Video Games) at DISBELIEF Chicago, IL

Chicago, IL β€’ On-site

Downtown Boulder Partnership
11 - 50 employees

$83K - $100K/yr

Other

This job post hasΒ expired 1 day ago.Β Applications are no longer accepted.


Job description

Technical Artist (Video Games) job at DISBELIEF. Chicago, IL.

Job Title

Technical Artist

Type

Full time

Who We Are

Disbelief is a game development studio focusing on contracting and consulting services. We’ve worked with both AAA and independent studios to help their projects ship. Notable projects we’ve worked on include Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Minecraft, Borderlands 3, Gears Tactics, Gears 5, and Pacific Drive.

At Disbelief we value work-life balance, and want to create an alternative to the crunch-culture prevalent in game development. We also believe strongly in investing in our talent and our team. Disbelief is a place to puzzle out the solutions to cutting-edge problems for industry leading projects, but also a place where people can grow their careers and skills as valued members of a stable and close-knit team.

Description

Currently, we’re looking for a Technical Artist. This opportunity is for a full-time position in Chicago, IL. Technical Artists at Disbelief are self motivated problem solvers. Our technical artists are equally capable of discussing performance, rendering and gameplay issues with engineers, as they are in critique and creative discussion with the artist and designers. They act as a bridge between the technical and artistic aspects of game development, empowering both programming and art to achieve more than either could on their own. Our Technical Artists work in a variety of areas including scripting for tools and gameplay, modeling, materials, texturing, animation, FX, UI, and writing documentation.

At Disbelief we work with leading edge technologies to make them perform at the top of their capabilities, and we take pride in solving problems others can't. We believe a diverse team is a stronger team, and we encourage marginalized candidates to apply.

Key Responsibilities
  • Solve technical problems from an artist’s point of view
  • Solve performance problems while championing visual quality standards
  • Act as a bridge between art, engineering and gameplay teams
  • Continue to explore new software and techniques, including novel solutions
  • Prototype new workflows and systems
  • Make improvements to existing pipelines as part of a team
  • Clearly communicate your work to others
  • Estimate the time it takes to complete tasks
Skills and Requirements
  • Degree in Tech Art or equivalent experience
  • Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
  • 1+ years in game development, or 3+ in a related industry
  • Understanding of real time rendering
  • Experience with version control with Perforce, Git, or equivalent
  • Portfolio demonstrating AAA quality technical art ability
  • Gameplay or pipeline scripting
  • Proficiency in cross disciplinary tasks
Location

Chicago, IL

Relocation Assistance

Available where applicable

Hybrid

Technical Artists are in the office based on project needs, but can sometimes work from home. Some of our projects require access to physical infrastructure.

Visa Sponsorship

No. Disbelief does not offer visa sponsorship at the current time.

We are an E-Verify employer.

Technologies

Our DCC tools vary depending on the project, but will typically involve a combination of Houdini, Blender, 3ds Max, Maya, Substance, Photoshop. Our real-time work often requires knowledge of animation, physics, material and particle systems. Primarily we work with Unreal Engine, but we also work with custom game engines. Scripting in Python, Maxscript, Mel, Javascript, C# and Unreal Blueprint is often required to solve pipeline and workflow problems.

Salary

This position has a salary range of $83,000 - $100,000. When making a job offer there are many factors that are taken into consideration at Disbelief. This includes, but is not limited to, experience and skills, comparable jobs in the industry/geographical area, and relocation benefits. Therefore the upper end of the shared salary range is oftentimes dedicated to those who showcase strong performance in the role. To learn more about how salary is determined at Disbelief please visit Open Salaries At Disbelief at

Benefits

Please visit Disbelief's company career page at to learn about the amazing benefits we offer.

Contact

Please submit resume and portfolio to jobs@disbelief.com

#J-18808-Ljbffr