Principal / Lead Hard Surface Artist

Keywords Studios is currently looking to expand its team in Southeast Asia. We're currently looking for an accomplished, enthusiastic and self-motivated Principal / Lead Hard Surface Artist to join our team working on an exciting, new and unannounced project.

A Principal / Lead Hard Surface Artist at Keywords Studios:

• Creates high-quality hard surface assets that meet the artistic and technical requirements of the project.
• Works across a range of assets such as vehicles, weapons, machinery, props, architecture, and other complex mechanical or manufactured forms.
• Helps establish the visual and quality bar for hard surface production across the project.
• Works closely with Art Direction, Environment Art, Technical Art, and Design to ensure assets are visually strong, functional, and appropriate for gameplay.
• Provides hands-on guidance, feedback, and mentoring to other artists.
• Develops efficient modelling, texturing, and asset creation approaches suited to production needs.
• Ensures assets are optimised appropriately for real-time performance and platform requirements.
• Troubleshoots technical and production issues related to hard surface assets and workflows.
• Contributes to visual benchmarks and helps establish best practices for hard surface production.

Requirements

• Proven experience as a Senior, Principal, or Lead Hard Surface Artist on a shipped AAA or high-quality game project.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating high-quality hard surface modelling across a range of asset types.
• Strong understanding of shape, proportion, materials, construction, and mechanical design.
• Strong knowledge of high-poly and low-poly workflows, baking, texturing, and PBR materials.
• Proficiency with modern 3D content creation tools and game engines such as Unreal, Unity, or proprietary engines.
• Good understanding of optimisation requirements for real-time assets.
• Experience mentoring or providing artistic direction to other artists.
• Ability to work collaboratively across disciplines and iterate quickly based on feedback.
• Experience with procedural workflows, scripting, or pipeline improvements is an advantage.