Also called: Look Development Artist
Paints the colors, skin, rust, fabric, and shine onto 3D models.
A surfacing artist paints pores and freckles onto a digital face and dials in how light bounces off armor, making a CGI object feel touchable.
BLS special effects artists and animators median ~$99.8k (May 2024). Animation Guild (IATSE Local 839) studio jobs pay well; freelance, game, and small-studio work pays less, and layoffs are common.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Animation or digital art training.
Ways in: 4-year college, Self-taught. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Digital Art, Computer Animation.
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years). Tracks animator growth.
High risk for 10 years. AI texture generators now create materials quickly, sharply cutting entry work; hero assets still need experienced artists.
Classes: Art (painting), Photography, Computer science, Digital art.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-1014.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.