Surfacing Artist (Look Dev) - Feature (Short Term)

OUR STORY

For more than 35 years, Bardel Entertainment has been growing and evolving, yet at our core, we remain grounded in the creative roots of the craft of animation.  Our pursuit of fresh ideas, techniques, and technologies is driven by the belief that together, through creativity and collaboration, we can accomplish anything!  If you want to be part of an environment that empowers you to experiment, learn, and contribute to exciting projects, come and join us.

We are looking for a Surfacing Artist with a strong look development background to help transition assets from an existing Katana-based pipeline into Blender. This role involves rebuilding shaders, reconnecting textures, and ensuring visual parity as assets move between pipelines.

While some light surfacing adjustments may be required, the core of this role is look development and shader reconstruction. Candidates should be comfortable working within a defined workflow and following it precisely.

This is a junior to mid-level position for an artist with solid foundational experience who is comfortable owning lookdev tasks under guidance.

Key Responsibilities

• Rebuild existing shaders in Blender based on assets originating from Katana
• Reattach and correctly configure texture maps to match the original look as closely as possible
• Work extensively with node-based shader networks
• Ensure correct color space management across textures and shaders
• Validate PBR workflows and maintain consistency across assets
• Follow established lookdev workflows exactly, with training provided
• Collaborate with Surfacing, Lighting, and FX to ensure assets integrate cleanly into the new pipeline

• Experience as a Surfacing or Look Development Artist (junior–mid level)
• Strong working knowledge of Blender (primary software)
• Experience with Katana (secondary software)
• Solid understanding of node-based shader workflows
• Strong grasp of PBR principles
• Understanding of color spaces and texture management
• Comfortable rebuilding shaders rather than authoring from scratch
• Able to follow defined workflows closely and consistently

Location: Candidates based in BC will be prioritized.

Start: Mid February, 2026

End: End of March, 2026

Pay Range: CAD $1350 - $1500 per week   

This salary range reflects our current expectations for these roles as of this posting’s date. Your final salary offer will consider various key factors, including your education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographical location, as well as the needs and requirements of the business. 

Flexible work environment, Extended Health and Wellness from day 1, RRSP matching are just some of the benefits. For more details, check out our website. 

At Bardel, we recognize that flexibility is key to doing great work. Our hybrid work environment is a valued perk designed to support individual accountability and empower our teams to work where they’re most productive. We offer the choice to work remotely, balanced with intentional in-person time for collaboration, creativity, and team building. This role requires in-studio attendance at our Vancouver studio during onboarding and predetermined Rush Weeks. 

If this seems like a good fit, what are you waiting for, get your application in!