Technical artist

 Job description/ responsibilities:

Transform research data into compelling visualisations for publications by creating high-quality vector diagrams including:

• Eye-catching teaser figures that showcase key results
• Technical illustrations for method / concepts explanation
• Comparison figures showing proposed method versus state-of-the-art approaches

Produce a supplementary video explaining our research contribution that creates a compelling visual narrative including:

• Create smooth transitions between different sections of the video (introduction, method, results)
• Animate key concepts and algorithms to effectively communicate technical details
• Develop animations showing the progression/iteration of our technique
• Visualise comparison sequences showing our technique against existing methods
• Add overlay text for on-screen clarity and include subtitles of voice-over narration

Example of specific tasks:

• From a series of mesh files (e.g., *.obj) representing individual frames of an animation, create visually appealing 3D renders with a minimalist style for both images and videos.
• Create dynamic renders showing skeletal structures visible through translucent skin during animated movement sequences.
• Generate UV maps for 3D meshes, create ad-hoc materials and apply specialised textures, including checkerboard patterns to visualise deformations and colour gradients to highlight corresponding points between different shapes

Longer term goals

• Template development for future papers
• Develop a visually appealing and consistent visual identity (colours, fonts, graphic elements)
• Create customisable / reusable diagram templates for core algorithmic concepts
• Design slide deck template based on the same design language
• (Python) scripts to create a pipeline that automate common tasks
• Automate the process of converting output mesh sequences to rendered animated sequences
   

Experience required:

Proficiency in the following software packages:

3D Modeling and Animation

Autodesk Maya and/or Blender

Vector graphics and Illustration

Adobe Illustrator 
Inkscape

Image editing and compositing
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe After Effects

Video editing
Adobe Premiere Pro 
DaVinci Resolve

Additional technical skills

Coding in Python (or MEL for Autodesk Maya)