Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: Weight Painting • ZBrush • Substance Painter

Weight Painting

Term from Animation industry explained for recruiters

Weight painting is a technique used in 3D animation that helps control how characters and objects move. Think of it like coloring a digital puppet to tell different parts how much they should bend or stretch. Artists use this tool to make sure when a character moves, their skin, clothes, and other parts move naturally. For example, when an animated character bends their arm, weight painting ensures the skin folds realistically at the elbow without distorting other areas. It's a crucial skill for making animations look smooth and believable, similar to how painters blend colors, but instead of colors, artists are blending movement influences.

Examples in Resumes

Created realistic character deformations using Weight Painting techniques

Improved animation quality through advanced Weight Paint solutions

Applied Weight Painting and Weight Maps to optimize character rigs for game animation

Typical job title: "3D Character Artists"

Also try searching for:

Character Technical Artist Character Rigger 3D Animator Character TD Character Setup Artist Technical Animator Character Artist

Where to Find 3D Character Artists

Online Communities

Learning Resources

Professional Networks

• Animation World Network
• Animation Industry Professionals on LinkedIn
• Animation Job Boards

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you approach weight painting for a complex character with multiple layers of clothing?

Expected Answer: A senior artist should explain their systematic approach to layering weights, starting from the base mesh to outer garments, and how they ensure natural movement across all layers while avoiding clipping or unrealistic deformations.

Q: Describe a challenging weight painting situation you've solved and how you approached it.

Expected Answer: They should share a specific example demonstrating problem-solving skills, like fixing character deformation issues in extreme poses, and explain their methodology for identifying and resolving complex weighting problems.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What's your process for testing weight painted characters?

Expected Answer: Should describe a thorough testing process including checking different poses, movements, and edge cases to ensure the character deforms correctly in all situations.

Q: How do you approach weight painting for joints like elbows and knees?

Expected Answer: Should explain how they handle common deformation areas, focusing on creating natural-looking bends and avoiding typical issues like mesh collapse or stretching.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What are the basics of weight painting and why is it important?

Expected Answer: Should be able to explain that weight painting determines how much influence each bone has on the character's mesh, and why this is crucial for smooth, realistic animation.

Q: What tools do you use for weight painting and what are their basic functions?

Expected Answer: Should demonstrate familiarity with common weight painting tools in standard 3D software, understanding of gradient tools, and smooth/sharp brushes.