Digital Matte Paint Artist | PhantomFX, Chennai

PhantomFX is looking for a talented Digital Matte Paint Artist (DMP) to create realistic environments, matte paintings, set extensions, and visual elements for VFX productions.

You will work with live-action footage, photography, CG elements, and 3D environments to create seamless visuals that match the project’s lighting, perspective, color, and artistic direction.

This role is ideal for a creative artist with strong digital painting, composition, perspective, environment design, and visual problem-solving skills who can work efficiently within short production timelines.

• Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
• Company: PhantomFX
• Job Type: Short-Term Contract / Full-Time
• Department: Art
• Industry: Visual Effects
• Work Mode: On-site

Job Overview : Digital Matte Paint Artist

About PhantomFX

PhantomFX is a visual effects company with studios in Chennai, Mumbai, and Hyderabad.

The company brings together creative professionals working across VFX and digital content production. PhantomFX promotes an open, inclusive, and collaborative work culture where artists work together to deliver high-quality visuals within demanding production schedules.

About the Role

As a Digital Matte Paint Artist, you will create and integrate digital artwork into VFX shots.

Your work may be used as:

• Standalone matte paintings
• Environment extensions
• Background environments
• Digital set extensions
• Photorealistic elements
• Stylized environments
• Camera-mapped matte paintings
• Textures and environmental details

You will need a strong eye for realism, lighting, perspective, scale, composition, and color.

What You’ll Do

🎨 Digital Matte Painting

• Create photorealistic environments and matte paintings.
• Paint digital environments, elements, surfaces, and textures.
• Develop artwork that can work as standalone DMP plates.
• Create set extensions for live-action footage.
• Build artwork for both realistic and stylized environments.
• Match digital paintings with existing production footage.

🎬 VFX Integration

• Integrate imagery into live-action shots.
• Combine photography, CG elements, and digital artwork.
• Ensure matte paintings match the existing plate.
• Maintain consistent lighting and color across the shot.
• Match perspective, scale, depth, and camera angle.
• Integrate matte paintings into 3D environments.
• Create artwork suitable for complex camera-mapping requirements.

🔍 Realism & Visual Quality

• Achieve the level of realism required by the project’s art direction.
• Study references to create believable environments.
• Maintain accurate perspective and composition.
• Ensure textures, lighting, shadows, and details feel natural.
• Make corrections based on feedback from the Art Director.
• Identify visual problems and find practical solutions.

📋 Production Responsibilities

• Follow schedules provided by the Production Coordinator.
• Organize your workload according to production priorities.
• Prepare work for internal reviews and validation.
• Complete revisions within required deadlines.
• Communicate clearly when additional information or references are needed.
• Take ownership of assigned shots from start to final delivery.
• Maintain a positive and collaborative team environment.

What We’re Looking For

Essential Skills

• 2.5+ years of relevant professional experience, particularly in concept art, digital painting, matte painting, or a related field.
• Strong proficiency in Adobe Photoshop or equivalent 2D/illustration software.
• Strong understanding of digital painting techniques.
• Excellent understanding of composition and perspective.
• Strong visual sense for lighting, color, form, and detail.
• Ability to create realistic environments and visual elements.
• Ability to match artwork with live-action plates.
• Strong creative and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to understand and follow art direction.
• Good communication and teamwork skills.
• Ability to work under tight production deadlines.

🎨 Artistic Skills

Experience or knowledge in the following areas will be valuable:

• Traditional painting
• Drawing
• Environment design
• Concept art
• Anatomy
• Form and shape language
• Silhouette design
• Costume and fashion design
• Weapon and armor design
• Photorealistic texturing
• Lighting and color matching

What Will Help You Stand Out?

A strong understanding of traditional art fundamentals can be a major advantage.

Candidates who can demonstrate excellent skills in:

• Painting
• Drawing
• Perspective
• Composition
• Lighting
• Color theory
• Environment design
• Visual storytelling
• will be well suited to this role.

A strong portfolio or demo reel showing realistic environments and matte painting work is highly valuable.

Work Arrangement

Benefits & Work Culture

PhantomFX offers a creative and collaborative working environment with benefits and workplace initiatives that include:

• 📅 Saturdays and Sundays off, along with festive holidays.
• 💻 Access to sophisticated workstations.
• 🤝 Friendly and energetic workplace environment.
• ⚖️ Focus on maintaining work-life balance.
• 🎓 Training programs for skill development and enhancement.
• 👥 Leadership and soft-skills training.
• 🎉 Stress-buster and team-building activities.
• 🎈 Ice-breaking sessions and entertainment activities.
• 🌱 Opportunities to continue developing your professional skills.

What Makes This Role Interesting?

This role combines traditional artistic skills with modern VFX production.

Your artwork can become part of a larger cinematic environment, helping transform live-action footage into locations and worlds that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to film.

You may work across:

Photography → Digital Painting → Matte Painting → 3D Integration → Final VFX Shot

That makes strong artistic judgment just as important as technical software skills.

Who Would Be a Good Fit?

This position could be a strong match for someone who:

• Loves creating environments and digital artwork.
• Has a strong eye for realism.
• Understands perspective and composition.
• Can paint convincingly from references.
• Enjoys solving visual problems.
• Can work independently when required.
• Is comfortable receiving and implementing creative feedback.
• Can maintain quality while working under deadlines.
• Works well with artists and production teams.

Before You Apply

Make sure your application includes:

• 🎨 Relevant digital matte painting or concept art experience
• 🖥️ Strong Photoshop skills
• 🏞️ Environment painting experience
• 📐 Good perspective and composition skills
• 💡 Strong understanding of lighting and color
• 🎬 Experience working with live-action or CG elements
• 🧩 Ability to integrate artwork into VFX shots
• 🎥 A strong portfolio or demo reel
• 🤝 Good communication and teamwork
• ⏱️ Ability to work within short production deadlines
• 🛠️ Ability to work independently and take ownership of tasks

🚀 Ready to Create Cinematic Worlds?

If you have the artistic skills to turn photographs, live-action plates, and digital artwork into believable cinematic environments, PhantomFX could be the place to take your matte painting skills further.

Prepare your CV/resume and portfolio or demo reel, highlighting your strongest environment, matte painting, concept art, and digital painting work.

Apply for the Digital Matte Paint Artist – Short-Term Contract position at PhantomFX in Chennai.