How to DIY: Twitch Emote Artist

Custom emotes and badges for their Twitch channel that look good at tiny sizes and represent their brand/community inside jokes

DIY Difficulty⚡Medium DIY
Save up to $5-$50 per emote by doing it yourself
MediumDifficulty
2-4 hoursTime to Learn
$0-$15DIY Cost
4Steps
3Tools

Tools used in this guide

4
OWN3D Emote MakerFree-$5 per emoteProcreate (iPad) or Photoshop$12.99 one-time (Procreate) or $10/mo (Photoshop)Midjourney$10/moPhotopeaFree

How to DIY: Twitch Emote Artist

A step-by-step guide to doing this yourself — honestly.

Easy
Medium
Hard

What you're really trying to do

Custom emotes and badges for their Twitch channel that look good at tiny sizes and represent their brand/community inside jokes

DIY Cost

$0-$15

2-4 hours to learn

Hire Cost

$5-$50 per emote

Done for you

You could save $5-$50 per emote by doing it yourself

Step-by-Step Guide

Follow along at your own pace. Most people finish in 2-4 hours.

1

Use OWN3D's emote maker

~30 min

OWN3D has a free emote maker where you can customize pre-made emote templates — change expressions, colors, accessories. Not fully custom, but the results are usable and properly sized.

OWN3D Emote MakerFree-$5 per emote
2

Design in Procreate or Photoshop

~40 min

If you can draw (even a little), emotes are small and stylized — they don't need to be masterpieces. Draw at 112x112 pixels (the display size), keep shapes bold and simple. Remember: these are tiny on screen.

Procreate (iPad) or Photoshop$12.99 one-time (Procreate) or $10/mo (Photoshop)
3

Use AI to generate emote concepts

~50 min

Use Midjourney with the prompt: 'Twitch emote of [description], chibi style, simple, transparent background, 112x112'. Then clean up the result in any image editor. AI is great for generating concepts you can refine.

Midjourney$10/mo
Midjourney|$10/moTry it →
4

Export at all required sizes

~60 min

Twitch needs emotes at 28x28, 56x56, and 112x112 pixels, all PNG with transparent backgrounds. Use Canva or Photopea (free online Photoshop) to resize and export.

PhotopeaFree

When to hire instead

You want a cohesive set of emotes that match your brand perfectly, or you need emotes of yourself/your avatar that look professional. Custom character-based emotes are where artists really shine.

No time? Skip to hiring

Real talk

Generic emotes (poggers, hype, LUL variants) can be made with AI or emote makers for free. But if you want emotes of YOUR face or YOUR mascot in specific expressions — that's where an artist's $5-15 per emote on Fiverr is actually great value. It's not expensive to hire for this one.

Our Verdict

DIYHIRE
Lean DIY

Difficulty

medium

Learning time

2-4 hours

DIY cost

$0-$15

Hire cost

$5-$50 per emote

Choose DIY if...

  • You can spare 2-4 hours
  • 2 of 3 tools are free
  • You want to learn a new skill
  • Budget matters more than time

Choose Hire if...

  • You need professional-quality results
  • Your time is worth more than the cost
  • You have a tight deadline
  • Experience matters for this task

Learn from video tutorials

Sometimes watching is easier than reading. Search for tutorials:

YouTube tutorialsTikTok guides

Join the conversation

See what other people are saying about doing this yourself:

RedditQuora

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I really do twitch emote artist myself?▼
Yes. The difficulty is medium — it's moderate — you'll need some patience but no prior experience. Expect to spend about 2-4 hours learning the basics. The DIY route costs around $0-$15, compared to $5-$50 per emote if you hire a freelancer.
What tools do I need for DIY twitch emote artist?▼
The main tools are: OWN3D Emote Maker, Procreate (iPad) or Photoshop, Midjourney, Photopea. 2 of these are free to use. Our step-by-step guide above walks you through exactly how to use each one.
How long does it take to learn twitch emote artist?▼
Plan for about 2-4 hours to get comfortable with the basics. 4 steps cover the full process from start to finish. After your first project, subsequent ones go much faster.
When should I hire a twitch emote artist instead of doing it myself?▼
You want a cohesive set of emotes that match your brand perfectly, or you need emotes of yourself/your avatar that look professional. Custom character-based emotes are where artists really shine.
Is it worth paying $5-$50 per emote for a freelancer vs doing it myself for $0-$15?▼
Generic emotes (poggers, hype, LUL variants) can be made with AI or emote makers for free. But if you want emotes of YOUR face or YOUR mascot in specific expressions — that's where an artist's $5-15 per emote on Fiverr is actually great value. It's not expensive to hire for this one. If your time is worth more than the difference and you need professional results fast, hiring makes sense. If you enjoy learning and have 2-4 hours to invest, DIY is a great option.
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