YouTube thumbnails

A thumbnail is half of a package: the thumbnail carries the emotion or the moment, the title carries the context, and the two share almost no words. The image model paints the scene; the real brand assets and the final check stay in your hands. Research behind every rule: references/craft.md.

Contract

• One moment per thumbnail. One subject, at most three elements (subject, one object, 0–3 words). A thumbnail that describes the topic instead of showing a moment is the failure this whole skill exists to prevent.
• Real brand, never a lookalike. The logo or mascot comes from its source file, composited on top. A posed mascot generated from the reference must pass a side-by-side identity check against the file (outline, eyes, beak or features, gradient), or it is dropped for the composited original.
• Scene, not template. The image comes from the model. HTML templates (headline + UI screenshot + glow) are exactly what reads as AI slop; code only places the real logo, sets text the model got wrong, and exports.
• Three diverse concepts per video (different hook, not different hue), so YouTube's Test & Compare has something to decide.
• The human picks and publishes. You deliver a review sheet and files; uploading is their call unless already ordered.

Steps