Experienced Thumbnail Designer for YouTube Automation Channel [Gardening]

Hey there! 👋 I'm looking for an experienced Thumbnail Designer to join my YouTube channel team on a long-term basis. The channel covers practical, no-nonsense home gardening advice — real fixes for real garden problems, tested techniques, and straightforward troubleshooting. No suppressed-knowledge angle, no drama — just a warm, experienced voice the viewer can trust. The thumbnails need to reflect exactly that. The Style I'm Going For - Photorealistic thumbnails built around a consistent AI-generated host avatar. The goal is for every thumbnail to look like a real photograph, not an AI generation. - The avatar is shown mid-action or mid-explanation (engaged, mouth-open “speaking” expression), usually holding or pointing at 1–2 concrete objects relevant to the topic (a vegetable, a tool, a bag of product, a plant stem). “Before/after” concepts are shown within one single photo — e.g. the avatar holding a withered stem in one hand and a thriving plant in the other. Recurring Visual Elements to Expect - Bold, thick, all-caps sans-serif text overlays in white, sometimes on a solid dark banner) — top and/or bottom of frame - Occasional red “X” mark over a product/object to signal “don't use this” - Natural outdoor or garden-shed settings, real daylight, no studio lighting - Clear, uncluttered space in the bottom-right corner for the video timestamp I Will Provide - A full written avatar brief (fixed facial features, glasses, hair, build, expression, and clear “never change” rules) - A primary reference image of the avatar (created by our video editor, who also appears with this avatar in the videos themselves) - A master prompt template used to generate the base images Reference Channel Take a look at this channel to get a feel for the vibe and quality I'm aiming for: https://www.youtube.com/@JohnsGreenLife What I'm Looking For - Proven experience with YouTube thumbnail design (please include portfolio/samples!) - Hands-on experience placing an existing AI avatar/character into new scenes and poses while keeping it fully recognizable and consistent - Ability to produce AI-generated images that look genuinely photorealistic — not “AI-looking” (natural light, real skin texture, no glow/artifacts) - A strong, trained eye for what actually makes a thumbnail work — pattern recognition, not just execution. AI image generation has made producing a thumbnail easy; what I need is someone who deeply understands composition, visual hierarchy, contrast, eye-lines/gaze direction, and leading lines — someone who can look at a thumbnail and immediately see why it does or doesn't pull the eye - Ability to study proven thumbnail patterns (from this niche or others) and adapt/apply what works, rather than just following a brief literally - Strong sense of composition, contrast, and typography - Ability to create curiosity and clarity through visuals — the promise should be instantly readable, not just eye-catching - Reliable communication and ability to meet deadlines - Someone who treats this as a craft, not just a gig ⚠️ Please only apply if you have relevant experience and a portfolio to share. Please only apply if you've actually read this posting in full — to confirm that, start your application with the word “GARDEN” so I know you read this carefully. Applications without it will be skipped. Looking forward to hearing from you! Stella