Gandalf Alejandro is an 18 year old thumbnail designer from Minas Gerais, Brazil. His goal is to become one of the leading thumbnail designers in the industry and a key creative mind behind YouTube productions. Alejandro is available for work.
Twitter (X) → x.com/alejandrodsgn
Behance → behance.net/alejandroow
Featured design
Overview
In a new project for my client Hylka, we discussed the subject of the video, a documentary about the Wannsee Conference. During this 90-minute meeting, the Nazis discussed and planned how to get rid of the Jews in Europe and how to create extermination camps.
We analyzed some references on YouTube, and also related topics on websites that had discussed this, where the image of the oven appeared several times. We came to the idea that we could use this to draw the viewer's attention and show them exactly what the plan is about.
In the background, showing a model on the table with a hand and chairs, making the hand clearly visible in the foreground, we show that there was someone key behind this plan. The chairs in the background, barely visible, only at a glance, show that everything on the table is a model, controlled by the hand; in other words, it's an evil plan that was being planned at this conference.
Starting assets
The 3D assets came from the Sketchfab and Blender Kit. From there, I started to assemble the scene.
The initial setup of the scene before lighting, only the position of the items.
I started by building the foundation of the thumbnail in 3D, following the vision I had in mind from the beginning. Once the basic scene was established, I moved on to creating lighting that was close to the final result while still leaving room for adjustments in Photoshop, where I have more precision and flexibility.
The process consisted of creating the 3D base first, then refining the lighting and positioning every element in the scene. For a workflow like this to work effectively, it's important to have a clear vision of the final result from the start. The Blender stage and the final Photoshop stage need to work together seamlessly in order to achieve the intended outcome.
The key moment in this thumbnail was finding the right balance in the lighting. The goal was to create enough depth to separate the different visual planes while still making it feel like a miniature planning model rather than a fully realistic environment. This helped reinforce the concept behind the video.
3D scene viewed from outside the camera during the process where we can see all the objects and how they are outside the camera's composition
3D scene viewed from outside the camera without any lighting; here we can really see a "behind the scenes" of how the 3D item blocking works before Photoshop and lighting
During the Photoshop editing phase, it was suggested that a map be added to strengthen the feeling of a strategic planning table where important operations were being discussed.
The text was then incorporated, along with additional lighting adjustments, color grading, and final refinements. After these finishing touches, the thumbnail reached its final version.
Unlayered
Software & Tools
What's the best part of making thumbnails?
The best part is transforming an idea into something visual that immediately captures attention. I enjoy the challenge of combining narrative, psychology, and design into a single image that manages to communicate the value of a video in just a fraction of a second, demonstrating something artistic and complex in its execution, mixing various tools, and trying to innovate with different and daring angles.
Best thumbnail you've ever made?
Kitchen battle worth $2500!
Best thumbnail you've ever seen?
I Spent 100 Hours in the City of the Future
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