How to Make an Animated PNGtuber for Free

By , creator of Doodraw

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A PNGtuber is a streaming avatar made from flat images instead of a rigged 3D or Live2D model: usually one picture for when you are idle and one for when you are talking, shown over your webcam feed or in place of it. Doodraw does not generate a PNGtuber automatically, but it is a fast way to draw and animate the art, because every brush stroke already wiggles the moment you draw it. This guide covers the two realistic ways to use Doodraw for a PNGtuber, and is honest about what Doodraw does and does not do.

What you need

  • Doodraw, free on iPhone and iPad or Android, or on Windows. Drawing, animating and exporting are free; free exports carry a small watermark that Doodraw Pro removes.
  • For audio-reactive mouth flapping, separate, free PNGtuber software that runs on your streaming computer: PNGTuber Plus (Windows, macOS and Linux, name your own price) or veadotube mini (free) are common choices. Doodraw does not include this; it only supplies the art.
  • OBS Studio or your streaming software of choice, to place the avatar in your scene.

Option 1: a living avatar, no audio reactivity

This is the simplest option and uses nothing but Doodraw. Draw a character, let Doodraw’s constant line wiggle stand in for a breathing, idle avatar, and export it once as a loop.

  1. Draw your character on a new Doodraw canvas. Keep the pose simple and centered, since this version will not change when you talk.
  2. Put the character on its own layer, away from any background art, so you can key it out cleanly.
  3. Open the export panel and turn on Transparent background.
  4. Pick Animated PNG (marked Recommended) for the cleanest edges, and set a Duration of 2 to 4 seconds. The animation loops forever once it is in OBS, so you do not need it longer.
  5. Export, then add the file to OBS. A GIF is the safest pick there: add it as an Image Source and it plays animated. For an Animated PNG, add it as a Media Source with Loop turned on, and check that it plays in your version of OBS before you go live.

The result is an avatar that never sits completely still, which a lot of viewers read as more alive than a static PNG, without any extra software.

Option 2: art for audio-reactive PNGtuber software

If you want your avatar’s mouth to open when you talk, draw two states in Doodraw and hand them to PNGtuber software that does the swapping.

  1. Draw the idle (mouth closed) pose on one Doodraw project, with the character centered the same way you will want it in your final layout.
  2. Draw the talking (mouth open) pose as a second project, keeping the head, body and camera framing identical so the swap does not jump.
  3. Export both with Transparent background on. Export each state as a still PNG. That is the safe format here, since PNGTuber Plus, for example, is built around .png images and does its own animation with sprite sheets and motion settings.
  4. Open your PNGtuber software and load the mouth-closed image as the idle layer and the mouth-open image as the talking layer. Each tool’s setup is a little different; PNGTuber Plus and Veadotube both explain this in their own docs.
  5. Add the software’s output (often a virtual camera or a window you capture) as a source in OBS.

Doodraw’s part ends once you have exported the two states: the live audio switching is the other app’s job, not Doodraw’s.

Keeping the file size reasonable

PNGtuber overlays run for hours on a stream, so a smaller file loads and loops more smoothly. A shorter Duration (2 to 3 seconds instead of 15) and a simpler brush with fewer colors both keep the exported file lighter, since Doodraw writes Animated PNG and GIF at 15 frames per second.

FAQ

What app can I use to make a PNGtuber for free?

Doodraw is free to draw, animate and export in. Draw your character, turn on the Transparent background toggle, and export it as an Animated PNG or GIF for a PNGtuber avatar. Free exports carry a small watermark; Doodraw Pro removes it.

Does Doodraw make my PNGtuber react to my microphone?

No. Doodraw draws and animates the art, but it does not listen to audio or swap images by itself. For a mouth that opens when you talk, draw a mouth-closed and a mouth-open version in Doodraw, export both as transparent PNGs or Animated PNGs, then load the two states into dedicated PNGtuber software like PNGTuber Plus or Veadotube Mini, which does the audio-reactive swapping.

What is the difference between a PNGtuber and a VTuber?

A VTuber usually needs a rigged 2D or 3D model and tracking software that follows your face in real time. A PNGtuber is simpler: one or two flat images shown over your stream, often just an idle pose and a talking pose, with no rig and no face tracking.

What file format should I export my PNGtuber as?

Animated PNG for a looping avatar with clean transparent edges, since it keeps real 8-bit transparency. GIF also works and is read by more software, but its transparency is on-or-off per pixel, so soft edges can look slightly jagged. Doodraw’s Transparent background toggle is free for both formats.

Can OBS show an animated PNGtuber avatar?

Yes. Add an exported GIF as an Image Source and it plays animated. For an Animated PNG, use a Media Source with Loop turned on and check it plays in your OBS version. Resize it in your scene and it loops on its own.

Draw your PNGtuber

Open Doodraw, pick an animated brush, and draw your character. It starts moving the second you lift the pen. Get Doodraw for free, and show it off in the Doodraw Discord.

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