How To Stream Art On Twitch
My Twitch Set Up
The most frequent question I get asked on the internet is “How Do You Stream Art On Twitch” Sometimes art is subbed with ‘Drawing’ or another more specific form of art making. I get this question from Instagram in my dms, on the search bar on my website, sometimes people ask me while I’m live.
Today I’m going to tell you the granular details of how I stream on twitch, my set up (which will be conveniently linked at the end) and my biggest tips on things I’ve learned in my streaming career in the last two years.
If you’ve ever thought to yourself “I wonder what it’s like to stream the creative process online” Or “I kinda want to stream my work” or “Can artists make money streaming their work?” this episode is for you.
In the beginning of 2021 I moved into a studio that had a reliable internet connection and got a computer that was more powerful than my old laptop. With those two items and the stars in my eyes, I decided to try my hand at streaming.
I’d been watching streamers on Twitch and Youtube for a few years at that point. Watching people play games, make knives, and chat with people online. I had never seen a fine artist do it. I didn’t even know there was a section on Twitch dedicated to traditional artists. I thought it was just for games.
It mostly is, but there’s a BIG community of makers on this platform. The first person I met who was an artist on twitch, was at an online drawing workshop I was taking during the pandemic. She was in her 60’s and said that she streamed her work to a small audience a few days a week. She said that people who watched her work bought paintings and prints- that it was a great way to network with an audience.
This blew my mind. Everyone I had ever seen on twitch was younger than 35 and never a painter.
I decided that the minute I could get my computer hardwired to my internet I was going to try a stream.
There’s quite a bit of setup you need to do before you can start your first stream. I’m going to tell you my current set up, and what I began with.
The simplest stream set up you can do is with your cellphone. I did my first live stream on Instagram in 2017 from my cellphone, balanced precariously on a stack of books with my computer playing music out of frame.
I did a top down approach where people could see the paper and my hands and I could read the comments and speak closely to the microphone. I was so focused on the setup that I made a really bad painting. It was perfect.
A Note on Instagram: When you stream on IG, the platform will promote your live stream to all your followers in waves. You can stream for an hour before you get shut down, there is a very sensitive music copyright program that will silence you in 2 seconds.
But the best thing about this is that people from your past will be curious and show up to the stream. In that first stream I had old employers, babysitters, friends from high school, and other random acquaintances show up. I hadn't spoken to them in years, but they were curious. Instagram is a platform that will work for you.
Twitch is really different. It won’t help you reach people. This is perfect when you are starting out and trying to get the kinks out of your set up. I streamed to 2 people for the first week of streams I had. One person was my boyfriend, the other person was me on my phone checking to make sure it was all working. Lol
It’s best that you are prepared for no one to be there. This is a golden opportunity to make mistakes and get used to being in front of a camera.
My Twitch Live Streaming Setup
Hardware
Computer:
OMEN 30L Desktop GT13 256GB WD_Black
Windows 10
https://amzn.to/3ZVDM5v Currently $1300 (mine included the below processor)
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-Core Processor 3.59 GHz ASUS gtx 1080 ti turbo 8g https://amzn.to/3womznD
Keyboard: Keychron K2 Brown switches
75% layout (84-key)
Mouse:
Razer Atheris Ambidextrous Wireless Mouse: 7200 DPI Optical Sensor - 350 Hr Battery Life - USB Wireless Receiver & Bluetooth Connection
Microphone: Blue Microphones - Yeti X Professional Wired Multi-Pattern Condenser USB Microphone
This microphone cost me around $170 - sometimes it goes on sale. It’s the mic I’m currently using for my podcast.
I’ve got the microphone on a freestanding microphone tripod like this one. They usually run for $70 but I got mine free from a friend who was trying to get rid of it.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/gator-frameworks-tripod-mic-stand/6482191.p?skuId=6482191
Cameras:
I’ve got 3 cameras in my studio. One for the Canvas that I’m painting on, One for the Pallet I mix colors on, and a third that shows the studio as a whole, that I talk to most of the time. This way I’m never out of frame.
I started with this Logitech C922 Pro Streaming
I got it for $125 but you can get it now for less than $100
I got two more web cams from neighbors that I used for one stream and then recycled because they were total garbage.
After getting rid of the two free webcams I hooked up my cheap photography camera that I had gotten 5 years prior as my main canvas camera. The video feed was CRISPY. The camera also turned off every 30 min unless I touched it. A major pain, but it was reusing money I had already spent. I used that camera for the first year of streaming.
My 2nd camera investment was a better webcam for my pallet cam. I bought another logitech camera
Logitech BRIO $200 or less
You don’t need 4k abilities, as most people watching twitch are watching it at 720 most days. The quality is great and I use this as my daily zoom meeting camera.
About a year into streaming I invested in a vlogging camera that had better streaming capabilities ( one that didn’t turn off every half hour)
I got the Sony ZV-1
Sony ZV-1 Camera for Content Creators, Vlogging and YouTube with Flip Screen and Microphone
It cost me just under $700 and is one of the greatest tools for my art business I’ve bought to date. (Wait for the sales!!!)
I also got a battery pack to keep the filming rolling. One battery lasts me about 2.5 hours of streaming. Sometimes I change them out mid stream. An extra $17
The camera is currently selling for $750 Again, wait for a sale before you buy big ticket items like these.
Sound:
It’s important to note that any sound you have in your studio will be picked up and will echo. This includes music. I like to play music directly from my desktop to the stream. This means that i need to have headphones on or the viewers will hear the music twice, and then leave because it sounds bad.
Headphones: I currently have airpods, you can use whatever wireless headphones you like. For the first 3 months of my streams, I couldn’t hear any of the music I was playing for the viewers. Sometimes you gotta suffer for the good of twitchkind lol
Airpods Pro: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MPNY3AM/A/airpods-3rd-generation-with-lightning-charging-case $170
The number one recommendation I have for you is this:
Your stream should always sound better than it looks. People will tolerate a bad visual feed over a bad sounding stream EVERY TIME.
Lighting
Softboxs In my studio that I use during the winter/spring months. Otherwise I use my normal overhead lighting plus natural light from the windows. If you are painting in a dark room, lighting is really important to get right. For your artwork and for the viewer. Try to have the surface you are making on be well lit with a daylight tint. This is a fun way to get creative.
The soft box I bought was $90 from amazon basics. It’s not great, but it does the job. https://amzn.to/3WrI4OV
I have a second smaller light that helps me control the color temperature in the studio when night time hits. This is my favorite light, it’s small and perfect for brightening up a space. You will need to get a stand for it.
VILTROX L116T Key Light Kit with Battery, LED Video Light Panel, 3300K-5600K https://amzn.to/3XyhzZt Currently $37.19
Power supply for the VILTROX light https://amzn.to/3kAOWwe $15
Ringlight A third light I’ve got is for when I’m sitting and chatting at the computer, away from the easel. It brightens up my face and has different vibrancy settings.
Bekada LED Desk Light with Clamp https://amzn.to/3wmkFEf $20
Extras
USB extension cables. Great for ease of movement when adjusting different cameras and the mic around your studio. I have 4 of them being used at all times.
https://amzn.to/3J9lWG0 $8 each
Anti- Fatigue Floor mat- When you stream for more than an hour at a time, you are going to want something comfy to stand on, depending on how you make your art.
https://amzn.to/3J9BWbb I have one similar to this from Uline but it’s boring and black and this one has rainbow colors.
A comfy chair - There are millions of chairs out there and you want one that’s going to make you comfortable while you work, and also hold up to the wear and tear a studio does to furniture. I had a fold up chair from costco for the first year and a half of streaming before I upgraded to my current one and let me tell ya, I waited WAY TOO LONG. I have this fancy one from Branch furniture but you can get a solid chair for $100 that will do you well. Check Ikea, check target, find what works for you.
Music
I have a list of copyright free playlists that I like to use for music during my painting stream. One is Lofi girl, the next is the BGMchannel on youtube. You can always play music from the creative commons, and there is a lot of great music out there that has no copyright infringements on it. Look for music with titles that say ‘copyright free’ or ‘music for streamers’ or some variant.
Software
OBS
To stream on Twitch or Youtube, you’ll need OBS. This is a free software you can use for streaming that i sometimes also use for podcasting. You can control your sounds from different sources, arrange your different camera set ups, read the chat when you are live, and get notifications.
Play around with the settings, look up youtube tutorials on how to use it and sync it with your streaming platform. These videos really helped me when I was just starting.
Overlays
Next I recommend getting something to make your stream look fancy. Plus a chatbot to help keep the weirdos of the internet under control. Stream elements is my favorite.
With Streamelements you can create free, good looking overlays that will give your stream a cohesive and branded feel. They have alerts that will be flashy and pretty when someone donates or follows your channel. It’s a blessing and its free.
There are other paid for ones out there but I like them less. You do you!
With Streamelements you can set up your chat bot. This will give you the ability to set timers so that your social media links pop up every 30 min, let your viewers play games with each other, and many other cool things.
Making your profile
On Twitch is where you’ll set up your streaming account. I recommend picking a name that is identical or close to your other social media handles. Make it easy for people to find you.
I’d been using my full name for almost a decade as my art handle, But on Twitch I have a more casual name of CheersSteph. A lot of artists use FirstnameLastname.art or .studio or something of that kind. Privacy is weird when you are an artist.
Fill in your about page and add in basic info about your artwork. Be concise.
I’d consider putting in any chat rules you want to have for your space. Remember, you are in complete control of your stream. If you don’t like something, you can change it. Use the block button freely.
Common rules:
18+
No swearing
Family friendly
Be cool
Etc.
Later on you’ll be able to customize channel points, emotes, and subscriptions- but that will be after you qualify to be an affiliate (and therefore make some money). Worry about this later.
Tips
Before you start to stream, go check out what other streamers are doing in your trade. I make abstract oil paints, so I’m often digging through the traditional art tag. Pay attention to how they set up their cameras, how they talk to people, how they deal with tension, how they deal with no one chatting with them. Pick streams that have less than 20 viewers to start building relationships.
Be active in those chats and follow them. Don’t say you are a streamer unless they bring it up. Ask them for tips! Complement their work! Don’t be a weirdo.
Name your stream something catchy and use the Art Category “Art Stream” is a boring title and no one is going to click it. “Geometric Abstract commissions” is much more interesting. Get creative, see what other people are doing that have around 10 viewers.
Tag your stream accurately Recently the tag system has been expanded. I make traditional oil paintings and have a very chill stream. Tags I use: traditionalart traditionalpainting oilpainting coworking English LGBTQIAplus cozy. Twitch will give you suggestions of what other people are using for tags. Browse the platform and see what is popular and in your niche.
Notifications What you type here will go out to the people who are following you if they have notifications on. Keep it short, less than 5 words, and sweet. “Hi Friends!” “Working on my new art show” “Come co-work with me” are all great ones. “I’m working on a new purple painting today and having tea time, come hang” is way too long and people wont be able to read it all on their phones.
Greet everyone who comes to your stream Say their name to the best of your abilities (some usernames are complicated and hard to say) and ask them about their day. Maybe write down a question for the day that you can talk to them about. “Have you been reading any good books lately?” “Are you an artist? What are you working on?” etc. It’s easy to get nervous about talking to strangers on the internet, but with practice you’ll get a handle on it.
On Raids If I have an audience of 5 or more people I will always do a raid at the end of my stream. I try to pick people who have a similar vibe as my stream or are playing the same game. Tell your audience where you are going and to use lots of fun emotes in the chat when you get to the new stream. Raids transfer your audience to another person’s stream. Remember to end your stream AFTER you do the raid.
On Lurking The majority of people who watch Twitch streams are lurking. Meaning, they don’t chat with the streamer (you) and will just watch. This is a great thing and you should never make anyone feel bad for not chatting. Once a stream I like to say something like “Hey, if you are lurking, I just want to say that I appreciate you and hope you are having a good day” and then I go back to talking with the active chatters.
You’ll see that there is a tab on OBS where you can see who is in your chat room. The unspoken rule of Twitch is NEVER call someone out whos in your stream unless they chat first. If someone is in your stream and hasn’t said Hi, don’t be like “Oh hello USERNAME!”. Let people lurk if they want to.
This was a lot of info and I hope you’ve found it helpful. Let me know if you have any questions about streaming. If you start streaming because you’ve seen this guide let me know! I want to come see what you are creating.
Host and artist Stephanie Scott breaks down the practicality of the art career with topics including: sustainable creative practices, social media skills, and the mindsets that keep it all together. New episodes every Tuesday!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephaniescott.art/
Website: http://www.stephaniescott.art/brushwork
Music by @winepot https://www.instagram.com/thewinepot/
Podcast Cover photo by Maryna Holovanova https://instagram.com/picturemaryna