A custom 3D VTuber model from an artist usually costs hundreds of dollars and takes weeks. If you just want to start streaming, test a character idea or build a simple avatar, you can now get a rigged 3D model from one drawing in under 10 minutes.
Here’s the full workflow I use: image to 3D, then auto rigging with face expressions and hair bones, then (optionally) conversion to VRM for VTuber apps.
Disclosure: the two tools used here, JollyAI Image to 3D and 3D Rigger, are my own.
- Draw or generate a full-body, front-facing character on a plain background.
- Image to 3D: turn it into a textured GLB.
- 3D Rigger: add body, finger, face expression (blink, smile, talk) and hair bones.
- Export FBX or GLB, then convert to VRM in Blender or Unity if your VTuber app needs it.
Previews are free. A $3.99 Day Pass covers downloading one finished avatar.
What a 3D VTuber Model Needs
| Part | Why | Where it comes from here |
|---|---|---|
| Textured 3D mesh | The body you see on stream | Image to 3D |
| Humanoid skeleton | So head, arms and body follow your tracking | 3D Rigger (body + fingers) |
| Face expressions | Blink, smile and mouth shapes for lip sync | 3D Rigger (face dots) |
| Hair / ear / tail bones | Secondary motion that makes it feel alive | 3D Rigger (hair chains) |
| VRM file (most apps) | The format VSeeFace, VNyan and similar apps load | Convert in Blender or Unity |
Step 1: The Right Character Image
This step decides 80% of the quality:
- Full body, head to feet, facing the front.
- Arms slightly away from the body (A-pose), hands open.
- Plain background.
- Clear, smooth style: anime, cel-shaded or 3D render. Avoid pixel art.
- Simple hair shapes model better than very thin, flyaway strands.
No drawing yet? Generate one with an AI image model using a prompt like: “full body anime character, standing, arms slightly out, front view, plain light grey background, clean cel shading”. On JollyAI you can do this with Krea 2 or Qwen 2.1 on the same plan.
Step 2: Image to 3D
Upload the image to JollyAI Image to 3D. You get a textured 3D model you can spin around as a 360° preview. Check the back and the sides: if the hair or a hand looks wrong, fix the source image and try again before rigging. The full guide is here: Image to 3D online.
Step 3: Rig Body, Face and Hair
Open 3D Rigger and load your model.
- Body dots: AI places the joints. Drag any wrong ones; mirror keeps both sides even.
- Face dots: put the blue dots on the eye and mouth corners. These create the blink, smile, angry, surprised and talk shapes your VTuber app uses for expressions and lip sync.
- Extras: turn on finger bones, then add hair chains: tap the root and the tip of each lock, ponytail, ear or tail.
- Rig it and watch the preview wave, talk and blink. Fix any dot and re-rig if something bends oddly.
Step-by-step with every setting: How to auto rig a 3D model online.
Build your avatar now. Preview the 3D model and the rig free, then download with a $3.99 Day Pass.
Start with Image to 3D →
Step 4: Get It Into Your VTuber App
3D Rigger exports FBX and GLB. Most 3D VTuber apps (VSeeFace, VNyan and others) load VRM, so there’s one conversion step:
- Blender route: install the free “VRM Add-on for Blender”, import the FBX/GLB, assign the humanoid bones (names already follow a standard humanoid layout), map the face shape keys to VRM expressions, and export VRM.
- Unity route: import the FBX into Unity with the UniVRM package, set the rig to Humanoid, and export as VRM.
Apps that load FBX or GLB directly (for example game engines or Unity-based setups) can skip this step.
Honest Limits
- AI-generated models are great for starting out, but a hand-made VTuber model by a professional artist will still have cleaner topology and more expressions.
- VRM export isn’t built in yet, so you need the conversion step above.
- Very complex outfits, transparent parts and thin accessories may come out merged or blurry.
- Only use characters you own or have the rights to. Don’t turn other people’s characters or real people into avatars without permission.
What You Get With PRO (and the Cheaper Options)
One JollyAI plan unlocks every tool in this workflow, from the character image to the rigged avatar and its voice.
| Free | Day Pass | PRO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $3.99 for 24 hours | $14.99/month for the first 50 members, locked for 12 months (then $19.99) |
| Generations | 1 per day | 25 | 50 per day |
| AI video (MiniMax H3: text, image and reference to video, with sound) | – | Up to 3 | Up to 10 per day |
| AI images (Krea 2, Qwen 2.1) and image editing | – | Yes | Yes |
| Image to 3D (with Animate it and Blocky / voxel) | Watermarked 360° preview | GLB download | GLB download |
| 3D Rigger (body, fingers, face, hair) | Free preview | FBX + GLB download | FBX + GLB download, 10 rigs a day |
| Text to voice | Generate and listen | Generate and listen | Generate and download |
Why the bundle is good value: the same pipeline with separate products means an image generator, an image-to-3D tool, an auto rigger, a video generator and a text-to-speech app, each with its own subscription. With PRO it’s one $14.99 plan: design the character, make it 3D, rig it, give it a voice, and make intro videos with it.
Which one? One avatar: Day Pass. Iterating on characters or making content every week: PRO.
FAQ
Can I make a 3D VTuber model for free?
You can generate and preview the 3D model and the rig for free. Downloading the files needs a $3.99 Day Pass or PRO. Fully free alternatives (VRoid Studio, Blender) take much more manual work.
Will it lip sync?
Yes, once the talk shapes from 3D Rigger are mapped to your app’s mouth expressions (done during VRM conversion).
Does it work for furry, animal or monster VTubers?
Two-legged creatures work well: place the dots on their joints and use hair chains for ears and tails. Four-legged animals aren’t supported yet.
Can I use the avatar commercially on stream?
Yes, for characters you own or created. Check the rights of any artwork you use as input.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to model, rig or pay for a commission to start as a 3D VTuber. One good drawing, two browser tools and a quick VRM conversion get you a moving, blinking, talking avatar today.
Turn your character drawing into a 3D avatar. Free previews, works on your phone.
Open JollyAI Image to 3D →
JollyAI is my own tool. Download with a Day Pass ($3.99) or PRO ($14.99/mo for the first 50 members).