how do i make thumbnails without using ai?

hey everyone, i’ve been facing a bit of a dilemma. i’m working on a youtube channel with my brother right now—just a roblox channel. and i want to make it more of a kid-friendly channel. the thing is, i really don’t want to rely on ai for thumbnails because i don’t want to come off as "fake" or not putting in the work. hope that makes sense.

so, i’m wondering: where do all the gaming youtubers make their thumbnails? what platforms or tools do they use? if anyone can point me in the right direction, i’d really appreciate it. i’m hoping this youtube thing works out, as i want to use it to help pay for college (if it goes well). i’ve been working hard on creating a bunch of videos with my brother and editing them so we have a backlog ready to post. we’re planning to launch the channel soon—either this month or next.

i’ve been pretty stressed lately with school and studying, so any tips or advice would mean a lot. and no, i’m not asking anyone to make thumbnails for me (unless you want to.................haha). thanks in advance, and good luck to everyone else trying to make it on youtube! i hope we all succeed. genuinely.