An art summary template is a single image that lines up one piece from each month, January through December. Making one takes three steps: set up 12 panels plus a title panel in a ratio that suits where you'll post, pick one representative piece for each month, then align the spacing and layout and export. If you turn your highlight piece into a 3D model and add a turntable video, you can also show the character you drew most this year in three dimensions.
This guide covers how to build the template, how to choose your 12 pieces, how to turn your most-drawn original character into 3D and add it to your summary, and how to post the result.
Note: Figmee currently offers figurine-style images created from your drawings, 3D model data (GLB / 3MF), and turntable videos of your 3D models. Ordering physical 3D prints is Coming Soon.
What is an art summary template?
An art summary is an image that collects one drawing from each month of the year in 12 panels. It's also called a "summary of art," and the tradition is said to have started on DeviantArt. Every December, templates start circulating among artists (source: Know Your Meme, "Summary of Art"). In Japan, "look back on the year" templates are posted on pixiv in early December as well.
The basic layout is 12 monthly panels plus a title panel for the year and your name. You can use a template someone else made, but building your own lets you choose the ratio and the panel layout to fit where you plan to post. Seeing all 12 pieces side by side is also a simple way to check for yourself how your lines and coloring changed over the year.
How to make the template in 3 steps
1. Set up 12 panels and a title panel in a ratio that fits your platform
Start by deciding where you'll post your summary. How an image is displayed in the feed, and how it gets cropped, differs from one platform to another, and the specs can change, so check each platform's current specifications before you post.
Once you know the ratio, divide your canvas into 12 panels. For a landscape image, use 4 columns × 3 rows; for a portrait image, 3 columns × 4 rows. Adding one row for the title panel at the top or bottom keeps things tidy. If you want a square image, another option is a 4 × 4 grid of 16 panels where the four center panels are merged into the title panel. Put a small month label like "Jan" in the corner of each panel so people can tell at a glance which month each piece is from.
2. Pick one representative piece for each month
Choose one drawing per month for the 12 panels. The next section explains how to pick without second-guessing yourself.
3. Align the spacing and layout, then export
Keep the gaps between panels and the margins inside each panel consistent. When a drawing's ratio doesn't match the panel, crop it so the character's face sits near the center of the panel; that likely keeps the viewer's eye from bouncing around when all 12 are side by side. Put the year and your name (or handle) in the title panel. After exporting, view it at thumbnail size on your phone and check that the month labels and the drawings are still easy to make out.
How to choose your 12 pieces
When choosing one piece per month, settling on a single rule makes the decision much easier.
| Rule | The piece you pick | What the summary shows |
|---|---|---|
| Drew the most | A piece featuring the character or theme you drew most that month | What you kept drawing all year |
| Changed the most | A piece where you tried new coloring, linework, or a new style | How your art changed over the year |
| Got the most response | The post that got the most response from people that month | The year you shared with your audience |
Using the same rule for all 12 makes it clear what the whole summary is about. If there's a month where you didn't draw, fill the panel with a second piece from a nearby month. If you joined a drawing challenge like Inktober in October, that month will probably give you plenty of candidates.
Once your 12 pieces are set, also decide which one will be your "piece of the year" — the highlight. The next section shows how to turn that one into 3D and add it.
Turn your highlight piece into 3D
Pick one illustration of the original character you drew most this year, turn it into a figurine-style image and a 3D model (GLB / 3MF) with Figmee, and place it in the title panel or the last panel. Figmee creates a figurine-style image based on your drawing and then builds a 3D model from that image, so the result keeps the feel of your hand-drawn lines. Results vary depending on the original drawing.
- Prepare the illustration: choose a drawing with one character, full body or upper body, facing forward or close to it. Photograph or scan drawings on paper; digital art can be used as is. Supported formats are PNG, JPEG, and WebP, up to 20 MB per image.
- Create the figurine-style image: upload it, choose Standard (1 token), Pro (2 tokens), or Max (3 tokens), and press "Generate 3D Image." It usually takes about 2–3 minutes.
- Create the 3D model: once you're happy with the image, press "Generate 3D Model" (5 tokens; your first 3D model is free, once per account). You can rotate the finished model 360° in your browser to check it.
- Place it in your summary: rotate the model in the viewer to the angle you want, save a screenshot, and either add it to the title panel or put it in the last panel as your "character of the year."
The back of the character, which can't be seen from the front, is filled in by the AI's guess. If your character's back view is a key feature, the result may differ from what you intended. For which drawings work well in 3D, see our complete guide to turning illustrations into 3D; for the full workflow with your own character, see how to turn your original character into 3D.
How to post it
Once you've added the 3D piece, either of these formats lets you show it while keeping your 12 drawings in the spotlight.
- Two posts: the summary plus a turntable video: put the summary image first and the turntable video second (as the next image in the same post, or as a reply). From the artwork page, "Create 360° video" exports a square video in which the model makes two full turns in about 6 seconds. The Figmee logo appears in the bottom-right corner, and exporting doesn't use tokens.
- The final slide of a process post: walk through your year from sketches to line art to color, then end with the 3D turntable video. We cover how to order the slides in our guide to art process posts.
Either way, mention that the 3D version was made with AI (Figmee) from your own drawing. When you publish an artwork on Figmee, people can rotate the 3D model on its share link page and open "Details" in the top-right corner to see the original illustration. Videos are exported as MP4 in browsers that can record MP4 and as WebM in other browsers, and some social platforms don't accept WebM.
What to avoid
- Don't include other people's art or copyrighted characters: an art summary is a year of your own drawings. Leave out pieces drawn by other people and 3D versions of characters from existing works. Figmee also only accepts drawings you made yourself or images you have permission to use from the rights holder.
- Don't try to turn photos into 3D: for photos of real people, animals, objects, or places, and for photo-like images, Figmee stops the generation and returns the tokens used. What you can turn into 3D are drawn illustrations and photos or scans of drawings on paper.
FAQ
What if I don't have 12 pieces this year?
When you build your own template, you decide how many panels it has. Six panels (one per two months) or four panels (one per season) still make a summary of your year.
What if there's a month where I didn't draw anything?
Fill the panel with a second piece from a nearby month, or combine two months in one panel, like "Apr–May." You can also leave the panel empty with a note like "taking a break."
Is one 3D piece enough?
One is plenty. Your 12 drawings are the main event, so limiting the 3D version to your "piece of the year" keeps it from overshadowing the rest of the summary. If you want to turn other characters into 3D too, posting them separately makes them easier to see.
Summary
An art summary template is one image that lines up a piece from each month, January to December. Set up 12 panels and a title panel in a ratio that suits your platform, pick 12 pieces using one rule — drew the most, changed the most, or got the most response — and export with consistent spacing and layout. Turn the original character you drew most this year into a 3D model, place it in the title panel or the last panel, and add the turntable video as a second post to show one character in 3D alongside a year of drawings.
