At just 12 years old, Luxembourg resident “Arty D” has attracted over 171,000 YouTube subscribers – a milestone reached within six months of launching his channel.
Remarkably, nearly half his audience hails from the United States, with most unaware the emerging artist calls the Grand Duchy home.
The creator, whose real name is Dennis, has uploaded 64 videos since launching his channel in late 2024. His rapid success saw him celebrating 100,000 subscribers after just four months. In an exclusive interview with our colleagues from RTL Télé, the young artist revealed his unexpected journey – from never having held a felt-tip pen to becoming an internet sensation.
Dennis discovered his artistic calling through a gift from his grandparents meant for his sister: “Sketch with Asia,” a manga-inspired tutorial book by artist Asia Ladowska. “My sister wasn’t interested, but I was completely fascinated,” he told RTL. What began as casual experimentation evolved into daily practice, with Dennis developing his signature two-stage creative process: first completing detailed drawings, then “destroying” them on camera before transforming them into new artworks through doodles.
Dennis stated that the success of these videos surprised him and admitted that destroying his pieces initially felt counterintuitive, seeing as they are the result of hours of work. But the technique has become his channel’s hallmark and Dennis argues that he often ends up improving the original drawing.
While Dennis’ 171,000 subscribers mark impressive growth, the channel currently falls short of YouTube’s monetisation threshold requiring 10 million views over 90 days, he says. Yet the 12-year-old’s creative efforts have already yielded tangible rewards – including his first sponsorship deal with a felt-tip pen manufacturer worth over €200 in supplies.
Dennis balances his burgeoning online presence with typical preteen commitments: attending school and practicing four instruments (piano, guitar, xylophone, and drums). Rather than pursuing internet fame, he reveals a surprisingly grounded ambition: “I want to become a primary school teacher,” he told RTL. Dennis sees this as a path that would allow him to teach both drawing and music without having to choose between them.
