AI character turnaround sheets

Character turnaround sheets from one approved character.

Approve the character once. Then generate front, side, and back views from the same reference. Review each view, keep what matches, and regenerate anything that drifts.

Front view of a tiefling warlock standing in a neutral pose on a flat grey background: crimson skin, curved black horns, violet eyes, a worn leather coat over a purple tunic, a silver eye pendant, dark trousers, and tall laced boots.
01Front view
Left profile view of the same tiefling warlock: horns curving back, hair in a small bun, the leather coat with strapped cuffs, the pendant at the chest, plain tall boots.
02Side view
Back view of the same tiefling warlock: horns and a small dark bun from behind, the back yoke of the leather coat, strapped cuffs, and boots with folded brown tops.
03Back view

Start with one view

Start your character turnaround.

Choose a view, describe your character, and add a reference if you have one.

Front, side, back

Character turnaround sheet: three views from one reference.

This example starts from the tiefling warlock portrait on the D&D character art page. Each view uses the approved character as the reference. Only the view instruction changes. The prompts below are the prompts that were used, and the notes under each image show what stayed consistent and what changed.

For the prompts and review process, read how to make a character turnaround sheet from one reference.

01 / Same reference

Front view

The source portrait only shows the character from the waist up. That means the front view decides the legs, belt, and boots. Approve this view first because it becomes the main reference for the side and back.

Character turnaround sheet, FRONT view. Keep this exact same tiefling warlock: same face, crimson skin, curved black horns, violet eyes, dark hair, worn leather coat over the purple tunic, silver eye pendant, dark trousers and boots. Full body from head to feet, standing straight in a relaxed neutral pose facing the viewer directly, arms slightly away from the body, feet shoulder width apart, flat even lighting, plain flat light grey studio background, same painterly illustration style, no text, no watermark.

Held: Face, horns, violet eyes, coat, tunic, pendant, and palette carried over from the portrait.

Drifted: There was nothing to compare yet for the lower body. The laced boots and belt buckle are new details introduced in this view.

Front view of a tiefling warlock standing in a neutral pose on a flat grey background: crimson skin, curved black horns, violet eyes, a worn leather coat over a purple tunic, a silver eye pendant, dark trousers, and tall laced boots.
02 / Same reference

Side view

Use the same reference and the same style prompting. Change only the view instruction. The horns, tied-back hair, coat, pendant, and overall character should stay the same.

Character turnaround sheet, SIDE view (left profile). Keep this exact same tiefling warlock: same face, crimson skin, curved black horns, violet eyes, dark hair tied back, worn leather coat over the purple tunic, silver eye pendant, dark trousers and boots. Full body from head to feet, standing straight in a relaxed neutral pose seen exactly from the left side in profile, arms relaxed at the sides, flat even lighting, plain flat light grey studio background, same painterly illustration style, no text, no watermark.

Held: Horns, tied-back hair, coat and strapped cuffs, pendant, coat length, and frayed hem.

Drifted: The boots lost the lacing from the front view.

Left profile view of the same tiefling warlock: horns curving back, hair in a small bun, the leather coat with strapped cuffs, the pendant at the chest, plain tall boots.
03 / Same reference

Back view

The source portrait never showed the back of the character. The model has to decide how the coat and hair look from behind, so this is the view to review most carefully.

Character turnaround sheet, BACK view. Keep this exact same tiefling warlock: same crimson skin, curved black horns, dark hair tied back in a small bun, worn leather coat over the purple tunic, dark trousers and boots. Full body from head to feet, standing straight in a relaxed neutral pose seen exactly from behind, arms relaxed at the sides, flat even lighting, plain flat light grey studio background, same painterly illustration style, no text, no watermark.

Held: Horns, hair bun, the coat's yoke and strapped cuffs, frayed hem, and palette.

Drifted: The boots gained folded brown cuffs, and more of the trousers show than in the front view. To reduce that drift, name the boots in every prompt or use the approved front view as the reference.

Back view of the same tiefling warlock: horns and a small dark bun from behind, the back yoke of the leather coat, strapped cuffs, and boots with folded brown tops.

What held, what drifted

The character stayed the same. The boots did not.

Across the three views, the character still reads as the same person. The details that were visible in the original reference stayed more consistent. Details the original image never showed, such as the full boots and the back of the coat, required more review.

Held in all three

  • Face and horns. Crimson skin, horn shape, and violet eyes stayed consistent where visible.
  • Coat. The worn brown leather, strapped cuffs, frayed hem, and purple tunic stayed recognizable.
  • Pendant. The silver eye pendant stayed on a chain and remained in the front and side views.
  • Palette and style. The painterly finish and light grey studio background stayed close.

Drifted

  • Boots. Laced in the front view, plain in the side view, and folded brown cuffs in the back view.
  • Coat length. It changes slightly between views.
  • Hair. Short in the portrait, then tied into a bun in the side and back views because the prompt asked for it.

How to reduce the drift

  • Chain the reference. Approve the front view, then generate the side and back from that approved image instead of going back to the original portrait.
  • Name details that matter. Once you approve the boots, belt, hem, or another new detail, repeat it in later prompts with the same wording.
  • Regenerate the miss instead of correcting it later. Compare each view with the reference and retry only the view that needs work. Retries use additional credits.

How to run it

The same three character turnaround requests, from the browser or your coding agent.

In the browser

Generate or upload the character and approve it. Keep that image on the canvas as the reference. Ask for the front view first. Approve it, then ask for the side and back views with the same wording and only the view line changed.

Open DreamLayer

From Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor

The DreamLayer MCP server exposes the same image-to-image operation used for these examples: image_to_image with the approved image as input_asset_id. Give your agent the approved image as the input asset, then send the front, side, and back prompts in order. Save each result and review one view before moving to the next.

API, CLI, and MCP server

From the API or CLI

Upload the reference once, then submit three image-to-image jobs with the same asset ID and the three view prompts. Each finished view returns an asset ID. The documentation covers the request format and the CLI equivalents.

One credit per finished image

Before you use the sheet

Five things to check on a character reference sheet.

Each view is generated on its own, so the turnaround is only as consistent as your review. Use the approved front view as the reference point.

  1. Silhouette and proportionsHead height, shoulder width, and arm length should stay close across views. Scale the images to the same head height before comparing them.
  2. Accessory placementThe pendant, cuff straps, belt buckle, and other asymmetric details should stay on the same side in every view.
  3. PaletteCoat, tunic, skin, and hair colors should match. If one view shifts warmer or cooler, regenerate it instead of color-correcting it.
  4. Feet on one baselineAlign the feet and check that every view stands at the same height. The generated files are not aligned automatically.
  5. Anything the reference never showedCheck the legs, boots, back of the coat, and hair from behind. Approve those details in the front view first, then carry them into the next views.
The approved front view of the tiefling warlock, used as the ruler for the side and back views.
The approved front view. Every other view on the sheet is checked against it.

What this page is not

A character design sheet with fixed views, not a rotation.

  • Not a 360 turnaroundDreamLayer returns fixed views as separate images. It does not render a continuous rotation, a GIF, or a turntable.
  • Not a 3D model or a rigThese are 2D reference images that a modeler or animator builds from. DreamLayer does not create the 3D model or the rig.
  • Not a sprite sheetAnimation frames use a different workflow. DreamLayer creates the frames, and your coding agent assembles the sprite sheet. See game asset creation.

FAQ

Character turnaround FAQ.

DreamLayer is currently in beta. Email mackenzie@dreamlayer.io if you hit an issue or need a workflow we do not cover yet.

What is a character turnaround?

A character turnaround is a set of fixed views of the same character, usually front, side, and back. Some turnarounds also include a three-quarter view. Artists use these views as a character reference so modelers, animators, and other artists can keep the same proportions, clothing, accessories, and design details. On this page, DreamLayer generates the views from one approved reference instead of drawing and redrawing the character by hand.

Can I get a 360 turnaround or a rotation?

No. DreamLayer returns fixed views as separate images, one per request. It does not produce a rotating animation, a GIF, or a 3D model. If you need a rotation, hand the approved views to a modeler or an animation tool.

Do all three views come from one request?

No. Generate each view separately. Review the front view, then attach it as the reference when requesting the side and back. App credit usage depends on the task. Through the Agent API, each finished image uses one credit; retries and additional edits add to the total.

Does it work for pixel art, anime, or cartoon styles?

Name the style in the prompt and keep the style prompting identical across the views. The examples here use a painterly illustration style; ink, cartoon, anime, and pixel art also work. Pixel art views need a review pass for stray colors before they go into a sprite pipeline.

Can I use my own drawing as the reference?

Yes. Attach a PNG, JPEG, or WebP of your character and describe what must stay the same. A clean front view with a plain background gives the best carry-forward; a busy scene gives the model more to misread.

Can I add a three-quarter view or an expression sheet?

Yes. Any extra view is another request with the same reference: three-quarter, a head-and-shoulders expression set, or the character holding a prop. Review each one against the approved front view before you add it to the sheet.

How much does it cost?

App credit packs start at $8.40 a month for 30 credits, or $10.50 as a one-off pack that never expires. App credit usage varies by task, so three views do not have a fixed App credit cost. Through the Agent API, CLI, and MCP server it is one credit per finished image at US$0.25, with a minimum purchase of 59 credits. Every pack size is on the pricing page.

Is this a character reference sheet, a model sheet, or a character design sheet?

A turnaround shows a character from several fixed angles. A character reference sheet or model sheet can also include expressions, colors, proportions, and design notes. DreamLayer generates separate images; arrange the approved views in your own layout tool to assemble a sheet. If you are starting from an idea, create the front view first and use it as the reference for the other views.

Do I own the images?

Yes. Under the Terms of Use, DreamLayer assigns the generated Outputs to you. You are responsible for making sure your use is lawful, for example when a character is based on someone else's protected design.

Start with the front view

Approve the character once. Generate the other views from it.

App credit packs start at $8.40 a month or $10.50 one-off. Three views means three finished images. Review the front view first, then use that approved image as the reference for the side and back.

Make a turnaroundSee pricing