Sarah Clarity Studios

Chapter 3: Turnarounds, Callouts & State Sheets

Created by Sarah Choi (prompt writer using ChatGPT)

Turnarounds, Callouts & State Sheets — Mouth, Wings, Gait

Turnarounds, callouts, and state sheets are the bridge between “a cool creature concept” and “a creature that can actually ship.” They translate a design from a single appealing image into a buildable, animatable, and consistent asset. For concepting artists, these sheets are where you prove the design works in three dimensions and across actions. For production artists, they are the documentation that protects the creature from interpretation drift and prevents expensive rework in modeling, rigging, animation, VFX, and tech art.

In the creature pipeline, these deliverables usually appear after key silhouette and proportion decisions are locked, but before (or alongside) final paint and presentation. They don’t have to be pretty; they have to be clear. Clarity is the point. A great turnaround can save weeks of downstream confusion.

This article covers how to plan and build turnarounds, callouts, and state sheets—especially mouth, wings, and gait—across ideation → iteration → finals → handoff.

Why these sheets matter: ambiguity is expensive

Creatures are complex assets. A single illustration hides countless decisions: where joints sit, how many teeth exist, how membranes attach, what the underside looks like, how thick armor plates are, how straps route, how feathers layer, how the tail clears the legs, and what parts deform.

If those decisions are not documented, downstream teams must guess. Every guess creates risk: model rework, rig redesign, animation compromises, broken silhouettes, clipping, and gameplay readability problems. Turnarounds reduce guesswork. Callouts explain mechanical and biological logic. State sheets expose motion and expression requirements.

These deliverables are also a shared language. They let non-art partners—design, animation, audio, VFX—review a creature in concrete terms. They can point to a wing joint and say “this won’t fold in the doorway” or point to a jaw shape and say “we need room for a roar animation.”

Turnarounds: the 3D truth check

A turnaround is a set of orthographic views that show the creature consistently from multiple angles, typically front, side, back, and sometimes 3/4. Its purpose is not to be cinematic; it is to be measurable.

A good turnaround preserves proportions. It keeps the same scale across views. It shows symmetry and asymmetry clearly. It includes a consistent ground plane and often a scale reference (a human silhouette or a meter grid) if the project needs it.

Turnarounds are where you discover whether the design actually works. Horns that look great in 3/4 may collide with the neck in side view. Shoulder armor may restrict forelimb motion. A tail may be too thick to clear the legs. The turnaround reveals these issues early, while changes are still cheap.

Turnarounds in ideation

In ideation, you don’t need full orthos for every idea. But you can do “mini-turnarounds” for the most promising silhouettes: quick side and front sketches that test whether the design holds up. This is especially valuable for unusual anatomies (multi-limbed, serpentine, winged quadrupeds). The goal is to prevent investing in a design that collapses in other views.

Turnarounds in iteration

In iteration, turnarounds become more precise. This is where you lock joint landmarks, mass volumes, and the relationship between major forms. If you change proportions after this point, you should update the turnaround; otherwise the package will contradict itself.

Turnarounds in finals and handoff

In finals, the turnaround is the anchor for modeling. In handoff, it becomes the reference sheet for everything that follows: textures, rigs, skins, variants, and marketing renders.

Callouts: the design’s “why” and “how”

Callouts are close-up diagrams that explain critical features. They tell downstream artists what is made of what, how it attaches, and how it behaves. Callouts also protect the design intent. If you want the jaw to hinge in a specific way, a callout prevents someone from simplifying it incorrectly.

There are two major types of callouts. Structural callouts explain anatomy or mechanics: jaw joints, wing bones, tendon paths, armor layering, strap routing, tail segmentation. Material callouts explain surfaces: scales versus keratin, membrane translucency, wetness, abrasion, fur direction, feather layering, metal thickness.

A good callout includes a clear label, an arrow pointing to the feature in the main view, and a close-up drawing that isolates the feature. If the feature has moving parts, the callout may show open/closed states.

State sheets: proving the creature across actions

State sheets show the creature in key functional states. They answer “how does it behave?” and “what must be supported by rig and animation?”

The most common state sheet categories are expression (face and mouth), locomotion (gait), and special appendage function (wings, tails, tentacles). State sheets can also include combat tells, idle posture, damage states, and interaction states (mounting, feeding, sleeping).

State sheets are important because a creature design that looks great standing still may fail in motion. Wings may not fold convincingly. A jaw may not open wide enough for intended attacks. A quadruped’s proportions may make believable gait cycles difficult.

Mouth sheets: expression, threat, and rig requirements

The mouth is one of the highest-value communication zones. It carries emotion, threat, vocalization, feeding logic, and often gameplay cues. Mouth sheets are also where you prevent a common production issue: a modeler builds a beautiful head, then animation discovers the jaw can’t open enough for roars or bites.

A mouth sheet usually includes a neutral closed-mouth view, a partially open view, and a fully open view. For creatures with complex mouths, include additional states: snarl (lip curl), hiss (tongue position), chew (jaw offset), and bite contact (teeth alignment).

The key is to show hinge logic. Where is the jaw joint? Does the skull split? Does the upper jaw move? Is there a secondary inner jaw? Are there expandable throat sacs? Show these clearly.

Also show interior anatomy at a practical level: tooth arrangement, tongue shape, palate ridges, throat depth. You don’t need medical accuracy, but you do need consistent geometry. If the creature has tusks or mandibles, show how they clear each other and how they avoid self-intersection.

For production, include rig notes: maximum jaw opening angle, any required jaw translation, cheek or lip deformation needs, and whether the tongue must be fully rigged or can be simplified.

Wing sheets: fold mechanics, membranes, and silhouette control

Wings are among the most expensive creature features to animate, and they are a common source of confusion. Wing sheets should make wing mechanics unambiguous.

Start by defining wing type: feathered, membranous, or hybrid. Each has different attachment and folding rules. Feathered wings require clear feather layering and primary/secondary feather groups. Membranous wings require clear bone structure and membrane attachment lines.

A wing state sheet should show at least three states: fully folded (rest), partially unfurled (ready), and fully extended (flight/glide). If the creature is not a flyer, show the “display” state instead: wings used for intimidation, balance, or shading.

The fold state matters most for gameplay constraints. Can the creature fit through doors? Does the folded wing create a bulky silhouette? Does it clip with armor or back-mounted gear? Show the wing in the folded pose in side and back views.

Also consider secondary motion. Wing tips often need a range of flex. Membranes often need tension control. If the game’s camera often sees the creature from above, dorsal wing silhouette becomes critical.

For production, include anchor points: shoulder joint position, elbow, wrist, digit lengths, and any mechanical hinges if the wings are biomechanical. Include notes on which feathers or membrane segments can be simplified for LOD.

Gait sheets: locomotion identity and animation feasibility

Gait is where the creature becomes believable. A gait sheet is not just “four poses.” It’s a statement about locomotion style: stalking, trotting, loping, bounding, slithering, hopping.

A practical gait sheet includes key poses for at least one cycle (walk, run, or the primary movement used in gameplay). For quadrupeds, a walk and a run can be enough if the game doesn’t require many speeds. For bosses, you may need more: idle, charge, turn, stagger.

The most important thing is footfall clarity. Where do feet contact? What is the stance width? How does the center of mass shift? Does the tail counterbalance? Do wings assist balance during turns?

You can keep it simple: a side-view sequence of 4–8 frames that show contact, passing, and lift. Add a top-down footprint diagram if gameplay requires precise collision or if the creature has unusual limb arrangements.

For production, gait sheets help animators anticipate rig needs. They reveal whether the shoulder needs extra scapula motion, whether the spine must flex significantly, whether the creature needs IK stability, and whether any appendages need secondary controls.

How these sheets connect: consistency across the package

Turnarounds, callouts, and state sheets must agree with each other. A common failure is having a gorgeous final painting that suggests one anatomy, but an ortho sheet that implies another. Or a mouth sheet that shows a jaw opening wider than the skull design allows.

To prevent this, treat the turnaround as the master. Build callouts and state sheets from it. If the design changes, update the turnaround first, then update the derivatives.

A helpful habit is to include a small silhouette thumbnail on every sheet that shows the approved silhouette and indicates “do not drift.” This keeps every contributor anchored.

Concepting-side workflow: building sheets without stalling creativity

Concept artists often worry that documentation will slow ideation. The solution is staging. Use lightweight sheets early and heavy sheets only when the direction is chosen.

In ideation, do mini-turnarounds and one or two critical callouts (for risky features like wings or unusual jaws). In iteration, expand into full orthos and state sheets for the key systems. In finals, polish clarity, unify labels, and ensure consistent scale.

The goal is to keep the creative funnel wide early and only solidify when you have confidence.

Production-side workflow: using sheets as living constraints

For production artists, these sheets are active tools. Modelers use turnarounds and callouts to build geometry. Rigging uses state sheets to plan control needs. Animation uses gait sheets to design cycles. Tech art uses these to plan deformation and simulation.

Production should also feed back into concept. If rigging discovers a jaw design is too complex, concept can simplify while preserving the read. If animation finds wing folding impossible, concept can adjust hinge placement. Documentation makes these conversations concrete.

If the project supports skins and variants, production should treat turnarounds as the “base mesh truth.” Variants can change ornamentation, but must respect the underlying landmark proportions and joint locations.

What to include in a strong handoff package

A robust creature package typically includes: a clean turnaround (front/side/back), a 3/4 beauty view, material callouts, structural callouts for risky features, mouth state sheet, wing state sheet if applicable, and gait sheet for the primary locomotion. Add scale references and any gameplay-critical notes (weak points, hitbox assumptions, VFX zones).

If the creature is part of a faction set, include gear placement guidelines and “no-clip zones” so future trims don’t break motion.

If outsourcing is involved, include a “minimum required” version of these sheets with simplified labels and clear do-not-change rules.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

A common pitfall is making sheets too artistic and not clear enough. Orthos should be readable, with clean lines and consistent lighting if shaded.

Another pitfall is missing the dangerous states. The sheet must include the extremes: maximum jaw open, maximum wing fold, maximum stride extension. These extremes are where clipping and deformation problems appear.

A third pitfall is over-specifying tiny details early. Don’t lock tooth counts and feather counts if the project doesn’t need them. Specify what matters for animation and silhouette.

Finally, avoid contradictions. If the turnaround and the final painting disagree, the modeler will choose one and the result will drift. Keep one source of truth.

Closing: documentation is part of the design

Turnarounds, callouts, and state sheets are not administrative chores. They are part of creature design. They force your concept to survive reality: multiple angles, multiple poses, and real constraints. When done well, they protect your creative intent and empower every downstream artist to build confidently. Mouth sheets keep expression and combat readable. Wing sheets keep folding and silhouette viable. Gait sheets keep locomotion believable and feasible. Together, they turn a creature from a picture into a production-ready system.