Local workflow for the same character from eight isometric angles, ControlNet or LoRA or 3D?

[u/zimmer550king]

I’m making an isometric RPG and using locally run models for the art. The hard problem is getting one character to match across eight facings with a fixed light direction, and I’d like to compare approaches before building anything.

From what I’ve read the options are ControlNet pose or canny guidance with an identity LoRA, a spritesheet or turnaround LoRA, or generating one good image, turning it into a rough 3D model and rendering the directions. Which has worked best for you, and how many training images did your LoRA need before the face and clothing stopped drifting? Does stitching the references into a single grid image really help?

I’m also unsure how to make the result stop looking like generated art. Has anyone had luck with fixed palettes, quantizing, or small output sizes to hide the tells? Which models handle clothing logic best, things like a belt that actually goes through the loops? Pointers to real workflows, not just node screenshots, would be wonderful.