Pictured is a hippo warrior-girl.
It took 5 steps.
step 1: the body base. sets line of motion and which way flowing things will go.
step 2: set clothes, armor, shoes, skin tight things that don't flow.
step 3: flowing things, like floaty cloth and medium to long hair.
step 4: basic color, getting the feel of her colors.
step 5: shading the chosen colors, adding and changeing a few of them.

Then it's done!