finding a good work process is hard

I feel like I'm getting ever so slightly closer to something I could reasonably call a work process. I "inked" the linework to this in the same way I did the Roc, where I physically use the bezier curve tool to trace round each and every line (effectively doubling or tripling the workload). It's a completely anal, unartistic way of working but the result is a clean but expressive line that thickens and tapers in all the places I want it to (as opposed to using something like illustrator brushes, which give you a little less control). I'd love to be able to draw like this with a brush (and I feel I'm getting a little better at controlling it by hand) but right now this rather soulless, computery way of working is what I enjoy.

At some point I'm actually going to try and draw a background for one of these creatures instead of just having them float lazily in the middle of the page, I promise!