Hi
Character designs such as what you require happen to be one of my main interests in the work I produce.
I have worked with Photoshop and Illustrator for a couple years now to create character art in my cartoon style. Please see my portfolio for some of my past work.
My workflow involves sketching, digital inking, and coloring.
I first would sketch different ideas and poses for the character very loosely for your perusal. When a "winner" has been struck upon that sketch would be further detailed, then inked. At this point, with the lineart done, I would finalize details of the color scheme before the final coloring of the image which would yield a fully scalable .ai file which would have layers for lineart, base color, shadows, highlights, and any other details.
With this workflow, I find it easy to work in sync with clients every step of the way as they have an active part to play in the positive outcome of a project.
If you have any questions feel free to contact me.
Thank you for your consideration.