REST - Work In Progress Sketches

Hello everyone, 

I explore a new concept in a monthly deep-dive video for $5 patrons, and for this month's video, I worked on this idea I had almost exactly a year ago. 

It started as a sketch in my 2022 Daily Doodle Diary :

Which I then picked up again in thumbnails in my 2023 Doodle Diary :

While looking for skeleton references, I was reminded of the app Skelly (created by Proko, free on Android), which allows you to fully pose a 3d skeleton model, and I used that to mock up the pose of my character.

I then used that skeleton as a base in Procreate for a few more in-depth sketches exploring the general mood and setting of the concept.

The first 2 images below are what I initially had in mind for this idea, back when I did the first doodle diary sketch.

While I was researching reference images, I found an image of a forest stream forming a little pool in between mossy rocks, which sparked the version below :

Both colour sketches are based on the same initial concept, but have very different atmospheres and moods, and I was certain I would have a preference, but I am struggling to choose a lot more than I thought. 

I made a little poll here if you would like to help me out with picking which image to move forward with.

If the forest creek version is chosen (which looks more and more likely, judging by the poll results so far), I will probably make another small poll so you can help me decide the details of the lighting, as I have a few options I am torn between, as you can see above.

I look forward to working on this piece further, I am in a skeleton mood it would seem, and this concept fits right into my current inclinations. :)

The world feels so chaotic and increasingly more exhausting, so a part of me really resonates with the desire to lie down in a cool pool of crystal clear spring water, laying my head on a mossy rock and letting the water carry away the weight of the world...

Doesn't that sound divine?