Poll + Work in Progress (I need your input!)

Hi peeps, 

So I have started work on a big piece, and I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the work in progress bits I have gathered so far. 

I am also at the stage where I need to refine the pose and decide on the final composition, and I need your help with that! (See poll)

This big piece is going to be based on this sketch : 

I started off the process by setting up a big piece of paper on my easel and just putting pencil to paper and taking notes of what I liked and didn't like as I went. 

At one point, I even took out a notebook to start jotting ideas down, instead of keeping them on the paper, as it was getting messy, and messy environments tend to trigger my stress. 

I like the idea of having a notebook I use to iterate ideas in in writing. I am very visual, obviously, but writing helps me clear my head well, and helps me stay grounded and focused. I find that I remember things better if I write them down, and that in turn helps me process what I am thinking about better.
I usually won't need to look at my notes again once they are written down, the process of writing is what I am looking for, rather than the archiving of information. 

Here's what my mind has been going through for this piece. ➔

There are several elements I need to figure out before I jump into the final sketch.
Here's how I've been breaking them down :
1. The character's pose
Pose : I knew from the get go that I wanted the pose of the character to contrast the feeling of freedom from the birds in flight. The character is the anchor, the weight that is keeping the birds tethered, and therefore, I want to it to feel closed up and heavy.
Neck : I want the shoulders to be curved in and the body to have a slight hunch.
The neck will be the line that leads the eye to the birds, it is what the birds are tied to, so it is the one connection between the character and the birds. I want it long, and sinewy.
Face : I also know I want the character to look up towards the birds. At what angle I am not sure exactly yet, I need to sketch that out some more.
Head : I tried visualizing the head with hair, maybe long and tangled in the bird chains, but it didn't work. I like the fact that the character is bald. It makes it look colder and less alive.
Hands : This is where most of my questioning lies at this stage. I love hands, they can really bring a character to life and create a lot of dynamism and fluidity in a piece.
The hands are important in this piece, as they are the one way the character could stop the birds and reel them back in, the one direct touch connection it could have to their energy and desire to be free. But I don't want it to reach out to them, the hands need to feel closed up and show some of the character's fear and questioning.
I asked myself a lot of questions ; Do I want the character to try and cut one of the chains? To hold one as if reeling a bird back in like in the initial sketch? It could be holding a feather, or a bird? None of these felt quite right.
In the end, I decided I want the hands to interact with the neck and the chains that will be holding the birds, but in a gentle and soft way. I want the character to seem like it is contemplative, and in doubt.
I want the painting to catch a moment when the character is wondering what choices it has, and what it is more afraid of. Loneliness or freedom?
Therefore, I am not sure as to the pose of the hands, or even if I should have both hands in the piece of just one.
You can let me know what you think looks best in the poll below.

2. The birds
The birds are one element I have a good image of for the time being.  I am not questioning colour yet, but that will come. For now, I know I want them to be fairly small, but very detailed.
In my thumbnail sheet above, I ponder whether I'd like one of the birds to be the center of attention and have most of the light focused on it.
I'll have to do some values comps to see how that would look, so I'll get back to you on that. 

3. The tethers
I had several ideas for the way the birds were tied to the person, and I now think I have settled on one.
The initial drawing shows the birds tied to the neck with rope. I like that image, but it also feels somewhat too...raw to me. I don't want too much of a strangulation imagery, or a noose around a neck vibe. I want the whole piece to feel like a moment in time, a fragile and delicate instant. Something dark but poetic.
I gave myself the choice between having the birds attached with string, rope or small chains, and for all those to be attached to the character either individually, or as part of a collar.
The collar idea didn't feel right, so individual threads it is.
String or chains was the main conundrum.
Ultimately, I think I will go for chains. Very thin, golden ones, as if the whole thing was a delicate but cruel necklace. I like the idea of painting very thin but bright gold chains, with delicate twinkles of light. 

Every element of the painting is meant to be poetic and beautiful, even the chains. None of this is supposed to be jarring or look painful. It is all meant as a metaphor, and therefore I want the viewer to feel torn between the beauty of the situation, and the feeling that something isn't quite right either.

So that's me so far. 

Now it's your turn to tell me what you think!

Which hand pose do you prefer? Vote below!

Don't mind the head and face, I am still tinkering with that. 

I need to get on with painting this asap, so the poll won't be open for very long (it will close on Sunday 17 at 11pm GMT), but I would love your input on this piece and what you think would work well!
Brainstorming is a very good way to come up with new ideas and renergise a concept!

I hope you are all well,
Take good care of yourselves, 

Love, M