So I've made slow progress on my entry. I definitely won't make the deadline, but that's ok. I've spent the last month working in Marvelous Designer, trying something new. The results are still a little lacking, and honestly I could have done in the fraction of the time working in my older workflow. But still I think investing time, to learn this program, will be worth it in the long run.
So here is my update. I've had a bit of a shift in direction. Instead of a blacksmith, he's become more of a silver smith. I'd like to pose him working on detailing a candlestick, a sort of nod towards the Disney film. I've been looking at a lot of Rockwell, Leyendecker and Moby Francke and did a pivot on my design. I think it will make more sense once he is posed, and everything is in less of a rough state. Still I'd like to put something out into the wilds, and see what people think for now. :)