With the mesh inside ZBrush, I have used the Tools > Polygroups > Auto Groups option to easily separate all the elements into different polygroups. Then in the Subtools menu I have chosen GroupSplit to automatically place each polygroup into a separate subtool. This way, the eyes, gums and teeth were stored as individual subtools.
The following step, a very important one, was to define the polygroups of the main body. By separating the mesh in different groups you can hide/mask parts of the body during the sculpting stage. This allows you to reach inaccessible areas after posing and making selections for transposing a lot quicker. With the model in a T-Pose it is very simple to make the selections to define the polygroups. I have defined the polygroups according to the anatomy of the body: head, torso, arms, forearms, hands, thighs, legs and feet. Later, for hand positioning, I also had to separate each individual finger into a polygroup.
Usually, I use the Symmetry tool while sculpting for as long as I can, in order to minimize doubling the work in certain parts of the body, however this project was not the case. The pose of the rabbit was my main concern and I wanted his muscles to bulge and shape correctly according to their final position, so I took the option of posing each body part first and shaping its anatomy later.
I have used the Transpose tool for all the posing, mainly by masking the part I wanted to position, inverting the mask selection, setting the transpose Action Line as if it was an actual bone and rotating it around the joint.
After the rotation, it is common that the joint area doesn't deform exactly as you would like, but a few brush strokes can usually fix that. The polygroup distribution was really handy at this time allowing for a fast selection.
Regarding the sculpting technique, there is nothing new about it, I mainly used the Move tool for reshaping, the Clay tool for sculpting (I find it more controllable than the Standard brush), the Inflat tool for muscle bulging, the Flatten tool to smooth the surface (I prefer it over the Smooth tool for this purpose) and the Smooth tool for untangling the surface when deformations get ugly, especially at the inner parts of the joints after transposing, where geometry tends to self-intersect.
I have prepared an image in which you can see the evolution of the sculpting phase.
As I have mentioned, my main concern was the pose because it defines the personality of my character. I have tried to achieve a natural pose by shifting the charcter's weight to his left leg and tilting the hip so that his right leg could advance a bit while keeping both knees locked, resulting in a comfortable standing position. I have also tilted the shoulder line and lowered the head in the opposite direction while the eyes keep looking to the side, in order to give us “that” look. The raising eyebrow is also emphasized by the ears, as the rabbit's right ear, above the bigger eye, points up and the left ear curls down in continuity with the spine curve.
The rabbit's right hand, which will later hold a cigarette, was also positioned with an exaggerated angle backwards not only to be more expressive but also to create a negative space between the hand and the cheek so that the silhouette is clear without an overlapping.
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