Here are a few pieces I've been working on just for fun and practice. They were all sculpted in 3D using a piece of free software called Sculptris Alpha 6, which is quite frankly, awesome! You can quickly get to grips with the tools and build up cool looking models in an hour or two. I took a screen grab of the models and imported them into Photoshop, where I proceeded to lay on textures and painted over them to get the finished results. The 3D really helps because the lighting is already decided, so you can get a finished piece really quickly.
A tattooed goblin...
Another tattooed goblin
A Troll.....
Another Troll.....
.....And a Peter Jackson LotR inspired Uruk Hai.
Below you can see the sculptris models I used as reference:
All pieces are copyright David Griffith Illustration 2014.