A few thoughts-
- yay you for diving in!
- resist the urge to subdivide so early, keep you model as light as possible for as long as possible.
- Remember that curves and subd loft can be an amazing tool for this type of modeling and you don’t always have to start with a primitive. (not saying there is anything wrong with that, just want to keep your options open.
- keep having fun and thanks for sharing your progress!