Great question, Lewis. It’s evident that your head is in the right place with efficiency.
I tend to break down anatomy sculpting in 2 halves: “macro” anatomy which is like 75% of everything (musculature, bone structure). The remaining 25% is the “details”, as I call them, which include pores, wrinkles, scars. So this exercise is that 75% to which I typically recommend to sculpt fully even if clothes will cover. In part because I often use cloth simulation to create clothing which needs a good mesh for collision.
The detail phase (last 25%) is usually where I will neglect areas that will never be seen. But each project can be different so there’s not a hard and fast rule for all character applications.
