I agree with Martin. For as long as I can remember, Kent has taught the sculpt it and then modeling approach, and this is one of those instances where this would be the best way to achieve what you want. You try sculpting it and if you can’t quite get the result, then you start over and try again and you’ll have a better result. If the second time you don’t get it, then you try a third time, then a forth, until you are happy with your sculpt. Remember, you’re learning, but even Kent has to trash his sculpt the first time while he gets the hang of hat he is sculpting.
After you have a sculpt you are satisfied with, you have a base model which you can retopo and it makes the modeling process so much easier, because you’re not pushing in pulling verts into thin air, you actually have a guide mesh underneath and it takes away the guessing game. Not your only job is to trace the shape and it becomes super fun, like a puzzle almost. So try this approach and see.
