The Jabberwocky: Phase 1-rough concept

Here's the first installment of a quick rundown of my process. This is a personal piece I did for an art show a little while back. The theme was 'Dragons' and my wife Brooke suggested Lewis Carols quirky creature and I decided to add a little terror to the children's poem.
Step one is rough conceptualizing and layout.  Because this is a stand-alone poster, I decide to split the image between the poem itself and the visual and select a long format to accommodate the text. I want the Jabberwocky to be scary, but also a little whimsical and non-senseical. I want it to feel like he is a creature of chaos, like he's part bird, lizard insect and plant all in one. I also want to highlight the bravery of our young protagonist by choosing a composition that shows him plunging into a roiling mass of monster.
At this stage I avoid color so I can just focus on getting a value structure down. Next I'll refine this concept into a sketch.
(1 hour total time)