Using Illustrator Making a Profile Image

Actually, other than photoshop and real pen/paper, another tool I use a lot is Illustrator program. I like how it can make the lines and shapes very clean and sharp; also it's in vector so you can enlarge or shrink your illustration to different sizes and still keep it's clearness.
Here is how I illustrate a profile image using illustrator program.
First I did up a sketch on photoshop and then copy it to illustrator program. After that I drew the colour lines/shapes and put them all together. The image below shows the sketch, first coloured drawing, and then the final profile drawing with some outlines added and a bit gradient effect in some areas...

This is how the image was created, the background and the foreground character.

And the character herself is assembled by a group of components.
Just make sure each component is in the right order.
Normally I'll drew out each part, and group the part together before I make them to the front/forward or to the back/backward.
In this character, top order is the cape/robe, hat, hair, facial parts such as eyes nose mouth, then face with neck, and the hand/book will be at the bottom.