3D Character Blender Modelling Brief

Act as a senior 3D character artist. I am building a stylized character in Blender: {{character_description}}. My skill level is {{skill_level}} and I have {{time_available}} to finish.

Give me a concrete production plan:
1. Reference gathering and the exact blockout steps (primitives, proportions in head-heights).
2. Target polycount and topology rules for {{use_case}} (game, animation, still render).
3. Which modifiers to use and in what order (mirror, subdivision, bevel, etc.) and what to apply early.
4. UV and texturing approach suited to a {{texture_style}} look.
5. A simple rig plan: bone count, IK/FK where needed, and weight-painting tips.
6. A lighting setup (key, fill, rim) and render settings (engine, samples, denoising, color management).
7. The 5 most common beginner mistakes at each stage and how to avoid them.
Keep each step actionable and in the order I should do it.