http://iririv.deviantart.com/art/Tutori ... -110577241
This is something I stumbled upon this morning, it's a really helpful resource showing some different techniques for making unique monsters. I think any of these methods would be applicable for our project, even the ones that are intended for sci-fi/alien settings.
These methods could also easily be used for clothing/armor/architectural design, so we can do some really unique stuff in addition to 1-1 conversions of real-world styles.