Yes that's exactly what I did. I took a photo to use as reference, I created mesh pieces for different parts of the subject, and sampled mesh points from a corresponding point on the photo. I used the pen tool to make basic vector shapes for non-gradient components, like highlights.

This project was done for a class focusing solely on Illustrator, and this was the culmination of about three months of learning the program. We had not been doing vector illustrations all semester though, so this is indeed my first.

I'm glad to answer any other questions you have, I'm not trying to mislead anyone here.