“Gotta Go Fast” As They Say

It has become somewhat of an inside joke amongst my friends and that I work very quickly, especially when it comes to art. Take my commissions for example, most of my previous commissions have been completed within 2 days. A friend of mine (Check out her work: https://toyhou.se/GarnettCrow) has even commissioned me with the intention of seeing how fast I can complete it haha. It took me roughly 2 hours for a headshot commission, and 2.5 for a half body, looking at active work time).

Don’t get me wrong, working quickly can be a good thing, especially when working with tight deadlines. However, at what point can it be hindering? For some, it may be the point when quality is sacrificed for the sake of speed. Figuring out how to optimize your workflow, essentially knowing your “formula” could help with that issue. 

I have a few workflows that I like for myself, so for me, working fast becomes hindering when I will drop a drawing because it's not done fast enough. Personally, the more times I have to put down a drawing, the higher the chance is I won’t finish it, with the exception of drawings I am very eager to complete. Why that is, I couldn’t tell you. Maybe there’s underlying dissatisfaction, maybe finishing a half done drawing is subconsciously daunting. 

One thing that has helped me, however, was making a checklist of sorts. So even when I'm losing momentum, I could give myself tiny objectives. Such as fixing a sleeve or rendering hair. (I tend to delete the layer after I’m done so I don’t have any actual examples on me.) It helps give a sense of direction, rather than staring at my drawing for 20 minutes, wasting time figuring out what to work on next.