Customs, How long does it take?

[bagheera86]

Now I've done three custom ponies myself, third one I'm still fussing over about the eye colour and if it's good enough- It'll be for sale.

BUT.

I've noticed some of the same people regularly bring out customs, sometimes even more than one at a time. How do you guys do this? And how do you work so quickly? Is it because you know what you want and how to do it? How do  you do multiples at a time?

My customs take so, so long to do. And when I'm done I'm still no happy with it, the only reason I finished my swap pony was because I had a dead line, I could have continued to tinker with it for a few more months

The first took over a year to complete, the third has now matched it lol and I'm still not satisfied! I do really enjoy doing these customs but, How do some of you continue to bring out as many as you do so often? How long should it take to complete a custom?

Just a little frustrated haha

[Mysticolt]

I find that customising a G4 including removing the head, removing the old hair, painting the body, rooting in the hair and painting the eyes and cutie mark can average about 5 hours minimum in total

[jelzar]

I find that it Dosent take me long to actually make a custom but it's the things between the stage that take the time. I usually do baiting on mass, so I have lots of ponys ready to go. However it may take me A few days or even a week depending on what I have to for college or work. Sculpting takes me the longest and then painting can be fast or slow depending on the design. So really a custom may take A few hours or many hours but in reality life gets in the way so it can take days or weeks to get one finished. I do work on more than one pony at once though so while one may be drying I can be working on another.

[sd_dreamcrystal]

For me... it takes a long time... depending on my mood... I have 3 G4 customs almost done and a boat load of others still in the works... For me, if I actually stayed put long enough... it would probably take a few days to finish one (mostly because of the sealer I use needs to have the paint cure for 24hrs)

And now customs will take longer because I decided I'm going to buy hair as needed

[naylastar]

I usually take about a month for an elaborate one with sculpting etc. Usually just because of the waiting times between curing. For a normal one with just paint and rehairing, I can get it done in a day. I take my time with customs though because it's better to produce one that you love rather than ten you dislike. So tinker away;)

Also, I can sometimes bring out about three or four at a time, because while I'm waiting for clay to harden, I will start another one:) Maybe other people do that too and that's why you see people bring out lots at a time?

[BerryMouse]

I have a regular job (40 hrs a week) + my small business.
For me a custom eats a weekend, my vacation or holiday or a few hours after I'm home from work.
So I would be never able to finish one in a day or at least more than one.
I could do one in a week or less but then I have to work on it every free second - but I don't think that's the sense of doing customs (at least not for me) =)

[bagheera86]

Maybe that's my probelm? I can only get a few hours in on the weekend, and really, I can't do more than one custom at a time because it tends to consume my ever waking thought. I think about it at work, out, at my volunteer place, on the bus and even when I'm trying to get to bed haha!

I envy anyone who can work on more than one custom at a time

[PandaBerryInSpace]

See, I can pump out customs at a really fast pace. That's why I'm in so many private swaps -- because I finish so quickly, I often have to wait for my partner to be finished too.

There's a reason, though. I'm in high school, but it's cyber school. I have no job. The only days that I leave the house are my mom's days off, because I can't drive. I'm only in one class this quarter, and I only have "class" sessions on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and those last for only an hour. I do get a lot of homework, but I can do it whenever I want. So, I honestly have nothing better to do all day except customize ponies, and I have no real reason to stop. Also, having a fan right next to my work table helps tons, since it cuts the paint drying time in half. C:

[coinoperatedgirl]

When I get a commission request, I generally give my buyer a timeline of about 4 weeks, but I've been known to put out things faster when needed (Sherlock and Watson took me about a week).  I work a full time job, and between work and the commute to and from work, I have about 3 hours daily to do anything during the week, leaving me with the weekends to do customs.  I usually have about 4 projects in the works at any given time, except for right now, because my air compressor died and I can't take on any new ones until after Christmas.

[NoDivision]

I CAN finish a pony in one evening if it's realtively basic and I'm feeling espcially motivated. But on the other hand, some of my WIPs were started a about a year ago. I really have no normal working time. It all depends on way too many factors.

[Roogna]

I usually work on several at once for both sculpting and painting.
if there's sculpting I need a few months to finish it (my sharks can take up to 6 months)
it really depends on how much time you have, how quickly you work, and how well your level of skill correlates to speed

[NoDivision]

and how well your level of skill correlates to speed

This is true. Faster is not always better. Just because you can crank out 6 or 7 customs a week doesn't necessarily mean you should, and you don't want quailty to suffer.

[CrazyCatPony]

It takes me a while to finish a custom, depending on how much time i have and how elaborate im making it. I really only do i little here and a little there. maybe one night bait it, the next night sculpt or painting. i usually have to wait for the hair to arrive. some times i do 2 at once just so while paint is drying i can do a little on another. but i dont work on them to much during the week, mostly on the weekend. it normally takes me a couple months for a really all out custom. but like others have said its drying time that draws it out more.

[Dee_Kary]

I think I could be able to make a lot more customs if only I had more time available . I recently had to put a notice on my dA that I'll be closing new commissions from there indefinitely and just make ponies to put up for sale/auction. I work a full-time job Mon-Sat of a little over 40 hours at our family business (right here in our house), and Sunday is the only day I get to go out of my house and spend the whole day with my boyfriend. That leaves me with very little time to work on ponies, or at least very little to my usual work time (I got used to work over 4 hours non-stop at art school, and don't feel comfortable having only 1-2 hours available because I feel rushed). I'm able to finish a basic pony in a day or two, but sometimes I wished I had the option to work part-time to dedicate more time to doing ponies . The days need to be 36 hours long!! 

[kaoskat]

For me, every pony is different. I can finish them rather quickly but I have to be in the right mood. If I'm not, nothing works right and everything ends up wrecked. And swaps. Swaps and their deadlines insist I finish on time. I have some WIP that are years old though. They need hair and clothes. In fact I have several who just need their hair styled.....