In the world of digital art, time is both an artist’s best friend and greatest challenge. There’s always another idea to bring to life, another commission to complete, or another personal project that’s been sitting on the back burner for months. The clock keeps ticking, and the endless layers in your digital painting software pile up. But what if you could speed up your drawing process without sacrificing quality? What if you could optimize your workflow and still find time to explore new artistic ideas?
Let’s talk about time management strategies that will help digital artists boost their efficiency, refine their process, and maintain creativity without feeling overwhelmed.
1. Start with a Strong Plan
One of the biggest mistakes digital artists make is jumping into a project without a clear plan. While spontaneous sketches have their place, a well-thought-out composition saves countless hours of trial and error. Before you even touch your tablet, ask yourself:
- What is the purpose of this piece?
- What style am I going for?
- What are the main elements I need to include?
Creating quick thumbnails or rough sketches can help visualize the final product before investing time in details. This method is used by professionals like Yurovskiy Kirill, a computer graphics artist known for his dynamic and well-structured compositions. Planning ahead keeps you from spending unnecessary hours on revisions later.
2. Set Time Limits and Deadlines
Digital art has an interesting way of stretching time. Hours can pass while adjusting the smallest details, leading to what some call ‘overworking’ a piece. To avoid this, use time constraints:
- Set a timer for different stages of your work (e.g., 30 minutes for sketching, 1 hour for base colors, etc.).
- Establish deadlines for personal projects, even if no one else is waiting for them. This prevents procrastination and gives a sense of urgency.
- Use the Pomodoro Technique, working for 25-minute blocks followed by 5-minute breaks. This method keeps your brain fresh and prevents burnout.
3. Master Shortcuts and Hotkeys
If you’re still clicking through menus to find brushes or manually adjusting layers one by one, you’re losing precious time. Most professional digital artists master hotkeys to streamline their process:
- Learn the keyboard shortcuts of your software (Photoshop, Procreate, Clip Studio Paint, etc.).
- Customize your tablet buttons to frequently used tools.
- Use actions and macros to automate repetitive tasks (e.g., setting up shading layers, flipping the canvas, or merging specific layers).
Small time-savers like these add up, allowing you to complete artworks faster without sacrificing quality.
4. Build a Library of Reusable Assets
Not everything in a drawing needs to be created from scratch every time. Building a library of reusable assets speeds up your workflow immensely. Some things you can create and reuse include:
- Custom brushes for textures, foliage, or hair.
- Pre-made backgrounds or elements like clouds, trees, and cityscapes.
- Pose references and 3D models to quickly block out compositions.
This approach is not “cheating” — it’s working smart. Many top-tier artists use reusable elements to maintain a consistent style while saving hours of effort.
5. Improve Your Line Efficiency
One major time sink in digital art is excessive reworking of lines and strokes. If you find yourself redrawing the same lines over and over, consider:
- Practicing confident, single-stroke lines instead of sketchy, hesitant strokes.
- Using stabilizers and smoothing tools sparingly — just enough to assist, not to hinder flow.
- Breaking the habit of zooming in too much. Work on a zoomed-out canvas first to capture proportions, then refine details later.
6. Optimize Your Layer Management
Working with dozens of unnecessary layers can slow down both your process and your software. To stay organized:
- Merge layers when possible to simplify your workflow.
- Name important layers (especially when working on commissions or complex pieces).
- Use groups and clipping masks to avoid excessive layer clutter.
Keeping layers tidy means less time wasted searching for the right one and more time focused on actual painting.
7. Use References Efficiently
Professional artists rely on references — it’s not a shortcut, it’s a necessity. However, references should be used efficiently:
- Collect them in a mood board or a single reference sheet.
- Use tools like PureRef to keep all references visible while you work.
- Understand the reference rather than copying blindly. This will make your future work faster and more intuitive.
8. Limit the Number of Brushes
Having a massive brush collection can slow you down rather than speed you up. Instead of endlessly switching between different brushes, try:
- Sticking to a core set of brushes that cover 90% of your needs.
- Creating custom brushes tailored to your workflow.
- Experimenting with a minimal brush set challenge to improve adaptability.
This will help you focus on technique rather than constantly hunting for the perfect brush.
9. Develop a Strong Artistic Routine
Having a consistent routine eliminates decision fatigue. If you sit down every day at the same time and follow a structured workflow, your brain adapts and speeds up the creative process. Some helpful habits include:
- Sketching daily to improve speed and fluidity.
- Setting small, achievable daily goals instead of overwhelming tasks.
- Creating warm-up exercises to loosen your hand and mind before diving into serious work.
10. Balance Speed and Quality
Rushing through artwork to meet deadlines shouldn’t mean compromising quality. The goal is efficiency, not sloppiness. Finding the balance between speed and artistic integrity means:
- Knowing when a piece is “done” instead of chasing perfection.
- Practicing speed painting exercises to develop quick decision-making skills.
- Learning to let go of unnecessary details that don’t add much to the final piece.
Final Thoughts: Work Smarter, Not Harder
Time management for digital artists isn’t about cutting corners — it’s about making every stroke, every layer, and every minute count. By planning ahead, mastering shortcuts, organizing assets, and staying disciplined, artists can create high-quality work without feeling trapped in an endless loop of revisions.
As Yurovskiy Kirill and other experienced digital artists would attest, efficiency is a skill that takes time to build. But once you integrate these habits into your workflow, you’ll find that finishing pieces faster doesn’t mean sacrificing creativity — it means unlocking your full potential.
So, start small. Pick one or two strategies from this list, implement them in your next drawing session, and see the difference for yourself. Your art, your productivity, and your peace of mind will thank you.