Because the space I was covering was large, I chose a 90 minute dry-time drywall compound. This gave me enough time to apply the first layer before it hardened completely - this first coat took about an hour to apply and an hour to dry (the Roman Clay drys in a lighter color so you will know it's dry when there are no more dark spots). For the second coat, I covered any spots that I felt needed more texture or coverage. In the third coat, I went over specific spots that I felt needed a little something extra. The total process with making, applying, and drying took me about 1.5 days. *The dry times will always depend on how thick you apply *Remember that if you make more Roman Clay or mix your buckets you run the risk of the colors not perfectly being matched. I was ok with this because I wanted to go for more texture and depth. In order to avoid this, however, just make more than you think you will need!