I do use a fixative, but only after I'm done. Usually, I just stick paper under my hand.
I'm a bit of a perfectionist... well, my friends calle me anal when it comes to art. Even my little prismacolor sketches take a couple of hours. I used to never finish things, but now I'm getting quicker so I do. I have to have a bunch of projects going on at the same time. Most only take 5-6 hours. The Nikki portrait took 9, which was slow for me but really not too long. I think my digital is going to top at about 20 hours. >.<
Oh, and I will show you guys the updates as they come along.
I'm really bad at explaining how I do things but maybe that'll help.