Howdy.

I thought I'd start up a thread to show some of the more relaxed sketches I do sometime.

Nothing here is ever meant for a final image, just me having fun in a coffee shop, usually.

This is one I did today while sitting in the coffee shop in the McNally Robinson bookstore in Portage Place. Entirely a freehand ink sketch with no reference.

Pencils. Sketching a street scene on a patio.

Pencils. Mixing fantasy and reality in a coffee shop. I do a lot of sketching in coffee shops and on patios.

Another coffee shop pic.

This is one where I had started experimenting with multiple 'weights' of pencils on the same illustration - previously, I had done most sketches with just a 2H or HB pencil, but this one started in 2H and ended up going as dark as 4B or 5B.

Pencils.

This was one of a large number of super hero sketches I did in the lunch room at Digital Chameleon. It was part of a 'series' that I was doing involving the DC character of the Red Bee.

The Red Bee, for those not in the know, was a guy who fought crime with the assistance of trained bees, that he kept in a container in his belt. Yeah, I love comics

Anyway, he was such a silly character, and dressed incredibly silly (even by comic book standards) that I ended up kinda adopting him as my unofficial mascot, drawing him in all kinds of adventures (some folks here may recall a couple of different Red Bee avatars I've used).

At one point, I started a series of sketches in which the Red Bee, tired of being picked on by every other superhero and their dog because of his lame fighting technique, decided to expand the type and power of his equipment. Basically, he would beat up other second (or third) -string heroes and villians across the DCU and MU, stealing their stuff, and making himself more powerful in the process.

So. Here (after having beaten up the Tornado and stolen his hat and jetboots, as well as just buying a gun from a 7-11 or something) he is taking on the 3D Man, hoping to steal his glasses.

Pencils.

Ah, the fabled meeting between my altered version of the Red Bee (also in possession of the sword of the Swordsman, I think, as well as the earthquake gun that belonged to the Quakemaster) and Queen Bee. They were to begin teaming up in some of these sketches.

In fact, the next sketch (which never wound up being completed) was of Colonel Future, only wearing underpants, bound by duct tape to some plumbing or something on the roof of a building as Red Bee and Queen Bee were busy stuffing all of his hi-tech gear into a duffel bag behind him.

Interesting thought processes there, Bee Man... er... Red Ian.

I love to see all of your work!

Beautiful sketches, Ian. All of them are awesome, but i love the second one!

Keep them coming! (pleaaase)

Wow. Great stuff Ian. I like the mixed reality/fantasy piece. Makes for interesting conversation if someone is looking over your shoulder in the coffee shop.

Thanks folks

Here is another freehand ink sketch. It is loosely based on an old girlfriend of mine, and was sorta done to flesh out the idea for a character in a project I'm playing around with.

Another freehand ink sketch.

I had been walking home from Osborne Village and a woman dressed very much like this, with a really cool tattoo on her shoulder, walked by me. So, instead of going home, I stopped at the Fyxx and sketched this out.

Freehand inks again.

This is just a street scene outside at the Fyxx.

Freehand inks.

More sketching at the bookstore.

Freehand inks.

This was done at a local pub (Shannon's, if I recall correctly) while listening to a local musician.

Very cool. I like the perspective on that log. And the texture.

Wonderfull work, Ian!

Pencils.

Here is another rough one - this time, it was done as a thumbnail piece to design a later, more finished one.

The character is Silver Slasher, one of the League of Super-Assassins. I've played with using her before, and have been tinkering with an idea recently.

The final image will have the person she is attacking reflected in her, plus a blood trail leading from her fingers to her victim. Whenever I have the time to work on the finished one, that is

That must be one cold outfit.....

Nice work, Ian!

Pencils.

Sitting in Prairie Ink Restaurant and Bakery, waiting for a friend.

Pencils.

This was done sitting in Forbidden Flavours, having a decaf with a flavour shot of English Toffee.

Pencils.

An elf in a tree. Many themes repeat in my sketches. Trees. Dragons. Women. Swords. They are what seems to pop out when I'm idly sketching.

Pencils.

I love long hair on women. After seeing my ex-wife, some folks say I married for long hair. So, it winds up as a bit of a theme in my work as well.