Ian Draws

Here’s the finished towel for “Alaska’s Inside...

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 10:29:59 -0600

Here’s the finished towel for “Alaska’s Inside Passage.” Stayed very true to the sketch.

Illustrated map of Edinburgh - complete with highland coo!

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 14:55:42 -0600

Illustrated map of Edinburgh - complete with highland coo!

Sad Elvis is sad.

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:30:52 -0600

Sad Elvis is sad.

kalidraws: Big news! Are you ready to get creative in 2013?? I...

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:49:50 -0600

kalidraws:

Big news! Are you ready to get creative in 2013?? I am! And I am so excited to announce that I will be leading a 2.5 day intensive illustration workshop at Light Grey Art Lab in Minneapolis, January 4-6! The wonderful Lindsay Nohl (of Light Grey Art Lab & Paper Bicycle) contacted me about putting this workshop together. Lindsay has a lot of great resources around Minneapolis and at LGAL to draw on (and had previously set up an illustration bootcamp with Meg Hunt), and it’s great to be partnering with her & the LGAL crew!

We’ll be covering a lot of ground in a lot of different ways, including group discussions, one-on-one creative sessions with me, talks with other industry professionals, and a big fun illustration meet ‘n greet party! We’ll be talking about creativity and idea generation, the business and practice of illustration, illustration process, and more! Plus we’ll have an exciting in-studio project which will be featured in the gallery. This will be a collaborative experience, and whether you’re a current creative professional or just want to kick-start your art in 2013, we’ll be working together to help & inspire each other!

Space is limited to 18 participants, so reserve your spot now!

You can see Light Grey Art Lab’s writeup on their blog, and check out the sign-up page for the full schedule, specifics, and prices!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Re-blogging because I’ve signed up for this workshop with Kali Ciesemier in January and I’m SO EXCITED! Like, pill-popping-Jessie-Spano excited.

OK, last one: a vertical tea towel for NEW ENGLAND. I think I...

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:36:34 -0600

OK, last one: a vertical tea towel for NEW ENGLAND. I think I like this one best.

Here’s a sneak peek at the sketch for the next tea towel:...

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:18:18 -0600

Here’s a sneak peek at the sketch for the next tea towel: Alaska’s Inside Passage.

Today’s Minneapolis Star Tribune has a great guide to...

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:06:34 -0600

Final towel

Color sketch

Today’s Minneapolis Star Tribune has a great guide to buying locally-made gifts for the holidays. You can check out some of the retro-collectible tea towels (yes that’s a thing) from Minnesota-based Vestiges, Inc. —designed by me and several other MCAD alumni— on the fifth page of the slideshow.

Above is the final GREAT LAKES region towel I illustrated, as well as a really sloppy color sketch just to prove that the process ain’t always pretty. These tea towels are available for fifteen bucks a pop at the Vestiges site. The perfect gift for anyone who loves America and dry hands!

Here are two variations on a poster I made for THE FREEDOM OF...

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:28:00 -0600

Final poster image

Alternative poster image

Here are two variations on a poster I made for THE FREEDOM OF THE CITY, currently playing at the Irish Repertory Theatre in New York (they chose the top image). The Irish Rep is celebrating their 25th anniversary season, and it was an honor to be asked to illustrate the poster for this terrific play by Brian Friel.

I did another illustration for the good folks over at Sandbox...

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:13:05 -0600

I did another illustration for the good folks over at Sandbox Theatre last month, for their original, ensemble-created play, BEATNIK GISELLE. They even put my image on pint glasses! How hip is that?

Creative Quarterly: Issue #28

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 16:01:00 -0500

Creative Quarterly: Issue #28:

Super stoked to have two of my illustrations featured in the forthcoming issue of Creative Quarterly - The Journal of Art & Design. Process for one of my pieces, “Holmes,” follows… (this was a fun one)…

Final illustration of H. H. Holmes, from The Devil in the White...

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 15:52:00 -0500

Final illustration of H. H. Holmes, from The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson.

Drawing Holmes’s portrait for the final illustration.

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 15:50:18 -0500

Drawing Holmes’s portrait for the final illustration.

Research/sketches of Herman Webster Mudgett, a.k.a. Dr. Henry...

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 15:48:17 -0500

Research/sketches of Herman Webster Mudgett, a.k.a. Dr. Henry Howard (“H. H.”) Holmes, America’s first documented serial killer.

The Man, Illustrated Remembering Ray Bradbury (1920-2012)

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The Man, Illustrated

Remembering Ray Bradbury (1920-2012)

By an astounding coincidence, I am also donating a totally...

Fri, 18 May 2012 20:58:00 -0500

By an astounding coincidence, I am also donating a totally different piece of artwork to a completely separate theatre company at an entirely unrelated event this month. This is a portrait of Allen Ginsberg wearing makeup, and if you want to know why, you’ll have to check out UNBOXED 2012: Beats & Ballet, a benefit for Sandbox Theatre. The artists at Sandbox do amazing work, so I hope you’ll give them a look and see what “Beatnik Giselle” is all about…

Here’s a poster I made for TRUE WEST, a play by Sam...

Fri, 18 May 2012 20:49:00 -0500

Here’s a poster I made for TRUE WEST, a play by Sam Shepard. I’m donating it to a silent auction in my hometown, to benefit the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts. More info here:

Final illustration. I’m officially done with school! Time...

Tue, 08 May 2012 01:10:00 -0500

Final illustration. I’m officially done with school! Time to kick back and enjoy the six-month grace period!

Playing with color in Photoshop.

Tue, 08 May 2012 01:02:54 -0500

Playing with color in Photoshop.

Pencils. Decided to crop the image. I decapitate a LOT of people...

Tue, 08 May 2012 01:01:00 -0500

Pencils. Decided to crop the image. I decapitate a LOT of people this way.

Rough sketch for final illustration assignment at MCAD. Concept...

Tue, 08 May 2012 00:58:00 -0500

Rough sketch for final illustration assignment at MCAD. Concept isn’t the least bit personal. Nope. Can’t relate to this … not at all.