Yesterday we started our illustration workshop with a lecture by Mette Dreyer, an illustrator who works mostly for the big local newspapers. I don't get all the jokes, but the ones I do get are pretty funny. After that we did a couple of different exercises, which all included (very) quick idea finding and sketching as we were always pushed by time limits. We were also forced to use black ink and matches or thin brushes as tools. Some of my results for:

Five torsos of characters. 5 minutes for all. Otherwise free.

Combine two words into a new image. 1-2 minutes each.
Dog/Scissors – Key/Butterfly – Phone/Car – Brain/Box – Book/Sunglasses

Visualize words or newspaper headline. 2 minutes each.
Jealousy – Depression – "People Get More Sick of Food" – "Housing Will Be Cheaper in the Future" – Results