Well, for the logos, the first one I spent about 50 minutes on, because I couldn't get that swirl to look good for the longest time >_> second one took 40 minutes because I kept changing things.
See, this is all I do:
Make lines. Make sure they connect. Contour of whatever it is you want to make, then draw lines indicating where the changes in shading are. Fill between the lines with small tonal changes, delete all the lines.
BOOM. DONE.
Also, just made this one, which I personally like the best as a logo:
You know, I MIGHT even make a simple flash tutorial on how to make something basic. Just 'cuz. Would that be a yay or a nay?