In celebration of “Inktober” – a yearly celebratory meme for the art of inking or inkers, falling within the illustration and comics crowd – I thought I would share some sketchbook stuff. I have always had a preference for ink and have thought that Inktober is a nice idea. As I was already going through a bunch of old sketchbooks, I thought I’d take some snaps and give you a smattering of crazed and lewd scribblings from yesteryear. Part 1 covers samples from 1989 through 1992. A period from the end of high school through moving from San Francisco to finish up my degree at Art Center College, in Pasadena, California.
I’ve always sketched in ink, with a preference for Uniball micro black (later also adding a Tombo black marker for deep blacks.) Working with a permanent line forces you to accept that mistakes are part of the process and opens up the drawing. And it stops you from getting too precious about sketchbooks. I carried a sketchbook with me everywhere from the mid-80s until about 2000.
The examples here are in chronological order. Some detailed notes about the drawings when you mouseover the thumbnail images.
![](https://i1.wp.com/etagelarsen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1990c-BozoNoirYield-697x1024.jpg)
![](https://i2.wp.com/etagelarsen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1990-CreamofSwheac-868x1024.jpg)
![](https://i1.wp.com/etagelarsen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1990c-CreamofSwhea2-1024x803.jpg)
![](https://i0.wp.com/etagelarsen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1990c-Melk-1024x812.jpg)
![](https://i1.wp.com/etagelarsen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1990c-StreetCleaner-874x1024.jpg)
![](https://i1.wp.com/etagelarsen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1990c-KatStockings-721x1024.jpg)
![](https://i1.wp.com/etagelarsen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1990c-JudgesJudge-672x1024.jpg)
![](https://i0.wp.com/etagelarsen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1990c-BigeauxWallace-691x1024.jpg)
![](https://i0.wp.com/etagelarsen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1990-WhaleBoyBozoc-785x1024.jpg)
![](https://i2.wp.com/etagelarsen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1992-BozoNoirSmoking-823x1024.jpg)
![](https://i0.wp.com/etagelarsen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1988-MongolianHipsters-909x1024.jpg)
![](https://i2.wp.com/etagelarsen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1989-TedYounkin-521x1024.jpg)
![](https://i1.wp.com/etagelarsen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1989-Nude-546x1024.jpg)
![](https://i2.wp.com/etagelarsen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1989-Bozonoir-733x1024.jpg)
![](https://i1.wp.com/etagelarsen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1992c-Beginnings-506x1024.jpg)
![](https://i1.wp.com/etagelarsen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1989-AngelDevilBird-625x1024.jpg)
![](https://i2.wp.com/etagelarsen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1988-Winnie-798x1024.jpg)
![](https://i1.wp.com/etagelarsen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1992-TrustBetrayalc-687x1024.jpg)
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