Cartooning is a form of improvisation where a simple scribble can be turned into an unknown face with distinct features, skewed to the extent that the doodle acquires life and maybe even some character. At every step the artist chooses a different path till the unfinished sculpture gets finally transformed into a face which draws an emotion from the observer which could be any one of puzzlement, anger, fear, hatred, envy, admiration, sorrow, nonchalance, boredom or even “joy”. At no point while generating the sketch is there a pre-conceived end in mind. The nib takes its own twists and turns.

The key to relishing the art of cartooning is enjoying the improvisation in every stage of development. Well defined compositions can never become cartoons but form themes in which the sketches have a definite role to play. The following sequence of figures illustrates the path...