Learn the art of creating engaging cartoons beyond good sketching in Mumbai

There are still some situations in life best described by a Calvin and Hobbes strip despite the plethora of emojis available for almost every emotion. Or, when the country seethes with anger over the brutalities an eight-year-old is subjected to, a few lines drawn with tenderness can become the symbol of a movement. Among the myriad forms of visual storytelling we are exposed to, cartoons continue to remain popular in their original form in print while also enjoying wide currency online.

Professor Phani Tetali

This Saturday, learn what it takes to create memorable cartoons at a workshop by Phani Tetali, cartoonist and professor at the Industrial Design Centre, IIT Bombay. After completing his masters in visual communication from IIT, he spent close to two decades in the animation industry before deciding to return to his alma mater to teach animation. "My initial inspiration to draw cartoons came from my uncle Bapu, who was an eminent cartoonist and film director from Andhra Pradesh," shares Prof Tetali, who counts RK Laxman, Mario Miranda, Sergio Arragones and contributors to the MAD magazine among his favourite cartoonists. Prof Tetali has his own cartoon strips, children's books, and plans to publish his cartoon illustrations in a book called India - Lots of People, Lots of Fun!

Organised by Open Bracket, the workshop is open to all, and requires no prior experience in drawing cartoons. "Everybody is an artist; it's just that we stop drawing at some point of time," he says, adding that the four-hour session will take participants through the many ways of seeing the world around us, drawing of shapes and lines, and creating characters. "Everything happening around us is a story, after all," he says.

Interestingly, good sketching skills aren't a prerequisite for being a good cartoonist. "One needs the skill of writing succinctly and with humour, and reading always helps that process. Good art plus bad writing makes for a bad cartoon," reveals Tetali.

On: April 21, 11 am
At: Redbrick Offices, Kaledonia, first floor, Sahar Road, Andheri East.
Log on to: insider.in
Cost: Rs 1,180

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