Seven Sketches of Heads

Arnold William Brunner's quick character studies demonstrate the foundational practice of newspaper cartooning: rapid portraiture and expressive line work. These seven profiles—rendered in pen with economical strokes—capture distinct facial types and hat styles of the 1880s. Such sketch pages were essential to comic strip production, allowing artists to develop recurring character designs before serialization. Brunner's approach reflects the visual shorthand that would define newspaper comics: simplified features, clear silhouettes, and individual personality conveyed through minimal marks. This working method—studies preceding finished strips—became standard practice as the comic strip medium emerged from illustration and caricature traditions.