Creating Courtroom Sketches
Courtroom sketch artists attend judicial proceedings as members of the public. In the UK and Hong Kong, courtroom artists are not permitted to actually sketch proceedings while in court, so they must create their sketches from memory after leaving the courtroom.
Courtroom artists can quickly capture a moment on paper and then sell their work to media outlets who would otherwise be denied a visual record of the trial. Pastels are typically used, but artists also use pencils, charcoal or other materials suitable for sketching. An established freelance artist working in a busy court system can work up to 45 hours per week. They may be paid per sketch, or on a per diem commission. Sketches may be sold to television stations, newswire services, or newspapers, or even to lawyers or judges who may want to keep a sketch as a memento of a particular trial. Courtroom sketches may also be purchased for institutional archives, if they depict a trial of historic importance. The entire set of courtroom sketches related to the Lindy Chamberlain trial were purchased by the National Museum of Australia from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
A courtroom sketch artist must work quickly, particularly during arraignment hearings where a witness may appear in court for only a few minutes. A television-ready sketch can be produced in that time, and viewed on television immediately after a court proceeding is finished.
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