Going Where Cameras Cannot: American Courtroom Sketches

They show what cameras cannot see. Thanks to them, we can see how the most famous trials of our times are conducted. They are amazingly detailed and portray the courtroom atmosphere in a way that cameras and video recorders cannot.

Imagine a widely covered court case. There are lines for the viewing gallery, hundreds gathered outside the courthouse. Everyone is waiting for the verdict. However, the events cannot be captured on camera or recorded, not even with a cell phone camera. Courtroom sketch artists are the only ones who can immortalize the proceedings. One of these artists, with over 30 years of experience, is Arthur Lien, who was present at last month’s Supreme Court proceedings regarding gay marriage.

Lien, a sketch artist since 1976, finished an art degree at the University of Maryland. His first case was the trial of Maryland’s governor; his client was Washington, D.C. After freelancing for a number of years for CBS, he began a long relationship with NBC News in 1980. He has spent the bulk of his career covering Supreme Court cases. “I finally understand what they are talking about. In the beginning, I got lost in all of the legal language,” Lien says.

A Waiting Game

Listening to the proceedings, however, is not Lien’s main focus. He explains that the Supreme Court is not an “emotional” place. Sometimes, hours of proceedings only have one or two moments where an interesting set of words is exchanged that can become the basis for the sketch. So how does one go about drawing something as dry as a court case?

“What I’m looking for is interaction between lawyers and justices,” Lien says.

A sketch artist does not merely limit himself to the main characters of the proceedings. He also pays attention to the viewing gallery. Each court case produces a couple of sketches. It’s repetitive work; the scenery doesn’t really change much. Arthur Lien explains that he tries to switch up the composition and point of view for his drawings. Lien says that he has his favorites among the nine justices, from an artistic perspective, of course. It is easier to draw people who don’t hide their emotions; it gives life to the picture.

Away with the Cameras!

Moving away from Arthur Lien’s story, let’s look at the industry as a whole, which — in the age of smartphones and instant streaming — is still a mainstay of American culture. Sketch artists are vital when judges decide to ban cameras from their courtroom. Bartosz Weglarczyk of Rzeczpospolita writes that while electronic recording equipment was introduced in the ‘70s, it was noisy and cumbersome, and the crews operating it were disruptive. Many judges decided to throw the cameras out.

Though the technological challenges have been long overcome, the old way of doing things still remains. The ban on recording equipment protects the participants of these proceedings and seeks to limit the sway that the media might have on the verdict. These rules are enforced with widely covered cases, involving high-profile crimes or famous people, in mind. Recording the trial might lead to the participants worrying more about the optics than actual justice. Ultimately, it is the judges who can decide whether or not cameras should be allowed.

A courtroom sketch also has different legal ramifications than a video or photograph. A sketch composed on site does not violate anyone’s rights. Therefore, an American courtroom is just as likely to be filled with the sounds of a person drawing as it is with lawyers grandstanding. A sketch artist will primarily focus on facial expressions, atmosphere and the mood of his subjects. In extraordinary cases, an artist has to receive permission to draw a particular picture.

Fast, Faster, Fastest

An artist will arrive at the courtroom a couple of minutes before the start of the proceedings. It is important to find a good spot where s/he can observe all the “action,” though many judges have begun to designate special areas for sketch artists. Trials are unpredictable in nature; they can last as little as a day to several weeks or even months. A sketch artist has to be prepared to attend the majority of the proceedings, even if the trial is held hundreds, if not thousands, of miles from home.

Sketch artists in the United States are allowed to draw during the courtroom proceedings. One can only wonder about the speed at which an artist has to capture what is happening around him, since s/he does not wait for a court to go into recess, but must draw “live.” One has to be mentally tough for this kind of job. An artist is expected to draw anywhere from a handful to tens of sketches. Some have to be created in minutes. Vince M., a professional sketch artist, stresses that despite all of that work, the media usually use only one picture. “Thank goodness they pay me hourly,” he says.

Some countries, like the United Kingdom, have banned drawing during courtroom proceedings. A British sketch artist has to observe and wait for recess in order to draw the sketch from memory.

The main customers of these sketches are media outlets. Most of the time, they employ sketch artists to draw the most important trials. Arthur Lien says that business used to be a lot better than it is now. News stations often collaborate to hire an artist together to cut down on costs. The sketches are put up on the Internet as well as in news segments on TV and can eventually make their way into books about a particular trial. Artists can also sell their work directly to the public.

Individual prints start at around $400 apiece, but prices can fluctuate based on the quality of the sketch and the notoriety of the trial. Most people are unaware of the collector community that collects this kind of work and that there is a market for the sketches. Collectors are willing to pay thousands of dollars for the right drawings. Rumors of sketches with seven-figure price tags abound, but no proof has turned up of anyone actually paying such astronomical sums. On the other hand, it shouldn’t be surprising; U.S. courtroom sketches are miniature masterpieces.

Can one live off of drawing sketches? It is definitely possible, but one has to be prepared for good and bad months. According to the Bureau of Labor, sketch artists in 2010 made an average of $53,000 a year. However, drawing is not a full-time job for many sketch artists. Many of them branch out into other areas; courtroom sketching is only a subset of their business. Many artists are also freelancers who then sell their work to the highest bidder.

Quality Is Key

Courtroom drawing is a tough job, given the time constraints, as well as the theme of the prints. There are schools of instruction willing to teach artists this very specific art. Many wannabe artists practice by going to open court proceedings.

There are no set standards for this kind of work. Some artists use pastels; others utilize pencils and pens; and others use markers. It is up to each artist to create a style that is all their own.