Courtroom sketching is not one of those jobs you hear many people say they do. When I mention it as one of my sources of illustration income, people are always surprised and intrigued. People say- “Wow, that must be so fun, what’s it like? “ And I always say that it is HARD but very fun!

It is hard for obvious reasons - the limited amount of time in which to draw the scene and figures within the courtroom. The not-so-obvious challenges are also the ones that make it so rewarding. For example, have you ever watched a documentary that features courtroom scenes and felt just how tense and emotionally charged the atmosphere in that courtroom is? Well, it is the sketch artist’s job to capture that emotion in simple, quick drawn images. Another challenge is seating. Getting a good spot in the courtoom can be tough, and might require some trial (unintentional pun) and error! Courtroom sketching requires confident, decisive drawing and it is a real work out for any artist.

All in all it is an exciting experience that I really enjoy being a part of.

I am available for freelance courtroom sketch work in Portland, Oregon and beyond. Get in touch today!

These are the first two pages I created for my graphic novel - Lark’s Tale. I was experimenting with style and medium here and I love what I came up with! I threw all of my favorite mediums onto the page - colored ink, watercolor, colored pencil, and some gouache. In the second image, you can see Lark, my main character closing up shop for the evening. She is a potter who specializes in lanterns. The border treatment was inspired by Ivan Bilibin, whom I love. The first page introduces the other two main characters- Nic and Arrow. And you get a glimpse into the studio of a certain mysterious stone sculptress.

Ultimately the book will be much more polished and tight on my next attempt but I had a fun time playing with these. This is the starting point for now so please stay tuned