However, I not only work as a court artist, but also as an illustrator and make animations, I studied that. Drawing in court feels like a privilege for me, after all the readers only get to see the trial through my perspective. In general, there are not many court draftsmen. This is also due to the fact that the media only hire someone for cases of particularly great public interest. And most people with this job are usually over 50. I’m an exception in my mid-20s.
What my day looks like when I have an assignment
I usually get the orders very spontaneously, a day or two in advance. On the day of the trial itself, I am in court for a few hours in the morning. The drawing has to be ready by noon because the newspaper needs the picture for its article as soon as possible. Even if the process takes several days, I’m often only there on the first day. So I usually only find out about the verdict from the media.
A case that haunts me to this day
It’s always terrible when it comes to rape and murder. A case that kept me busy for a long time afterwards was called the “Cave Murder on Bruggerberg” by the newspapers. A young man buried his best friend alive in a cave. The victim is frozen. To this day, the coroner’s description sticks in my head. She explained what happens in the body during this painful death. That got me upset. It was particularly bad to see the relatives and their pain.
The question I’m always asked at parties
Most ask me how close the falls are to me. In fact, I’ve gotten pretty good at it so far. Drawing allows me to distance myself from what is happening. I’m then in work mode and focused on observing people very closely. I look at the faces, draw their hands. The actual process becomes more of a true crime podcast running in the background. Of course there are very emotional moments, but until now I’ve always been able to continue drawing.
Imagination vs. Reality
I was surprised by the atmosphere in the courtroom. Here you can feel the power of the law. Individuals decide what is right and wrong. And yet there are moments when this strict distribution of roles is lifted. For example, during the break, when everyone – including the accused – is talking in the common room. Only criminals are taken away. Sometimes the perpetrators then want to see how I drew them. I would not have expected in advance that such a conversation could even happen. To be honest, it always makes me a little uncomfortable.
A drawing can do what a photograph cannot
A drawing has its own signature. She manages to show feelings and character traits of people. You can emphasize things very differently than in a photograph. The viewer’s gaze is practically directed by me. The people present cannot be identified in the newspaper from the drawing, but you can still imagine them. Because the protection of personal rights is the top priority. Once I had to pixelate my drawing on the computer afterwards because the accused was too easy to recognize. That could have been detrimental to the victim.