(11″ x 14″, Graphite, Markers, and Conte)
This was completed on January 14, 2017. It is a sketch completed from a performance during the Mock Trial Preliminary Competition. I act as an attorney for the defense, and when I’m not defending the rights of my clients, I play the role of team courtroom artist. For this sketch, I portray a friend delivering an opening statement for the plaintiff side of the trial in the presence of two volunteer judges and two defense attorneys. I used pencil, markers, and conte pastels on 11″ x 14″ sketchbook paper. This courtroom art was fully completed during the trial it portrays, and it was not worked on at all afterwards. My goal in creating this art was to convey the arrangement and atmosphere of the courtroom, focusing on correctly placing both people and objects as well as staying as faithful to the original colors as possible. From my understanding, this is the highest aspiration of all courtroom artists.