How to Become a Court Artist

Court artists or sketch artists have seen the market for their careers fall and rise again because of television's coverage of high profile court cases. Public trials showing judges making controversial rulings and attorneys acting for the camera have caused television to be kept out of the courtroom. Television stations, newspaper and magazine publishers need court artists to sketch the characters and scenes of a widely publicized trial.

Instructions

1. Create a portfolio of sketches to show to potential clients.

2. Contact every television station, newspaper and magazine publisher in the country. Find out who is in charge of each station's or publisher's Internet site. Try to get appointments with news producers to show your portfolio and keep contacting them on a regular basis so your name is fresh in their mind when they need a sketch artist.

3. Join an organization of journalists. One good referral can make your career.

4. Contact Internet news sites that are not affiliated with major networks but simply report the news. They will also be looking for sketches from major trials that can be scanned onto their site.

5. Get to know producers of investigative television shows that focus on interesting crimes and the court cases that follow. They will be watching the news as well as looking for interesting shows in the future.

6. Learn how to sketch fast and sketch well. It can be very difficult to capture a scene with a lot of movement in the courtroom.

Tips & Warnings

• Court sketches can sell for up to $400 per sketch to interested buyers.

• You can have very long stretches of time without a job, and must get the big cases to make a good living.

• You must be able to work under pressure. You are expected to complete between four and 12 sketches per day.

• Be prepared to travel wherever the trial may take you. This means staying in motels and hotels for months at a time, and being away from your family.