# Is this what courtroom sketches have come to? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 11, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-what-courtroom-sketches-have-come-to/542845 "2010-06-11T20:57:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ajdebosco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@ajdebosco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ajdebosco)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-what-courtroom-sketches-have-come-to/542845/41 "2010-06-15T12:42:09Z")
> [@Nicolas\_Bourbaki](#): > > I like how the woman in the center has a head twice the size of everyone else’s. That struck me, too. Do you suppose Jane Curtin is serving on the jury?🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-what-courtroom-sketches-have-come-to/542845/42 "2010-06-15T13:24:23Z")
> [@Nicolas\_Bourbaki](#): > > I like how the woman in the center has a head twice the size of everyone else’s. Clearly, that’s [Jocelyn Wildenstein](http://content.expressen.se/blog/98/64/54/neurotiskamorsor/images/PS-JocelynWildenstein.jpg) in profile. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-what-courtroom-sketches-have-come-to/542845/43 "2010-06-15T13:37:29Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > The sketch artist, for those interested, is [Verna Sadock](http://www.thestar.com/article/195629). What happened? The pictures in the linked article look good; there’s no way I’d have guessed the same artist did those and the Blago trial sketches. ---
**Author:** ![ajdebosco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@ajdebosco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ajdebosco)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-what-courtroom-sketches-have-come-to/542845/44 "2010-06-15T14:07:05Z")
> [@jackelope](#): > > “Attorney doing the Robot” was my first thought on seeing #3 as well. > > Seriously though, I know very little about painting as an art form, but those remind me of some famous painter I’ve seen before. Not Picasso, someone else. Anyone? Paul Gauguin used a primitive style, particularly in his Tahitian works. Henri Matisse is the artist I thought of immediately after Picasso for these courtroom sketches. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-what-courtroom-sketches-have-come-to/542845/45 "2010-06-15T18:29:20Z")
Yeah, I can see some Gauguin in there, too, I guess. Not nearly as talented, though - this artist really sucks. Yuck. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-what-courtroom-sketches-have-come-to/542845/46 "2010-06-15T18:33:50Z")
Maybe if she put some more Polynesian boobies in the sketches, we wouldn’t be complaining so much. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-what-courtroom-sketches-have-come-to/542845/47 "2010-06-15T18:35:51Z")
I’m thinking a mix of Picasso, Gaugin and [Ben Katchor](http://www.katchor.com/shoehorn.html). Katchor’s people robot too. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-what-courtroom-sketches-have-come-to/542845/48 "2010-06-15T18:39:08Z")
The shading/coloring isn’t bad, but the sketches are bad. I also don’t like this guy’s style, seems more like cartoons: [http://web.mac.com/nquebedeau/Norman\_Quebedeau/Welcome.html](http://web.mac.com/nquebedeau/Norman_Quebedeau/Welcome.html) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-what-courtroom-sketches-have-come-to/542845/49 "2010-06-15T18:41:54Z")
Wow. Each of them could easily earn a place of honor at the [Museum of Bad Art](http://www.museumofbadart.org/). ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-what-courtroom-sketches-have-come-to/542845/50 "2010-06-15T19:45:08Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > The shading/coloring isn’t bad, but the sketches are bad. > > I also don’t like this guy’s style, seems more like cartoons: [http://web.mac.com/nquebedeau/Norman\_Quebedeau/Welcome.html](http://web.mac.com/nquebedeau/Norman_Quebedeau/Welcome.html) If I’m not mistaken, that’s Mr. Potatohead (first row, far right) on the jury for Scott Peterson’s trial. ---
**Author:** ![ajdebosco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@ajdebosco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ajdebosco)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-what-courtroom-sketches-have-come-to/542845/51 "2010-06-15T20:16:20Z")
Not wanting to hijack the thread, but does anyone know the the name of the really good courtroom sketch artist that drew a series detailing the final moments of Aaron Mitchell in San Quentin’s death chamber, April 12, 1967? Then Gov. Ronald Reagan wanted the cop killer’s execution by cyanide televised live, but as a compromise, the artist’s renderings were broadcast on Walter Cronkite’s CBS evening news. Horribly disturbing. The old sketch artists were light years better than most of the ones around today, particularly Ms. Sadok. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-what-courtroom-sketches-have-come-to/542845/52 "2010-06-15T22:10:14Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > What happened? The pictures in the linked article look good; there’s no way I’d have guessed the same artist did those and the Blago trial sketches. You got me. One person who I know who is familiar with her and her work says everyone is waiting for the day she cracks and hands in courtroom sketches full of Smurfs. ---
**Author:** ![Rin\_Twisted](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/82dd89/32.png) [@Rin\_Twisted](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rin_Twisted)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-what-courtroom-sketches-have-come-to/542845/53 "2010-06-16T00:29:52Z")
> [@ajdebosco](#): > > Not wanting to hijack the thread, but does anyone know the the name of the really good courtroom sketch artist that drew a series detailing the final moments of Aaron Mitchell in San Quentin’s death chamber, April 12, 1967? Then Gov. Ronald Reagan wanted the cop killer’s execution by cyanide televised live, but as a compromise, the artist’s renderings were broadcast on Walter Cronkite’s CBS evening news. Horribly disturbing. > > The old sketch artists were light years better than most of the ones around today, particularly Ms. Sadok. Should be [Howard Brodie](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Brodie), and he is an amazing artist- a lot of people know his wartime stuff. He’s spoken out on many occasions against the use of cyanide as a cruel and inhumane way of execution. He cited what he saw in the Mitchell execution as proof of that. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-what-courtroom-sketches-have-come-to/542845/54 "2010-06-16T13:38:51Z")
Yeah, I PMed the name to him right after he posted. Hopefully, he got it or will return to this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-what-courtroom-sketches-have-come-to/542845/55 "2010-06-16T14:32:24Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Holy crap, I think that picture was a mural at my high school in Berkeley that was meant to depict the multicultural work force marching toward modernity! It does sort of resemble public works art from the depression. ---
**Author:** ![ajdebosco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@ajdebosco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ajdebosco)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-what-courtroom-sketches-have-come-to/542845/56 "2010-06-16T16:27:20Z")
> [@Rin\_Twisted](#): > > Should be [Howard Brodie](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Brodie), and he is an amazing artist- a lot of people know his wartime stuff. He’s spoken out on many occasions against the use of cyanide as a cruel and inhumane way of execution. He cited what he saw in the Mitchell execution as proof of that. Many thanks. They just don’t seem to employ gifted sketch artists like they used to… ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-what-courtroom-sketches-have-come-to/542845/57 "2010-06-16T17:13:56Z")
> [@ajdebosco](#): > > Many thanks. They just don’t seem to employ gifted sketch artists like they used to… Less of a demand, I suspect, as more cameras are allowed in courtrooms. Note the intro [in this article on Carole Kabrin](http://www.legalnews.com/motion/article.php?article_id=58), which I’m linking to only so I can name-drop, because Carole’s an acquaintance of mine. She’s spectacularly gifted in drawing (which you’d think would be a given, but I mention specifically because of the OP), and her charcoal horses (mentioned in the article) are really impressive. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-what-courtroom-sketches-have-come-to/542845.md?page=2)