It is only through their deft hands and keen eyes that the world gets a peek into the courtroom where Donald Trump’s hush-money trial is being held.
With cameras banned during the proceedings, sketch artists have been essential for allowing the public to see images from the first criminal trial of a former US president.
Settling into the third row each day, the courtroom sketch artists bring their supplies – oil pastels, pencils, charcoal sticks, mixed media paper, plus seat cushions – to watch hours of testimony and courtroom arguments.
“It’s Trump, so I never have had as much media coverage in my life. I’ve covered high-profile cases – those are the only ones sketch artists get hired for – but every single day (media organisations across the world) use my sketches,” said Jane Rosenberg, an artist covering the hush-money trial.
BBC News spoke with Ms Rosenberg and Elizabeth Williams, courtroom artists since the 1980s, who both have attended each day of the trial.
They have drawn at all kinds of trials, including New York mafiosos’ and Martha Stewart’s, throughout their lengthy careers.
Ms Rosenberg’s approach is to draw an amalgamation of moments, while Ms Williams is restricted to drawing exact scenes.
“I really feel devoted to it, to draw the actual scene, because it allows people to really see what’s happening,” said Ms Williams, who worked as a fashion illustrator in Los Angeles before testing her hand at courtroom drama.
But this case, they said, is different.
