Additional Coverage:
- A Diddy trial courtroom artist reveals how she captures the hip-hop mogul’s ‘dark side’ (businessinsider.com)
Veteran courtroom artist Christine Cornell, a familiar face in New York courtrooms for 50 years, is sketching the unfolding drama of the Sean “Diddy” Combs trial. From her unique vantage point, she offers a glimpse into the charged atmosphere and the challenges of capturing the key players on paper.
Cornell, whose career has spanned high-profile cases like the trials of Bernie Madoff and John Gotti, carries a hefty bag of tools into the courtroom each day – pastels, pencils, and even binoculars. Positioned near Combs’ family, she observes the proceedings from about 30 feet away from the witness stand, a prime location for capturing the nuances of the trial.
“When I can see, I can draw,” Cornell shared, emphasizing the visual nature of her work. She described her process as “time-lapse,” contrasting it with the immediacy of photography. “You get to pick all of the most important qualities of the people and put them together in one image, so that you can tell a much bigger story.”
Capturing Combs has been a particular challenge. Cornell admitted it took time to feel comfortable sketching him, given her partially obstructed view.
She’s also striving to portray the “dark side” described by his ex-girlfriend and key witness, Cassie Ventura, who testified about the changes in Combs’ demeanor when angered. This reminded Cornell of another infamous subject, John Gotti, whose menacing presence she could “feel” radiating from the courtroom.
Ventura, too, presented an artistic challenge, not for any lack of expressiveness, but for her striking beauty, according to Cornell. The artist explained that it took several attempts to move beyond Ventura’s outward appearance to capture the essence of the woman whose testimony is central to the case.
Cornell’s role extends beyond simply recording likenesses. She makes deliberate choices about what details to include and exclude, aiming to convey the broader story. For instance, when a photo of Combs’ Miami home was displayed, Cornell chose instead to sketch the rapper’s wistful expression as he looked at the image.
In an era of 24-hour news and shrinking budgets, courtroom artists are fewer in number. Yet, Cornell’s work remains crucial, especially in cases like Combs’, where cameras are banned from the courtroom.
She and her fellow artists provide the public with the only visual access to the proceedings. “There’s a million cameras here,” she noted, referring to the media presence outside the courthouse, “but there’s not a million artists here.”
Read More About This Story:
- A Diddy trial courtroom artist reveals how she captures the hip-hop mogul’s ‘dark side’ (businessinsider.com)