This is Why I’m Not an Illustrator
In a rare occurrence where art meets football, a Boston courtroom artist is getting all kinds of unwanted press for her craft. As Patriot quarterback Tom Brady sat in court as part of the all-too-long-running Deflategate, his likeness was quickly captured by artist Jane Rosenberg. And from those of us familiar with Brady, her finished piece missed the mark.
It should be noted this is not a hobby for Rosenberg. It’s her 9–5. Courtrooms don’t allow photography during proceedings because they are too distracting, so the media rely on sketch artists to provide a visual accompaniment. It’s a tough job, and Rosenberg is feeling the full wrath of the internet, in all of it’s snarky expertise on all things under the sun. Every hacker living in their mom’s basement with Photoshop has parodied this sketch, placing the misshapen mug historically hideous frames like Michael Jackson in Thriller and compared, side by side, to such lovlies as Gollum and the Hunchback from Notre Dame.
I’d bet, like the rest of us, she doesn’t want to be famous. Instead, just to go about her day, capturing moments in time for the benefit of others. Much like interior linemen or home plate umpires, their best day is the one where no one notices what they do. Only when there’s a screwup does the cruel spotlight shine the brightest.
Before you join in the fun, consider how difficult that job is. Maybe you don’t care. I do. Illustration was going to be my profession all the way up until college, when I realized what illustrators do is tough. (I quickly escaped to the safe digital sanctuary of Adobe’s Creative Suite.) Running a crane is tough, too, but it’s a finite set of controls that could be learned. I would offer anyone could do it with enough training.
Illustration, on the other hand, would escape most people, even with years of training. It’s a creative skill that would escape most. You can teach plumbing. You can’t teach creativity.
So while you’re slogging through your day full of Excel spreadsheets, have a few chuckles at Quasibrady, then move along. We promise Rosenberg won’t make a meme of you when your Flenderson doc is teeming with formula errors and circular references.
