Wednesday 18 May 2022 01:10 PM Meet the artists behind THOSE Wagatha Christie court sketches trends now
The nation has been gripped by the twists and turns of the Wagatha Christie libel trial between Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney over the past week.
From shocking revelations to catty exchanges and floods of tears, the battle between the two women has dominated the headlines and taken over social media.
Yet one of the most popular talking points of the trial has nothing to do with what the two women have said - but instead how they have been depicted by the court sketch artists covering proceedings.
From comparisons to potatoes, boxing stars and art from the 1400s, social media has been awash with hilarious commentary on the sketches.
Now, the three women have revealed the difficulty of their roles as court sketch artists.
Priscilla Coleman
Priscilla Coleman told MailOnline that it is a 'weird thing' she does and it's 'getting weirder every day'.
The artist explained how she isn't allowed to make sketches while sitting in court and has to pick the best moment when to leave to draw.
She covered Rose and Fred West's trial, cases involving Amy Winehouse and Jeffrey Archer and the James Bulger murder.
She said: 'I'm like a human camera that has flaws. It comes out in my material. I'm not a snapper, I can take notes but if I try to do a drawing in a court room I'd be arrested and fined.
'I sometimes wait for a moment for paper to be passed around. That's a good time to go out. You have to go with the flow.
Priscilla Coleman is one of the court sketch artists covering the Wagatha Christie libel trial
A court artist's sketch by Priscilla Coleman of Coleen Rooney on the witness stand at the High Court
Coleen Rooney sits next to her husband Wayne Rooney on May 12 in this court sketch by Priscilla Coleman
A sketch by artist Elizabeth Cook of Coleen and Wayne Rooney (left) and Rebekah Vardy (right) on May 10
'A deadline can be so fast. Sometimes you have to just accept it and say 'Yes, I know it's a bit pale', but there's just no time.'
She also previously wrote: 'Sometimes, during a big moment I will leave court to draw a picture while it's fresh in my head. For example, Rebekah Vardy got very emotional on Wednesday – she had her head down in the dock crying so I left immediately to sketch.'
Priscilla also explained how famous people can look very different in person and highlighted the difficulties of covering the Wagatha Christie trial as a sketch artist.
She wrote: 'People in court can be very emotional. Vardy is usually photographed when she's confident and bubbly, but in court on Wednesday she was like a kid getting in trouble with her teacher.
She added: 'It's really popular so at the start it was pretty tough to get a seat in the court. I've got a great position now, really close. I can almost touch Wayne Rooney if I reach out.
'My drawings are getting better every day the better I get to know them.
'It's like studying for a test. What do they look like, what are they wearing, what great bags do they have? What great jewellery? What expressions do they have? What expressions are going to be needed for the story?'
Priscilla said she was aware of some of the criticism of sketch artists covering the trial.
She admitted some court artists can 'massacre faces' but stressed trolls 'just want attention' and every drawing could be 'picked on'.
Priscilla said: 'I have a troll up north and she has a nice looking face and she works with the NHS. Her Twitter is full of people telling her she's so sweet and nice. But then she's trolling sketch artists. The trolls want attention. They love attention.
A sketch by court artist Priscilla Coleman of Rebekah Vardy giving evidence on May 12 after taking the stand
An artist's impression by Priscilla Coleman of Rebekah Vardy crying at the court in London on May 11
Rebekah Vardy is depicted giving evidence in this sketch by court artist Priscilla Coleman on May 10
An artist's impression by Priscilla Coleman of Rebekah Vardy crying at the court in London on May 11
'You can probably pick on every drawing. I went to see a Rembrandt drawing and my friend was picking on Rembrandt.'
However, she admitted it could be difficult to deal with some of the criticisms.
She
