Forensic Art became an idea when I found an article in a magazine, that lead to me buying Karen T. Thomas's book "Forensic Art and Illustration". Then I couldnt put it down, my copy is worn and dog-eared from years of reference and reading. Such a fascinating field of study, but it is not what most media portrays it! Forensic Art is not dynamic as seen on television; it is a quiet and patient field. Patience and talent needs time to develop for any artist, but more in this profession for the artwork to be established. I am a civilian artist, not a officer when I am called to a case and I work as part of a team. My team consists of investigators, medical examiners, eyewitness statements, law enforcement officers, Forensic Anthropologists, and Evidence Technicians.
As an Artist: I have studied this field since 1998, and as much as I enjoy the work, I know that I love helping people and this is a huge cornerstone in this field. This is a people-oriented field that I find that I can help others with. It is not just ‘drawing faces’; I have studied facial expressions and the anatomical muscles that create these facial expressions. I have always learned best from the inside-out. When it comes time for me to sketch animals or people, I pull out an anatomy book. I want to know how the muscles lay because then I know the contour of the subject. Then I can see how the skin will react over those muscles, and with light direction and contrast...well, I can start seeing the subject in front of me. Simply, it becomes alive. If I can capture that subject exactly as I see it, then for my viewer my artwork is eye-catching.
This is the reason why Forensic Art is so important to me.
What Kinds Of Art Do Forensic Artists Create?
Composite - So far I have completed over a dozen sketches, but it is the most requested action for Forensic Artists. The image on the left is a sample of composite art. This individual is a robbery suspect that was featured on the local news. I believe that composites are part of the sciences: Anatomy and Psychology, as well as Culture and Art. You study the skull and start seeing the delicate differences that make each person unique. That is really interesting!
2D / 3D Reconstruction of a real skull from a local high school science lab. I had created the identity after I recorded the skin and tissues depth on the skull.
Cartography, aka, map making. This shows a (plastic skeleton) surface skeleton mapped for a crime scene.
Post Mortem is the most difficult skill the artist comes across in this career. I have completed over a dozen images and had three identifications. This is the most recent ID. This gentleman now has a name and his family can be notified and the family can now have answers for long unanswered questions.
The most importaint aspect of this job is to recognize Humanity. This art is fulfilling a very serious role and I am most honored to have this God-Granted talent and awareness of my position.
