10 Steps to Become a Forensic Artist

There are no guarantees to getting a job as a forensic artist, but I’ve come up with 10 steps that outline the most reasonable and logical way of attaining that goal.

 

Here are the prerequisites. First and foremost, you must join law enforcement. You must have artistic talent; be driven, but patient;  and recognize the fact that forensic art will likely always be a “side” job…if it happens at all. It can be done, you just have to work hard, and smart. With that in mind, here goes:

1. Get a Bachelor’s degree in art if your ultimate goal is a state or federal job. If not, start at step 2. For your degree, a mix of drawing, sculpting and design is ideal. Of course, you can still get a degree either way, but it’s not usually a necessity for forensic artists unless they are in full-time state or federal jobs.

2. Decide on a regular, full-time job you’d like to do in Law Enforcement.
Police officer? Crime scene technician? Administrative professional? Take this step very seriously. If forensic art doesn’t work out you need to be happy in this career.

3. Research geographic areas where you can identify a need for a forensic artist, in addition to the job you decided on in step 2.

4. Get the necessary training to be eligible for the job you chose in step 2.

5. Get hired by a Law Enforcement agency in one of the geographic areas you identified in step 3.
Put your forensic art ambitions on the back burner for now. You need to do a great job in the position you were hired for first.
Dazzle your supervisors; gain their trust.

6. When you’ve been there long enough to prove your worth, talk to your boss about your desire to do forensic art.
Let them know your main job always comes first. Are they open to the idea and willing to send you out on composite drawings? If yes, proceed to step 7. If “no”, you can (a) try to change their mind, (b) wait until they retire or leave, or (c) move to a different agency.

7. Get at least 40 hours of training in composite drawing.
There’s no point in doing this until you are employed by an agency, unless you are willing to spend thousands of dollars for training you may never use. You’ll probably have to pay out of pocket, but at least you’ve confirmed that your supervisor will send you out to do casework. Make sure the instructor knows what they are doing, and emphasizes cognitive interviewing. I have listed my recommendations on my training page.

8. Volunteer within your agency to go out and do composite drawings.
You’ll know about these opportunities before they turn up in the newspaper because you are on the inside of an agency. Volunteer to help sister agencies too. Keep track of your successes. You’ll need them.

9. Keep your eyes peeled on state and federal job websites if you want to be a full-time artist at one of those agencies.
If not, proceed to step 10. Keep in mind that an opening can take years to materialize. You are literally waiting for other artists to retire, die, or be so overwhelmed with work that their agency creates another position. Apply if one opens. You now have a degree, years of experience, and a portfolio of successful forensic artwork. You are an ideal candidate, and the agency would be lucky to have you.

If the state or federal job doesn’t work out, then:

10. Impress upon your boss that based on your proven track record, you should be doing forensic art 100% of the time.
I know several forensic artists who worked their way up from a part-time to full-time position, and went on to create and supervise a whole forensic art unit. This is where most full-time forensic art jobs are by the way: in state and local agencies, created through the sheer force, grit, and determination of a talented individual who was willing to work hard and do what it takes.

Even if step 9 or 10 doesn’t happen….

CONGRATULATIONS, you are still a forensic artist!!
You attained that goal at Step 8 when you weren’t even looking! And, you have it all over those other people that said they wanted to be a forensic artist but never took the steps to get there.

If you are interested in doing facial approximations from the skull and post-mortems, these steps still apply.
Most artists that do post-mortem work started by doing composites within their agency. Because they were “on the inside,” they were able to form relationships with medical examiners, coroners, and detectives that have unidentified remains cases. Being a law enforcement employee, they were in the prime position to work these cases, and had a massive, well-earned advantage over someone outside of law enforcement. Get additional training of course, and always have an anthropologist review your work.

GOOD LUCK! I’m happy to answer any questions about these steps; just post it in the comments section!