If you read yesterday’s post, I said that basically all roads to a career in forensic art lead to working at an agency. Someone in law enforcement will have a much smoother time of it than someone attempting to freelance. This is due to a whole multitude of reasons, the main one being: They are where the work is.
A composite artist may be called in when the police are looking for a suspect of a crime, they have a victim or witness that remembers what the bad guy looked like, and a drawing is done in the hopes that someone will recognize him and call the police. Who is the best person to do that drawing? Somebody that works at the agency that is investigating the crime itself. The person that does the drawing can be the patrolman that was at the scene, the crime scene tech that processes the evidence, the detective investigating the case, or even the dispatcher that first got the call. The point is, they are there. And just as in real estate, the most important rule in forensic art is location, location, location. You have to be where the work is.
So, if you are employed at a law enforcement agency, no matter what your job might be, you will have a much better chance at working as a forensic artist than someone that is outside of law enforcement.
Full-time jobs are extremely rare, and most are at the state and federal level, so the majority of forensic artists do the work as a sideline to their regular job. There are some artists that have worked for so many years with such a heavy caseload that their agency makes them an artist full-time. They have worked exceedingly hard to get where they are, and each deserves that prized position 200%. If you think you can walk into an agency and get a similar position without that background or experience, well… I think you’d be set straight pretty quickly.
Another thing to keep in mind: just because someone is working as a forensic artist in law enforcement doesn’t mean that they have it made, or that they can rest easy. They can have multiple “hits,” be a fantastic artist with stellar drawing skills, yet a new supervisor or Police Chief could decide that they want to get a composite software system instead. It’s more “high-tech” and what they’ve seen on “CSI” so it must be better, right? And if it turns out that it doesn’t work as well as the artist, do you think anyone is going to admit it after spending all that money on the computer system?
And then sometimes it comes down to money and agency rules. Maybe the witness could only meet with the artist after work hours, and the agency doesn’t have the money to pay the overtime. Most artists happily volunteer to do it for free. But some agencies have unions and rules about the number of hours they may work each day, either on or off the clock. These are just some of the many possible and all-too familiar scenarios that forensic artists run into. For freelancers, there are a whole different set of problems. Maybe not insurmountable, but they exist. Knowing the obstacles facing you is the first step to figuring out how to conquer them. So, the subject of my next post is:
“What is the first obstacle that I’ll be facing as a freelancer?”
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7 comments 
Answers, Blog, How to become a Forensic Artist
April 23, 2010
Posted by Lisa Bailey
Apr 23, 2010
Thank you for focusing on this subject. You are doing an excellent job explaining the situation (identifying the reasons for utilizing a trained forensic artist, the solutions most likely chosen today to meet those needs due to practical choices, human nature, and other factors) as it exists from the small agency to those in large population centers. I look forward to reading what ideas you and others have for both working within the present paradigm and finding ways to improve upon it for the “highest and best” usage (to borrow another concept from real estate.)
While forensic art service’s physical proximity or internal collegial relationship to an investigations division housed within the same building may appeal for a variety of reasons, does making either of those concerns the first test for eligibility to serve result in the highest quality of work deserved by cases? With preparation for this in the future, a qualified person could be available to go in a timely fashion where needed. Is a bias toward selecting an amateur artist from within an agency preventing law enforcement from obtaining professional quality forensic artwork?
Just as the idea is generally and legally accepted that governmental agencies should seek open bids from qualified vendors for such tasks as construction, which would also have a public safety impact, I wonder why the perception seems to be allowed to persist that art skills can be layered over law enforcement qualifications more easily and with a more successful outcome than law enforcement qualifications layered over art skills? If a worker is injured in a factory, don’t we put him with medical professionals rather than ask the next line worker to pinch hit and stitch him up?
I suspect there are things that artists recognize about judging artwork created for purposes of facial recognition that are not recognized readily by the non-artist in law enforcement who makes investigation or hiring decisions, just as there are law enforcement considerations foreseen by the law enforcement professional which, if unknown to the artist would prove an impediment to the search for truth no matter how skillfully a drawing were crafted. This may be where the idea of reliance upon several law enforcement references or a regulated certifying body for assurance of level of proficiency become especially beneficial to an agency.
It may be a great loss to the justice system for law enforcement to dismiss the opportunity to cultivate preparedness of art students and professional artists who have an appreciation for the gravity of this service and whose expertise makes it more practical to pursue art related employment outside of law enforcement. Forensic scientists may be found in laboratories both in and outside law enforcement. Forensic anthropologists and odontologists are in academia or private practice. Is it reasonable to expect that an artist should seek employment in law enforcement as a records clerk or communications specialist, jobs for which they may be less suited than art, in order to provide their service for the public good?
A single agency may not require the service frequently, but when it is needed would it not be an advantage to have it be readily available from a reliable and practiced hand over one that gets the opportunity to help only occasionally because of other obligations to their department? I think one means of solving this might be for more states to be encouraged to recognize the need to employ forensic artists to serve numbers of local agencies within regions of their state, just as there are state funded ASCLD qualified laboratories serving regional needs. What are your thoughts?
Apr 23, 2010
Good questions. As for the last one, I would have to point out that just because somebody is freelancing doesn’t make them a more “practiced hand” than someone in law enforcement. Freelancers don’t necessarily do more forensic artwork that those in LE, in fact I’d say they do it less. And I don’t mean this to sound crass, but if freelancers cared as much as they say they do about forensic art, they would join LE instead of fighting the system (which exists for a reason).
I had one man call me insisting on how much he cared about forensic art (he was also a painter), and he was better than the police artists and it wasn’t right that they got the composites, not him. I told him if he joined LE it’d be different, and he said (direct quote): “I would but I don’t want to take a pay cut.”
Here it is in other terms: Those in LE have paid their dues. They see it that freelancers aren’t willing to try. And of course, this is all besides the fact that forensic art is not the same as outsourcing factory work. Not by a long shot.
As always, I appreciate your input. Keep it coming! :^)
Apr 23, 2010
@ForensicArtist
Freelancers certainly don’t have an artistic edge over other artists who happen to be employed in law enforcement, and I apologize if my words seemed to imply otherwise. Competence in forensic, interviewing, and art matters probably runs along a continuum from struggling to consistently reliable in persons doing this work, whether they are salaried or “jobbed in.” There are remarkably good artists serving in other capacities in law enforcement. I’m honored to know some of them. But, apparently there may sometimes be only a “good doodler” on staff who is willing to be trained to produce well-intentioned but poor sketches (if an investigator is creative enough in his or her thinking to consider using forensic art for the first time,) and if not even that, the tool goes unused or the agency opts for a software program which “anyone can use.” Then, too, agencies having a forensic artist (though usually not salaried as such) on staff carry the burden of taking that person from his or her other L.E. related work to do forensic art on agency cases when needed, and even more burdensome, are expected to assist other agencies in the surrounding area until the point that stops because of the demands of the L.E. artist’s primary job.
What a shame this is when there is probably a large and ever renewing pool of talent which could be tapped by law enforcement if producing art were not viewed by society as a fun hobby to which a talented person on staff might be expected to apply himself without extra compensation or support. There are both sworn and non-sworn, law enforcement and non-law enforcement artists who provide their services to agencies, their own and others, without separate personal emolument for the time devoted to it. But, wouldn’t it be great if the supply of locally accessible forensic artists were expanded, both in and outside L.E., to the extent that demand was actually created because the means of satisfying the demand was there! It’s possible that the man who called and others like him have a great gift to offer and we’re wasting the opportunity to use it if we view the work as a prize over which to compete. Sacrifice and “paying dues,” I don’t think should ever enter into it. It’s not about the worthiness of the artist (the preparedness, yes) – but, it’s about the worthiness of the case. Victims deserve better, and there are not enough forensic artists inside law enforcement to cover all the populations of this country. While a willingness to commit fully to any type of L.E. service is a noble point of view, it may not be reasonable to exclude service from those who for whatever reason can commit to part time and exclusively forensic art work. It does not seem reasonable to turn away a very competent civilian or ask him to leave other employ to go into some unrelated aspect of law enforcement in order to be deemed qualified to do 6 forensic art pieces a year. Is there a way for law enforcement to shift its mindset from an adversarial to a collaborative relationship with artists, as it has with scientists?
Apr 24, 2010
But, law enforcement is NOT adversarial against freelance artists! It’s a shame that some people feel that way, when they are not recognzing the fact that LE takes a HUGE risk calling in a “civilian” to work on an active case….the investigation is ongoing. There’s a reason it’s called “FORENSIC” art…it is art that is used in the legal system.
And I’m not being adversarial in my answer, really! :^) …it’s just so frustrating…we artists in LE say over and over again that freelancers can be taken more seriously and do this work if they would only get a job in law enforcment, but they consistently come up with reasons why they won’t. Artists in LE have stepped up to the plate, made sacrifices, why won’t the freelancers?
Apr 26, 2010
I have met many wonderful artists while in law enforcement; however, they could not grasp the concept of obtaining an image through the process of an interview. So, just because the talent is there, does not make one a ideal candidate to be a forensic artist – it’s a totally different world from “doodling and fine art.” That’s not to say drawing ability isn’t important, it certainly is; however, without proper interviewing skills, the talent is useless – you end up with a beautiful portrait that looks like no one. Then, that beautiful drawing is part of a case file that may have to be testified to. How would you handle it?
Oct 13, 2010
I have read and reread everything on here and am still confused as to where I should start. I have a goal use my natural talent for the greatest good. I have a BA in Multi Media Animation and that covers extensively real life drawing, human anatomy, 3D creation. Is volunteering and free lancing at LE agencies the only way into the life of forensic art? The training I see posted here is all for LE employees, so how would I gain specific forensic art training the area I am most interested in age progression, age regression, soft tissue reconstruction and skull reconstruction? – Thank you for your guidance and forgive me if I have simply overlooked the answers to these questions.
Oct 14, 2010
Hello Jessica,
My site is still a work in progress, so I’m sorry you couldn’t find an answer to your question. I’ll work on that! :^) Here is the short version of how to get into forensic art, specifically facial reconstruction (and I promise to write several blog posts in the coming days outlining it more):
1) Possess art talent (don’t take a forensic art class… yet!)
2) Research to see how many unidentified (UIDs) victims are in your state (check: doenetwork.org, identifyus.org). If there aren’t many, there is likely not much need for your services (so you may have to move). But if there are:
4) Become employed by a law enforcement (LE) agency or medical examiner’s (ME) office in some capacity (—this is because a skull is evidence, and part of a LE investigation, and they will NOT hand it over to anyone that is not an employee of an agency. That’s just a fact.)
5) Learn the inner workings of the agency: If you took a facial reconstruction class, would they let you do a facial reconstruction? This is where you might hit a brick wall: **not every agency or medical examiner beleives in facial reconstruction so they may give an emphatic NO** And they’ll likely stick to their guns. Many artists already in LE have run into this, and they will never do a facial recon unless they move somewhere else, or the people that said “no” move somewhere else, or retire)
6) If they say YES, take facial reconstruction classes (check my training page). There’s no sense in spending hundreds or thousands of dollars taking classes before you know they’ll let you do one. You will probably have to pay out of your own pocket. Every artist I know has had to pay for their own classes at some point…another reality of the field.
If they said NO, you will probably have to move somewhere where the agency is more open to the idea of facial recon.
This is why it is so hard to get into forensic art. The work is in law enforcement. I would STRONGLY urge you to NOT attempt to volunteer in this capacity! Facial reconstructions are the victim’s last chance to be identified; this work should only be done by highly trained people working within a team of anthropologists and other LE professionals. This is another requirement of forensic artists: let go of your ego and desires. They don’t count. Only the victims do.
Again, I promise to go into depth on each of these points, and give some other points. But, what I wrote is the stark reality of doing facial reconstruction work. It is sort of considered “the Holy Grail” by some artists, everyone wants so do them it seems!
And I welcome comments by other artists too with their advice!