Certified Facial Recognition/Sketch Artists combine artistic talents with knowledge of anatomy to assist law enforcement in identification. Sculptors might perform facial reconstructions on unidentified remains or use age-progression techniques to develop busts of missing persons. 

 

Facial Recognition/Sketch Artists are responsible for drawing outlines and profiles of individuals to be used for identification in a crime. Victims typically participate in sketch artist's composites and help identify prominent features so that sketches accurately portray alleged perpetrators.

​

Primary Responsibilities:

• Work with crime victims to draw composite images of alleged criminal that got away during or after committing a crime, with the ideal goal of capture and prosecution.

• Use victim's cues and description to sketch out prominent chins, noses, hairlines, or other facial characteristics.

• Utilize pencil, charcoal, pastels, or other medium.

• Refer to the knowledge of human anatomy when composing sketches.

• Ask questions about the physical build, sex, nationality, and facial features.

• Use shading and shadows to bring pictures to life.

• Make several sketches of the person until the victim is satisfied with the accuracy.

• Releases final sketch to media so public can help identify the perpetrator.

• Sketch crime scenes for future use in trials.

• Examine police photograph records, using classification and coding system to determine if the existing photograph of suspects is available.

• Sketch proceedings of courtrooms when cameras are not allowed.