How to Become a Forensic Artist – In 7 Simple Steps

Forensic artists have specialized roles in criminal justice.

They are professional artists who use their artistic talent in legal cases.

Forensic artists are sometimes called forensic sketch artists.

Years ago, a sketch artist was the only resource for police departments and other law enforcement agencies to gain a sense of what a suspect may look like, through the eyes and from the memory of victims and witnesses.

The sketch artist was often the only clue to who committed a crime or crimes before the discovery and use of DNA in identifying suspects, identifying victims, and solving crimes.

Learning how to become a forensic artist helps people who are interested in this unique career to follow a step-by-step guide.

It also helps them to learn about the required education, job outlook, and salary of forensic artists.

Job Description

Forensic artists use their artistic ability to help identify suspects, to help identify unknown victims of crimes, and to solve crimes.

They may create age-progression drawings or other renderings of children who were believed to have been kidnapped or taken by a noncustodial parent.

They may also create age-progression drawings of other missing persons.

Forensic artists work in various settings.

The work that they do may depend somewhat on their place of employment.

There are different disciplines within the forensic artist’s career.

Forensic artists use their various creative methods to create visual resources.

Some of the duties of forensic artists often include:

• Working with law enforcement agencies or other agencies to gather information about a case
• Talking to victims and witnesses to get a description of the subject or suspect
• Working with victims and witnesses to perform any necessary edits to the drawing or other rendering of the subject
• Sketching the faces or other body parts from descriptions given to the forensic artist
• Transferring their sketches to computer modeling software
• Creating two-dimensional or three-dimensional computerized images or renderings of suspects, evidence, or body parts recovered at crime scenes.
• Using computer software to enhance surveillance photos
• Creating reconstructed crime scenes
• Providing Court Testimony

Some forensic artists create life-sized facial reconstruction sculptures of deceased individuals to help members of law enforcement identify them.

The drawings, computer renderings, or sculptures that are created by forensic artists may be released to the media to help create leads and to identify suspects or deceased individuals.

Salary

The salary that forensic artists earn depends on several things.

The first thing to learn about determining the current salary for forensic artists is that it depends on the source of the information.

Forensic artists are not listed separately from sketch artists.

The site indicates that the average salary range for sketch artists in the U.S. is $59,673 to $76,807.

Salary experts list the annual average salary for forensic artists at $60,412, while Comparably indicates that forensic artists earn an average of $116,725.

Check the average salary for forensic artists at local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in your area.

The location where forensic artists work can affect their salary.

One other thing to consider is that experienced forensic artists will earn more than someone just starting their first job.

Salary Information by State

Annual Average Salary: Top 10 States

California tops the list in this field, with an average salary of $86,680.

These are the leading 10 states in terms of earnings in the field:

How to Become a Forensic Artist: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Learn About the Career

Becoming a forensic artist requires more than being able to sketch a face.

Forensic artists have skills that come from several areas.

They are artists who can sketch human anatomy and who can recreate crime scenes or create age-progressing images of people.

Forensic artists cannot just use their high school art skills and apply for forensic artist jobs at their local police department.

They need to learn about the required education, the duties of forensic artists at the agency or department where they want to work, and the other requirements for the career.

Step 2: Earn a Bachelor’s Degree

Earning a Bachelor’s degree is important for anyone who wants to become a forensic artist.

Forensic artists must take criminal justice courses as well as fine arts courses.

It is up to individuals whether they want to earn their degree in criminal justice or fine arts.

A fine arts degree gives students the skills that they need in the observation and depiction of facial features, the features of other body parts, and of human anatomy.

They learn to create faces and other features using various media.

One way to get the desired education is to major in one of these areas and minor in the other, rather than just taking one or two classes.

Step 3: Enroll in Workshops

People who want to have the best career opportunities and who want to earn a high salary take workshops or other courses that help them in their path towards becoming forensic artists.

The workshops may focus on a single area of forensic art or may focus on several areas over a short period.

These workshops can be especially helpful for students who cannot find a school that offers a degree in forensic art.

Texas State University offers various workshops for aspiring forensic artists.

The workshops are offered through the Department of Anthropology Forensic Anthropology Center.

Two of the workshops include Forensic Art: Forensic Facial Reconstruction Sculpture, and Forensic Art: Drawing to Depict the Deceased for Identification.

Step 4: Complete Other Short-Term Courses Related to Forensic Art

Workshops and short-term courses give people who want to work as forensic artists the opportunity to learn about and gain skills that align with their career goals and interests.

The Florida Institute for Forensic Anthropology & Applied Science offers several workshops and short-term courses.

One example is the Forensic Sketch and Interview Workshop.

Participants of the Advanced Buried Body Workshop learn about sketching, mapping, and preserving evidence of mass graves and buried bodies, among other things.

The New York Academy of Art offers a world-renowned annual workshop titled Forensic Sculpture.

Students interpret an individual skull and then create the facial features and the flesh.

Law enforcement agencies from the U.S. and Canada have received assistance from students who create forensic sculptures from skulls and other skeletal remains.

Attending these types of courses and workshops may help students in their job search.

It may also help forensic artists to advance their careers.

Step 5: Build a Portfolio

Students who earn a degree in the arts learn the basics of how to build a portfolio.

Having a portfolio that showcases the artwork that students create that applies to the work of forensic artists can be helpful when they apply for jobs.

Include more than simple facial features or sketches of the human head in a portfolio.

Showcase artistic talent in different media, including sculptures of any busts.

People who take workshops that teach students how to recreate the head and facial features from skeletal remains should include those images or other renderings in their portfolio.

Step 6: Obtain a Certification

The International Association for Identification provides certification for forensic artists.

Students need to review the site to make sure that they follow all the guidelines and complete the prerequisites for the certification.

Students or artists apply for certification in one of the main disciplines of forensic art.

They submit their application and their portfolio for review.

Certified Forensic Artists must also meet the requirements for recertification.

Step 7: Apply for Forensic Artist Positions with Law Enforcement Agencies

People who want to become forensic artists need to decide if they want to work for local, state, or federal agencies.

Some people start working with a local law enforcement agency to gain experience and then advance their careers.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) indicates that it employs a team of forensic artists.

The artists assist other law enforcement agencies with things like composite sketches, facial reconstruction, postmortem imaging, and digital imaging modification.

Education

Earning a bachelor’s degree is most likely to give aspiring forensic artists an edge over people who only earn an associate’s degree in fine arts.

Some people major in a criminal justice area, such as law enforcement or a general criminal justice program.

They may choose fine arts as a minor in their criminal justice program.

Students also choose to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in fine arts and then minor in a criminal justice area.

Taking courses in both areas gives students the knowledge and skills that they need to become successful forensic artists.

Taking workshops or short-term programs at a college or university helps to enhance the skills of forensic artists.

Licensing and Certification

Forensic artists are not required to have a license.

The Certified Forensic Artist certification from the International Association of Identification is internationally recognized.

People who earn this certification are likely to have more credibility as professional forensic artists.

The International Association of Identification recognizes the three main disciplines of forensic art, which are Composite Art or Imagery, Postmortem or Facial Reconstruction, and Image Modification or Enhancement.

Applicants for certification need to choose one or more of the three disciplines when submitting their application.

They need to have previous training and experience in that area.

The required training includes a minimum of 120 hours, with at least 40 hours being in lectures, classes, and workshops.

They need to include two letters of reference, a signed agreement, and the exam for certification.

Certified forensic artists must be recertified every five years.

Job Outlook

Most sites provide a job outlook for forensic scientists, but not forensic artists.

They often provide the job outlook for artists, but not forensic artists.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates that there will be an estimated 1,800 new jobs for fine artists each year through 2033.

Some other sources project up to 17 percent job growth for fine artists over the next few years.

Should You Become a Forensic Artist?

Overall Satisfaction – High

Forensic interviewers who were asked about their job satisfaction responded positively in one survey.

Nearly 90 percent of the survey participants reported being satisfied with their work.

Science Direct published the results of research into job satisfaction among artists.

Artists reported significantly higher job satisfaction compared to non-artists.

The main reason for any reported dissatisfaction among forensic interviewers and artists is burnout or job-related stress.

Average Salary – Medium

The average salary for forensic artists varies across different sites.

While some sites report an average salary for forensic artists being just over $60,000, other sites report that the average salary for forensic artists is more than $115,000.

Aspiring forensic artists should check the salary range for the department or agency where they want to apply for a job.

Job Growth Outlook – Medium

It is difficult to find information about the job outlook for forensic artists.

Looking at the job outlook for artists and law enforcement officers, there are positive growth expectations over the next several years.

Education Duration – 4 to 5 years

Most employers are likely to require forensic artists to have a bachelor’s degree, either in fine art or in criminal justice.

They should complete undergraduate courses in both areas.

Taking workshops or completing short-term courses gives people an edge over their peers when applying for jobs.

Continuing education is expected for forensic artists when they apply for recertification.

Personal Skills Needed

Forensic artists need to have various personal skills, in addition to their skills in art and criminal justice.

Some personal skills that forensic artists need include:

• Organizational skills
• Communication skills
• Active Listening skills
• Computer skills
• Networking skills
• Patience
• Being Detail Oriented
• Teamwork Skills

About Sarah Klein Sarah Klein is a freelance editor and writer specializing in pharmaceutical litigation and products liability. Sarah holds a J.D. and focuses almost exclusively on writing legal blogs that spotlight consumer safety issues.