Forensic Sculpting Educational Requirements
Sometimes, skeletal remains cannot be identified by the police or the medical examiner. When this happens, forensic sculptors may be called in to help find the identity of the unknown person. Forensic sculptors use tissue markers to establish the depth of the skin on different parts of the skull, insert synthetic eyes into the empty sockets, and then use clay to flesh out the face. This technique has helped bring criminals to justice and closure to the families of the victims.
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Educational Background
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According to Forensic Art World, a web site that specializes in forensic reconstruction, people who are interested in becoming forensic sculptors need to have some art-related experience, but a formal education or work experience as an artist are not required. In fact, Forensic Art World notes that some instructors prefer students who do not have any formal training because they don't enter the field with potentially undesirable habits that need to be broken. Forensic sculptors do not need a four-year degree, but they need training in forensic art and forensic reconstruction.
Coursework
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There are many colleges and universities that offer classes in forensic sculpture. For instance, Betty Pat. Gatliff, a teacher at the Scottsdale Artists' School in Scottsdale, Arizona, is a former medical illustrator who teaches forensic sculpture. She offers a course in basic facial reconstruction for intermediate level students. She also teaches workshops in basic and advanced facial reconstruction sculpture through the University of Oklahoma. Another expert in the field, Karen Taylor, is the author of Forensic Art and Illustration and Understanding the Human Face. She also offers classes through the Scottsdale Artists' School, and she offers a number of different workshops for basic to advanced learners.
Betty Pat. Gatliff or Karen Taylor
Scottsdale Artists' School
Scottsdale, Arizona
480-990-1422 or 800-333-5707.Betty Pat. Gatliff
University of Oklahoma
405-321-8706. -
Other Related Training
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A forensic sculptor who wants to work in more than one field or who wants to enhance her training or marketability might want to take forensic art classes. The Forensic Art web site explains that forensic artists can specialize in a number of different areas, such as age progression, post-mortem reconstruction and composite art. Composite art is also known as police sketching. The composite artist's job is to create a drawing using individual facial parts that are composed into a single image, based upon the memories of victims or witnesses. This technique is used by law enforcement to help find wanted individuals.
According to Forensic Art World, a person who wants to become certified as a Level I forensic artist needs to have taken at least 40 hours of composite art classes from an approved school. She is expected to complete exams and build a portfolio based upon her composite drawings. She must also submit letters of recommendation from her supervisors or law enforcement agents verifying the authenticity of her sketches. Finally, she must take a multiple choice exam and submit a sample composite drawing.
To become certified as a Level II forensic artist, the candidate must have completed 120 hours of education, 80 hours of which should be from an approved composite art school. She must have completed five years of employment with a law enforcement agency, and she also will have to submit five composite drawings that have resulted in the identification of the subject. The Level II aspirant also will need to submit three letters of recommendation from her supervisors and law enforcement officials and must complete a three-part exam. The first part of the exam consists of 40 multiple choice questions. For the second part, the artist must create a composite sketch based upon a photo and a mock interview with a witness. Finally, the last part is verbal. The artist is evaluated based upon her interviewing technique.
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References
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