Karen T. Taylor writes, “…forensic art is any art that aids in the identification, apprehension, or conviction of criminal offenders, or that aids in the location of victims or identification of unknown deceased persons”.

My goal as a forensic artist is to aid in the identification of suspects and victims in order to bring some measure of justice or closure to families and victims. Forensic art is neither a wholly scientific or wholly artistic endeavor, rather it is a blending of both practices in order to most accurately create a link between unknown persons and evidence that might identify them.

Full post-mortem and reconstruction portfolio viewable by appointment. 

Facial Reconstruction

The following are 3D and 2D examples from a training cases.

Completed Reconstruction
Completed Reconstruction Side by Side with Overlay
Completed Reconstruction Side by Side with Overlay

Anatomical Studies

Sculptural study of Asian-derived female skull.
Sculptural study of Asian-derived female skull.
Sculptural study of Asian-derived female skull.
Sculptural study of Asian-derived female skull.
Anatomical landmarks of the human skull.
Anatomical landmarks of the human skull.

Composite Drawing

The following samples were created during training at the 2017 IAI Educational Conference.

Representing the scale of contrast on light skin.
Representing the scale of contrast on dark skin.
Reproduction of an example using frontal lighting and a full value scale.

Age Progressions

The following examples were created with the help of volunteers. I did not see the present day photos until after completing the age progressed portraits of these individuals.

The volunteer sent this photo of their parent’s wedding day. The father was described as a retired firefighter ‘with a chocolate addiction’.
Progression based on the description of the father, the daughter remarked, “That’s him, he only wishes he had that much hair!”
Present day.
The granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor provided this image of her grandfather around age 22.
The progression based on the photo and no lifestyle information.
The volunteer’s grandfather before his passing.
Volunteer at age 17 in 1989.
Completed Age Progression
Present Day.
Info Received: 17 in 1970, smoker, sedentary lifestyle.
Portrait created from information received.
Present Day.

Education & Training:

Drawing to Depict The Deceased For Identification, led by Karen Taylor at FACTS Facility at Texas State, 2018

102nd Annual International Association For Identification Educational Conference, 2017

  • Composite Drawing Tune-Up, led by Duncan Way
  • Court and the Forensic Artist, led by Paul Moody
  • Sculpting the Human Skull, led by Dr. Daniel Marion

Laguna College of Art + Design, 2005-2008, Fine Art & Illustration