In the early 2000's I was enrolled as a college student, but I had no direction. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with my future. I knew that the only thing I was (at least somewhat) good at was drawing, and I knew I wanted to help people as a career. So I thought why not put the two things together? I got the idea to become a police sketch artist, but I lacked the training.
In 2003 I signed up for a week long workshop at the Scottsdale Artists School in Arizona. It was put on by a forensic artist named Karen T. Taylor. She literally wrote the book on the subject. She has worked with the F.B.I., America's Most Wanted and various other crime enforcement agencies. Her composites lead to many captures and her facial reconstruction work helped to identify victims whose bodies were badly decomposed.
Karen had many fascinating stories to tell. Not only did I have fun in Scottsdale, but I learned quite a bit. For example I learned that the job prospects are low. I had no chance without an art degree or a career as a police officer or some other area of criminal justice. One way to work your way up is to volunteer your services. If you get hits, they'll call on you more frequently. This did not sound like a sure way to support myself. Plus most departments don't have an artist on staff, unless you're talking about New York City. Also computers have mostly supplanted artists who do draw by hand, so I got discouraged and put the idea on the back burner.
I still wanted an art degree however so I transferred to Herron in 2005. The process really began right after the workshop in '03. I took care of some necessary credits at IUPUI to raise my GPA before they would let me in. After my foundation year I was told I had to choose a path. I chose Art Education as a major because Herron's Art Ed program is highly regarded. I believed that it would land me a job right away and I was right. The Art Center hired me in 2009 and I got a full time job in 2010 teaching middle school. The workload was heavy. I stopped drawing faces all the time. I fell in love with sculpture and gradually as I put the emphasis on teaching, my dream of becoming a forensic artist began to fade. Perhaps someday I will revisit the idea of becoming a police sketch artist . . .
Mr. Beal, you would make a superb police sketch artist. For as long as I can remember from our younger days, you've always been great at self portraits. Only difference now days, is technology has improved so much, that police departments and other law enforcement agencies do most of their sketches electronically. But, they still have artists doing them. Just think of them using a different type of paper. At any rate, you've accomplished so much in your life, and your still young. So, if later on down the road, you feel the need to pursue that path, go for It! Do whatever makes you happy.
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