IAI Forensic Art flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Forensic art definition

Application of artistic skill and anatomical knowledge to legal matters, producing composites, reconstructions, age progressions, and demonstrative exhibits used in investigations and court.

Composite imagery

A facial image built from a witness's memory by selecting and combining individual features; the artist records each choice to preserve accuracy and avoid leading the witness.

Tissue-depth markers

Small pegs or rods placed at craniometric landmarks on a skull cast, using population-specific mean depths, to guide the modeling of facial soft tissue.

Craniometric landmark

A standardized anatomical point on the skull, such as nasion, glabella, or menton, used as a reference for measuring and placing tissue-depth markers.

Nasion

The midpoint of the frontonasal suture, at the root of the nose; a key landmark for placing depth markers and aligning facial features.

Glabella

The most prominent point of the forehead between the brow ridges; its depth value and shape inform brow and forehead reconstruction.

Menton

The lowest midpoint of the mandible at the chin; used to set lower-face height and chin projection in reconstruction and superimposition.

Gonion

The point on the mandible at the angle of the jaw; its depth and flare affect the reconstructed jawline and lower face width.

Zygion

The most lateral point of the zygomatic arch; it defines cheekbone width and is a standard site for tissue-depth placement.

Rhinion

The point at the tip of the bony nasal bridge where the nasal bones meet the cartilage; it guides nasal bridge and tip reconstruction.

Facial approximation

Reconstruction of a face over a skull using tissue-depth data and skull morphology; it produces a likeness for recognition, not a positive identification.

Skull-to-photo superimposition

Aligning a skull image with a facial photograph at shared landmarks to test whether features correspond; results can support exclusion but not definitive identification.

Age progression

Predicting how a face changes over time using known aging patterns such as fat redistribution, skin laxity, and cartilage growth; presented as a probable range, not a certainty.

Aging indicators

Observable age-related changes: nasolabial deepening, jowl formation, eyelid laxity, hairline recession, ear and nose elongation, and skin texture changes.

Image enhancement

Processing an image to improve visibility (contrast, sharpness, scale) while preserving the original file and documenting each step to maintain evidentiary integrity.

Demonstrative exhibit

A visual aid created to help a jury understand testimony, such as a reconstruction or diagram; it illustrates evidence rather than replacing it.

Chain of custody

Documented record of who handled an image or file and when; applies to digital evidence and forensic art products to establish authenticity.

Cognitive interview

A structured witness interview using open-ended recall and context reinstatement to improve memory accuracy before feature-specific questions for a composite.

Feature-based composite

A system where the witness selects individual facial features from libraries (eyes, nose, mouth) that are then assembled into a whole face.

Holistic composite

A system where the witness compares and adjusts whole-face images rather than isolated features, relying on recognition of overall facial configuration.

Clay reconstruction

A three-dimensional method of building facial soft tissue in clay over a skull cast, guided by depth markers and anatomical knowledge.

2D reconstruction

A drawing of a face over a skull photograph, using depth markers and skull contours to estimate feature placement and proportions.

3D digital reconstruction

Computer-modeled facial approximation built on a scanned skull, allowing depth markers and features to be placed and revised digitally.

Morphological comparison

Assessing correspondence of facial features such as ear shape, nose profile, and scars between images to judge whether they are consistent or inconsistent.

Daubert factors

Reliability criteria for expert evidence: testability, error rate, peer review, general acceptance, and standards; forensic art methods must be explained under these.

Calibrated language

Careful wording such as 'approximation' or 'consistent with' that communicates the limits of a forensic art product and avoids implying certainty.

Exclusion versus identification

Forensic art comparisons can reliably exclude a match when features conflict, but generally cannot positively identify a person from a reconstruction or composite alone.

Soft tissue thickness

Mean depth of skin and muscle over a skull landmark for a given population, sex, and age; a guide for reconstruction with known standard deviations.

Nasal aperture

The bony opening of the nose; its width and shape constrain the reconstructed nasal width and tip position.

Malar projection

The forward and lateral prominence of the cheekbones; it shapes midface contour in reconstruction and comparison.

Supraorbital ridge

The bony brow prominence above the eye sockets; its development informs brow shape and eye depth in facial approximation.

Case documentation

The file containing source images, dates, software versions, artist notes, and intermediate versions that supports the reliability and authenticity of forensic art work.