Face features book

I helped out with some police sketches recently. I did not have my facial feature reference book ready.

Now I realize how important it is, just as a starting point. People need a visual to begin. I think it will help me be more accurate next time. I'm cutting Bristol paper into trading card size pieces, about 2.5"x3.5", and putting them into protective pages. This will help me organize the drawing/facial features by type.

This photo is a shot of my first page done.

These drawings were done "out of my head," but now I am looking at Gwinnett County mugshots and drawing noses, because I think the drawings from my head come out too similar.

I believe using mugshots should give me a fair cross-section of the types of features people have here. I'm coding them on the back for my own reference.

My goal is to get 9 of the cards done each day. I want to make sure I am ready next time I am needed.

I will need to get a zip around binder, preferably with a handle. I can imagine that the book will get pretty full and heavy, once I've done noses, lips, eyes, eybrows, chins, etc.

I have found that charcoal is the fastest way to blend tones, so although I'm generally a pencil artist, I'm going to move to charcoal, at least for the police sketches. Currently using Cretacolor (Austrian) charcoal encased in wood.