Who is Marla Lawson?
Marla Lawson is a Forensic Artist with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, also known as the GBI. Her sketches have been instrumental in the capture of suspects, and her reconstructive sculptures have helped identify remains of victims.
Ms. Lawson has worked for the GBI for 20 years, and during that time she has drawn thousands of sketches that have helped put away hundreds of violent felons.
If you have seen the famous pencil sketch of Olympic bomber Eric Rudolph, then you have seen Marla's work.
-Photo Credit: GaNet
Ms. Lawson has worked for the GBI for 20 years, and during that time she has drawn thousands of sketches that have helped put away hundreds of violent felons.
If you have seen the famous pencil sketch of Olympic bomber Eric Rudolph, then you have seen Marla's work.
-Photo Credit: GaNet
In this page...
How did she get started doing this?
Marla Lawson said that when she was 18, she just sort of fell into drawing. She was doing some temporary office work, and her mother encouraged her to use her talent.
She worked in the tourist sketch trade in Underground Atlanta. Her father was a police lieutenant, and as a proud father, he told his colleagues about his daughter's talent drawing faces. They thought that they should see if she could sketch some suspects to help on some cases.
She has had a variety of other jobs pop into her life, but she has always returned to forensic art.
She worked in the tourist sketch trade in Underground Atlanta. Her father was a police lieutenant, and as a proud father, he told his colleagues about his daughter's talent drawing faces. They thought that they should see if she could sketch some suspects to help on some cases.
She has had a variety of other jobs pop into her life, but she has always returned to forensic art.
Wanted Poster of Eric Rudolph
...featuring Marla Lawson's sketch
This sketch was dead-on correct. I am especially impressed with the nose, it does have a curve to it just like she did it in the drawing! Yet this was done based only on a description. There are many artists who couldn't do this accurate of a likeness even looking at the person's photo!
Books with more information on Forensic Art
Coroner's Journal: Forensics and the Art of Stalking Death
Amazon Price: $5.60 (as of 11/26/2009) 
Forensic Art and Illustration
Amazon Price: $117.23 (as of 11/26/2009)
Forensic Art Essentials: A Manual for Law Enforcement Artists
Amazon Price: $89.86 (as of 11/26/2009)
My Forensic Art Blog
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byMarla Lawson Links
Websites to find more information about Marla Lawson
- Georgia Bureau of Investigation
- GBI page about Marla Lawson and the steps she takes to complete reconstructive compositions and more.
- Cold Case Reconstructions
- The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office shows several reconstructions and drawings by Marla Lawson that are still unsolved "cold" cases.
- OnlineAthens.com | News | Police count on talented sketch artist 02/23/08
- OnlineAthens.com is the daily online edition of The Athens (GA) Banner-Herald.
- Bared bone, tiny body led to artist's perfect picture - CNN.com
- A man in the medical examiner's office pushed back the cheeks on Baby Grace's corpse to put a smile on her tiny, decaying face. That's how forensic artist Lois Gibson captured the open-mouthed grin with spangled risotto-sized teeth. It was one of the girl's few features that survived...
- Defense: Accused serial bomber's portrait looked too much like Jesus - Courttv.com - Top News
- Arguments that the sketch of Eric Rudolph made him look like Jesus (!)
- Artist Uses Skull To Reconstruct Murder Victim - News Story - WSB Atlanta
- ATLANTA -- An artist and a skull might help the Georgia Bureau of Investigation identify a murder victim. Monday, September 8, 2008.
Drop me a line...
submit
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Reply
- ddixonart ddixonart May 7, 2009 @ 11:29 pm | in reply to John Beaman
- John, I'm not Marla Lawson. I created this page about Marla Lawson.
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Reply
- John Beaman John Beaman Dec 26, 2008 @ 6:21 pm
- l'm a friend of Danny Stapp. he told me about you, and l thought l'd say hi. l loved that Eric Rudolph drawing.
Forensic Art Links
These are good links I have found about forensic art.
- Orange County Sheriff's Dept Forensic Artist
- Welcome to the Orange County Sheriff's Office Forensic Art...
- Forensic Art
- Forensic art is a law enforcement police sketching of composite drawing, age progression, image modification, post-mortem skull reconstruction and court displays
- Neville's Forensic Art World
- Website dedicated to all aspects of forensic art, and the services provided by the forensic artist.
- Forensic Faces Institute
- Forensic Art Services, Photo Restoration and Personal Graphite Portraits
- Forensic Artist Certification Process
- IAI Membership, Training, Certifications, etc
- Forensic Art
- Karen T. Taylor is a portrait artist who worked as a forensic artist for over eighteen years at the Texas Department of Public Safety in Austin, Texas. She attended the School of Fine Arts at the University of Texas and the Chelsea School of Fine Art in London, where she was also a freelance portrai
- MSP - Forensic Art 101
- Michigan State Police's page on forensic art.
by ddixonart
My name is Darla Dixon. I am a mom of 4 - I work from home creating Pencil Portraits. My artwork has been published several times and has sold interna...
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