English

Noun

compositry ‎(plural compositries)

1. (illustration) The use, especially in law enforcement, of ready-made images of portions of an object to compose a picture of the entire object, such as the face of a person described by eyewitnesses.
   • 1988, F. J. Domingo, "Forensic Art: Concepts and Approaches in Composite Interviewing," Journal of Forensic Identification, vol. 38, no. 6, p. 259, annotation:

     This article examines issues in composite drawing and examines different methods for conducting witness interviews necessary to compositry.

   • 2001, Karen T. Taylor, Forensic Art and Illustration, CRC Press, ISBN 9780849381188, p. 206:

     In recent decades, other attempts have been made at three-dimensional compositry, most notably by Fernado Poncé of the Los Angeles Police Department.

   • 2007, Lois Gibson, Forensic Art Essentials: A Manual for Law Enforcement Artists, ISBN 9780123708984, p. 41:

     The single most common proportional mistake in both compositry and fine art portraits is making the nose too long in relation to the face drawn.

Related terms

• composite
• composite sketch