Police Sketch Artist Draws Celebrities Based on Description Only | Vanity Fair

Three witnesses to notorious movie crimes, including James Franco's drug dealing in 'Pineapple Express,' Robert De Niro's armed robbery in 'Heat,' and multiple murders committed by Samuel L. Jackson in 'Pulp Fiction,' describe the celebrity “criminals” to a professional police sketch artist.
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Police Sketch Artist Draws Celebrities Based on Description Only | Vanity Fair

[@UpperRobin29]

The guy who described Deniro had a really strong memory.

[@that_mexican_kid6287]

Top comment with 0 replies?

[@dudeugly-z6o]

​@@that_mexican_kid6287😂

[@rasalghul9331]

This makes me realize just how bad the average person is at describing someone

[@Fektthis]

limitations of language. you can only relate so much information with words. also those words can be interpreted differently by the other party.

[@america1st721]

this is also why eyewitness testimony is worthless.

[@nginroom8108]

It's worse when you consider these "witnesses" are very familiar with the actors compared to an actual witness that giving a description based on very limited interaction.

[@francescop1]

James Franco s face definitely not "oval". so it wasn't really the artist's fault

[@EvilTwinn]

That's the point. You're being fed things through a witness, a while after the event. It's like a much more complex game of telephone.

[@francisco4benites]

francescop1 yea no she wasnt giving him a good description

[@bum7659]

Yeah but when you're getting robbed, most people wont stare into a persons face and check if they have a round face or not.

[@UserError-gp8sl]

@@bum7659 Thats true. Normally you wouldn't always remember the specifics of a person during a crime scene so mistakes are inevitable, but this is a weird scenario where you have well known actors with distinctive faces and these people who were the 'witnesses' knew they were going to provide a description to an artist afterwards. So in this case scenario we should expect the 'witnesses' to be more specific about their descriptions.

[@brothersinmetal1922]

@@EvilTwinn That said it would be funny to have people give a description of an artist's rendition of an artist's rendition and see if the end result looks like the guy.

[@Gruesome_j]

I'd be terrible at describing a criminal, i always describe myself

[@SlyMaelstrom]

Well, then one way to improve at describing criminals is to start committing crimes.

[@bulletsfordinner8307]

Bill N 😂😂😂

[@skiney]

@@SlyMaelstrom lol

[@mysterio952]

R u a criminal?

[@vim6459]

@@SlyMaelstrom Lmao

[@Gazarhya]

That was pretty impressive, to be fair. But yeah...was totally thinking Lionel Richie...

[@_lithp]

Hello...is it Richie you're looking for?

[@rockerseven]

Me describing the person: "Well, he looks exactly like Samuel L Jackson..."

[@yuungblade8136]

lmao

[@FrenkTheJoy]

Deniro was spot-on.

[@Pentapus1024]

I think his sketch looked like Steven Segal

[@graceholt111]

omg this artist is incredible

[@rosewhite259]

I thought these were quite good. A sketch artist can rarely draw a perfect likeness, but the essence of all these guys is there. The point of releasing a sketch in the case of a real crime is more to help people who actually know the criminal to make a connection. I would say any friend of these guys if it was real life would have totally been able to make the connection.

[@lyricaltherapy6293]

“Is there anything you’d like to tell me” he knew something was up

[@applewoo4652]

The sketch artist was really good! Especially from their descriptions

[@MsLoriGold]

I would have loved to have worked in Forensic Artistry and reconstruction….if I really was aware of that vocation. Now I’m going on 60 and too old to go into this field. I find it so interesting. The idea of helping find missing people or perpetrators would have been a rewarding and important job to families, victims, and helping solve mysteries. I enjoyed this video!

[@CamilaVanilla]

De Niro seemed spot on, Franco's eyes were spot on, but Jackson looked more like Rick James.

[@jawlatnet]

Me describing: - tall, wide arms, square face, no facial hair, short head hair. Sketch Artist: Sorry I cant see John Cena

[@TurnOneYeti]

DeNiro is really good. Franco is passable. Jackson is waaaaay off. Do more of these. Maybe with women celebrities next time.

[@_lithp]

They're not supposed to look identical. They're supposed to capture distinct features so that people familiar with the criminals would recognize those features. If you showed me Jackson's photo, I'd think it was a poor attempt at a portrait of SLJ by a beginner artist.

[@largol33t1]

Mark McIntosh, interesting suggestion. I would find it much more difficult to describe female celebrities to a sketch artist for some reason. Take Keira Knightley and Natalie Portman as an example. When they both were on the set of Star Wars Ep. 1 in full makeup, their mothers could not tell them apart! Or Kristen Stewart and Emma Watson. They would be even more difficult to describe.

[@screwyou1199]

Whack, that looks exactly like a caricature of Samuel L Jackson you’re crazy

[@marise-cellardoor2031]

@@largol33t1 I would find it much easier to describe women. I would scrutinise their appearance more and descriptions of female facial features seem to be more wide spread in public knowledge- probably due to all the bitchy magazine articles picking away their flaws

[@arizonad8012]

Jackson is off.Lol.It looks like exactly like him.It's a sketch

[@msquish1593]

these descriptions were so bad??? 'whens hes looking at u u know hes looking at u'?? wtf does that mean, robert de niros eyes are downturned

[@HMPRODIGY]

lmaoo fr

[@suzetteflordeliza9337]

HAHAHHA WATCHU TRYNA SAY?

[@kb3982]

That's amazing, obviously it's not gonna look exactly like the person but omg it's so amazing how close the artist can get it

[@amp9672]

yeah as a portrait artist hearing people's descriptions really drove me crazy. Jackson wide set eyes is like one of his most defining features, most than almost any actors, and DeNiro's eyes are close set, again defining feature of his. But I understand most people aren't use to really read people's faces in an analytic way

[@UZEETM]

the hardest part would be explaining the face, one has to remember a lot of the details

[@banan163]

Thats why when you look at police drawing they miss most details, what the sketches are for are the characteristics of said person and they usually get sketched in an excessive manner hence looking so wierd when looking at the sketch alone, but resembles the person when you compare them side to side.

[@jonathannuamah3296]

These artist deserve recognition!

[@theWeaverofTales]

"Have you seen this guy before?" "No"

[@toniy5515]

Amazing descriptions, talented artist.

[@vondrebridges9740]

1:57 That’s Rick James 🤣

[@Aelea]

This was fascinating. Only 3 mins? An extended cut would garner alot of interest/views. Do again/more!

[@fiasco1770]

He could’ve gone for “he has an afro.” It’s pretty simple.

[@asimgiri4269]

It all depends on how you describe it. Good descriptions turned into good sketch.

[@alberto6169]

I'd be so useless in this, I wouldn't be able to describe my best friend, let alone a random guy I saw once in my life lol

[@KMM-kx2yn]

Johnny! Put out an APB on three perps, We got White Jesus, Lionel Ritchie and Kraven The Hunter.

[@tiiacoo6703]

He did amazingly!

[@deadryan4262]

I would fail at describing

[@megansimpson1918]

"It's hard to say, it could be Lionel Richie" 😂

[@Tummis.k]

Y’all should’ve included Anton Chigurh!! That would’ve been awesome! But Awesome Video!

[@emmastaub5630]

Wow sketch artists are so fancinating

[@vivianasantosb]

robert deniro was sooo good

[@ilovekidcudi]

I read the title as "can a foreskin artist draw criminals from movies?" OH GOD

[@thatssofaisa7308]

James Franco was more like Travolta from pulp fiction

[@Robin-gv2he]

As a Portrait artist, portraits are not easy. I think that descriptions are more valuable in finding the criminal than the sketch. It will almost never really look like the perp.

[@MrPink-ko8si]

I would love someone to describe themselves to the artist.

[@standaman6279]

The hardest part about this was probably finding someone who had no idea what James Franco or Samuel L. Jackson looks like.

[@Goldone99]

I'd like to describe the one that got away, haunts me To This Day 😭

[@akbardavis2042]

I have a lot of confidence being a sketch artist

[@joerizalsanchez]

This is my favorite topic

[@coreytbay]

Lionel Richie lmao

[@ammarsiddiqui7865]

Great understanding .

[@eemage9476]

If you put these 3 men next to each other for identification, there is no way to confuse them, they are completely differentiable.

[@ActionCat2000]

It's interesting, because I think he actually got the best likeness with Franco, even though he thought it was the worst. He made a very common mistake with the portraits of Franco and Jackson, which is to draw the eyes way too high on the face. That made Franco's nose too long and Jackson's head weirdly flat/tiny. He did better with DeNiro, although overall the likeness was so-so. The black guy nearly gave up the game when he said "I've never been able to pin down his age."

[@Tasoq]

The De Niro drawing is pretty spot on

[@vansolo12]

2:57 Charlie Sheen, Adam Driver and Lionel Richie.

[@Edmund._.Dantes]

1:55 that's a fro not a jheri curl my guy

[@ivanckh_1651]

Real terrific

[@hawaiidispenser]

"Hello.... is it me you're looking for? Oh, it is?"

[@karvinuy3988]

Glad Dr.Phil is here to participate in this

[@diegovisoso4587]

I'm a portrait artist and would like to learn to do this

[@TB-ky7de]

James Franco looks like Adam Driver in the drawing.

[@elisa6581]

3:05 Looks like more with Adam Driver

[@JasmineSurrealVideos]

Samuel L Jackson: Hello, is it me you're looking for.....

[@jayyemm69]

James Franco looks like Adam driver lol

[@jabbaweezy]

the robert de niro one was really good

[@toddgilmore118]

2:47 I thought was Stephen Seagal

[@sinned130]

Same xd

[@lokutus3773]

Put out an APB on Rick James!!

[@jordynfranklin7288]

Dude with the Sam Jackson just straight up drew prince😂

[@FernandoCaffroni]

Franco's sketch looks like Adam Driver

[@LuminosMonkeyStudios]

Or Keanu Reeves

[@withinthefun721]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@_lithp]

that looooooong face.

[@dinodeclan1035]

Try cartoon characters based on description only

[@forensicart]

Stephen Mancusi is exceptional. He combines superlative artistic talent with his consummate LE experience. I am privileged to have received his instruction.

[@largol33t1]

Interesting, I like that they did NOT tell the sketch artist these were fictional criminals...

[@aaroncain403]

We got the owner of a bodega, Jesus, and Lionel Richie.

[@jetthalverson7354]

Imagine if they walked in they were just like "The guy looked alot like James Franco. Like EXACTLY like James Franco"

[@MsStack42]

Great idea for a video.

[@MrVolcomclassic]

Little Richard lol

[@mymanslippy]

Sam jackson guy actually described the soul glo guy

[@chriss7237]

Looks like Matt Mercer, Charlie Sheen and Eriq La Salla (with the Coming to America hair) are about to be brought in

[@goldensuki]

3:00 this sketch was 100 percent accurate

[@Baghuul]

Francos drawing looks like Adam Driver. lol

[@minlee5376]

Impressive

[@saltedbacon8793]

have him draw rick astley then rickroll him

[@Blamberta]

He did a good job on it except samuel jackson haha. I would definitely tell that he was trying to draw franco

[@thesouthernguy6533]

That’s definitely Lionel Richie or Rick James 😂

[@eliaalunardon7597]

3:03 Is that Prince?

[@kamilazman2943]

their face when they became a titan

[@goingtotahiti]

Someday, I want to be a sketch artist.

[@Moodboard39]

Do it

[@TywinLannister666]

He drew fuckin Rick James.

[@dineshkhadse7287]

Art nice

[@romanaa7070]

I was thinking prince before it was revealed to be samuel L Jackson lol

[@AddlerMartin]

- So... how does he looks like? - Exactly like Robert De Niro, man...

[@queensgtmslim]

The Samuel Jackson sketch looks like the night stalker sketch

[@marise-cellardoor2031]

I have a terrible visual memory and would not be able to describe a suspect beyond hair colour. Can barely describe John Travolta without seeing his photo in front of me and I’ve seen pulp fiction about 5 times 😅

[@jabbaweezy]

I would be horrible at giving a description

[@SlyMaelstrom]

He drew Eriq La Salle in Coming to America.

[@WarpRulez]

Seriously, I would have a very hard time describing a face that I'm currently looking at.

[@realvdot]

Trevor Lawrence is looking at some serious time

[@OGhistorian]

Lionel Richie 😂😂🤣💀

[@somniato7759]

James Franco became Adam Driver

[@jt4369]

“It could be Lionel Ritchie.” Yeah, or the lovechild of Prince and a greyhound.

[@triosaputra1677]

2:59 agadmator is that you?

[@alanamacneill88]

De Niro was the best

[@Jthompson179]

Franco's drawing looks like his character in sausage party.

[@culturia3555]

So.... Lionel Richie, Adam Driver....... Straight to jail!

[@HMPRODIGY]

So Im guessing the artist jotted down the information, then drew the picture. I think that would be very difficult to draw all those features without noting them down

[@IndianBoho]

I will never be able to describe someone’s face.

[@osmanyousif7849]

Peter Griffin: Is this the man who assaulted you?