THE CONSTRUCTION OF A COMPOSITE DRAWING IS DEFINED AS A PROCESS INVOLVING THE INTERACTION OF TWO OR MORE MINDS, THE ARTISTIC SKILL OF THE POLICE ARTIST, THE MEMORY OF THE WITNESS OR WITNESSES, THE ARTIST'S INTERPRETATION OF THE WITNESSES' DESCRIPTIONS OF THEIR MEMORIES OF A PERSON, AND THE ABILITY OF THE ARTIST TO COMPOSE THE VARIOUS FACIAL FEATURES CONJURED FROM THE WITNESSES' MEMORIES. GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING A WITNESS' ABILITY TO GIVE AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF A SUSPECT AND FOR ASSESSING DIFFERENT DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SAME SUSPECT GIVEN BY MULTIPLE WITNESSES ARE OFFERED. THE IMPORTANCE OF DOING THE COMPOSITE WORK IN CALM, COMFORTABLE SURROUNDINGS IS BROUGHT OUT. TECHNIQUES USEFUL IN THE INTERVIEW-CONSTRUCTION PROCESS ARE DESCRIBED. ARTISTS ARE URGED NOT TO WORK FROM SAMPLE BOARDS BUT RATHER TO REQUIRE EACH WITNESS TO DESCRIBE FROM MEMORY THE FACIAL FEATURES OF THE SUSPECT. ARTISTS ARE ALSO REMINDED TO WORK FROM THE GENERAL TO THE SPECIFIC, BEING CAREFUL NOT TO FIXATE ON ONE FEATURE THAT STANDS OUT IN THE WITNESS' MEMORY. DRAWING MATERIALS AND METHODS OF REPRODUCTION ARE DISCUSSED. THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF IDENTIFICATION (ID) KITS ARE CONSIDERED, AND GUIDELINES FOR SMALL AGENCIES THAT MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN USING THE KITS OR BRINGING IN CIVILIAN ARTISTS ARE OFFERED. THE USES OF COMPOSITE DRAWINGS IN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS ARE DISCUSSED. IT IS EMPHASIZED THAT INVESTIGATORS SHOULD REMEMBER HOW AND FROM WHOM THE DRAWINGS WERE OBTAINED AND WHAT THEY REALLY REPRESENT, RATHER THAN THINKING OF THEM AS RELIABLE PORTRAITS OF SUSPECTS. (LKM)