Family Tree Final and Happy Father's Day

The final piece for my Father-in-law in ink and acrylic. He gave me a sketch and I came up with this design from it. I wanted to keep it more graphic and simple, staying away from realism. The drawing and inking portion actually took more time than the painting. It's usually the other way around for me. There was a lot of spontaneity involved which is the best thing that happens during the creative process. Thanks to openimagestudio for photographing.
After the fixative, some inking and a couple acrylic layers.
Frame close up shot. I decided to do the framing myself as a gift for my Father-in-law. I found a frame that fit the piece perfectly.

The framed piece with my Father-in-law. I'm satisfied with the outcome and I'm glad he enjoys it. Happy Father's Day!

Side Projects & Typography

One of my side projects I'm currently working on is a Family Tree for my Father-in-law. This has actually been a nice break from my paintings. I decided to break out some very old reference sheets for the lettering. Back in College I had a Typography class where we did everything by hand, yes....by hand. I don't even know if they still teach classes like that anymore or if it's all computerized. Whatever the case may be, I found that it's a good exercise. You develop an appreciation and respect for the art. I wasn't trying to be extremely precise like the college days. It's good to loosen up. After triple checking my spelling with my wife on over 100 names, I'll be inking this in before using acrylic paint to finish.

I have this piece and a tattoo design as far as side projects go. After that, I'll be using most of the time I have towards my science fiction fantasy portfolio so I can acquire freelance jobs. A family portrait here, a tattoo there, a logo here, etc. It all adds up so I'll be finished with side projects for friends and family for a very long time unless of course it fits in my current portfolio project and the budget works :-) Stay tuned for a post of the final piece in the near future.