Wouldn't it be wonderful if your calligraphy family tree was the perfect size and shape for a frame? If yours isn't, then you're not alone!
Happily, with the magic of calligraphy and creative layouts, I can write your family tree so it can be framed - even if the layout is unusual or seems lop-sided at first!
Most family trees are unusual shapes: they'll often be very top heavy as you go back through the generations. Most family trees I'm sent for calligraphy start out as upside-down pyramids.
Examples of Family Trees in Calligraphy
I've created a special gallery of calligraphy family trees on this web page. They all have their quirks - and to be honest, that's what makes them interesting!
Many go back several generations. One example dates back to Edward III. Some have huge families with lots of siblings, which is really common. Often the solution to a lop-sided family tree is to list the names one below the other.
Other family trees on this page have illustrations requested by my calligraphy clients. And one - the last one - has a photo of me holding it, so you can see the size of a calligraphy family tree!
The family tree shown above has eleven generations. There are extra notes for family members with an especially interesting history. Where possible, the layout is centred, although this is limited somewhat by the structure of the family. Working together with my lovely client, we agreed a layout which filled the page neatly and looked good as a finished design.
The 'twin' family trees shown above were gifts for my customer's siblings. The 3rd generation from the top was challenging. The layout would have been very wide, so we listed siblings and their spouses above each other on the left and right sides. (I love the swirling calligraphy flourishes in the heading on this family tree!)
A closer view of the siblings on the 'twin' family trees (Nora, Lily and Albert listed below their brother Ernest, with spouses to the left side).
This calligraphy family tree was designed to fit a specific frame. The layout would have been very wide, so I listed spouses (generation 3 from the top) above and below each other (with a 23 carat gold leaf heart to link them). At the bottom of the tree, siblings are listed rather than being alongside each other. These little adaptations made for a concise family tree which works well in a regular shaped frame.
The family tree above is one of the oldest (in terms of dates and names) I've written. One side of the family dates back to George Washington, and also to Edward III. It would have been bigger than... paper. Bigger than any sheet (or roll) of paper I could source from my suppliers! My client also didn't want a family tree the size of a double decker bus! So they asked for key names and dates to be added as shown in the images below.
To the right of this calligraphy family tree, the ancestors of Edward III connecting the King of England to the Gale family.
... and to the left of the tree, George Washington's connection!
A smaller family tree which had a wide layout. My customer chose to have a custom frame made to fit the design. The top of this family tree would have been very wide, so I wrote the first generation on two lines. (To understand this design, start on line 3 and follow the lines upwards!)
A simple family tree with first names only. This was a lovely gift, decorated with delicate autumn leaves.
... and as promised, the size of a family tree! (I'm 5'3"). Interestingly I used to be 5'2", but somehow I grew an inch inbetween my last health checks at the doctors. This is the family tree with 11 generations, which my customer loved so much he ordered a copy within a few months of collecting the first version! (Both entirely written in calligraphy in my home studio.)