In 2006, graphic designer Eng Tze Ngan designed a set of stamps featuring vanishing trades in Singapore.
After making several visits to the Chinatown Heritage Centre to do research and take photos, he created 10 colourful stamps depicting old tradesmen such as a clogmaker, traditional barber and snake charmer.
This remains his favourite set of stamp designs - perhaps because it has special resonance with him.
After all, his trade - stamp design - is not vanishing, but going a little out of fashion in an increasingly paperless world.
The 38-year-old bachelor, who works freelance with SingPost on the stamps, has designed nine stamp sets, including one for last year's SG50 celebrations.
His story mimicks the traditional tradesmen in another aspect: He is following in his father's footsteps.
Mr Eng Siak Loy, Singapore's longest-serving stamp designer, and his son Tze Ngan. ST PHOTOS: NIVASH JOYVIN
His father is none other than Singapore's oldest and longest- serving stamp designer Eng Siak Loy, 75, who has been designing stamps since 1969. He has produced more than 50 stamp set designs.
Tze Ngan says his interest in stamps came from his father.
He says: "As a child, I saw him work so hard designing them and I marvelled at the final product.
"I came to appreciate the role that stamps play in tracing our nation's history - recording what is considered significant at the time - and I am proud to contribute as a stamp designer."
He runs a design studio, Newday Design, which handles graphic design, branding and other design work.
He admits that as the world goes digital, stamps have become less popular, together with snail mail in general.
Although SingPost produces 10 to 12 stamp issues a year - up from eight to 10 issues 10 years ago - some might assume that they are more likely to be collected than used.
Tze Ngan says: "As an artist, seeing my medium become less popular makes me sad. But even if fewer people see my work, I think stamps still play an important role in our nation."
He has two older siblings - a computer engineer brother and a sister who works in private banking.
His father says: "I'm proud of Tze Ngan for choosing to design stamps and pursue the arts.
"Getting one out of my three children into the arts is not bad, right?"
When his children were little, the elder Mr Eng conducted children's art classes in their home.
His children often sat in and quickly picked up impressive artistic skills. By the time the eldest was aged 10, the three siblings had garnered more than 100 art trophies and medals among them.
Tze Ngan, in particular, started painting when he was three years old and won many art competitions.
At the age of five, a poster drawing of his, of two children carrying a lantern, was selected by a local hotel to print on its Christmas and New Year greeting cards.
After he completed national service in 2000, the polytechnic graduate - with a diploma in visual communication - went into graphic design, but also started designing stamps on the side.
He says: "For me, stamp design is more of an interest than a career. I know it is impossible to feed yourself just by designing stamps."
Unlike his father, who used to design stamps without the help of a computer, Tze Ngan does only about 60 per cent of the work by hand, sometimes drawing images into a computer with a stylus and tablet. The rest is done using computer programs.
He says: "Technology allows me to complete the task faster because it lets me revise my drawings much more quickly.
"But there are certain effects that cannot be replicated on a computer, so I sometimes still do things manually."
Among his inspirations is local artist and Cultural Medallion recipient Lim Tze Peng, known for his Chinese ink paintings of old Singapore scenes.
But his first and primary inspiration is his father.
"I've watched him grow and evolve as an artist and it is a journey I want to take too."