Painting Heraldry
Hervet
I'm looking for advices to paint heraldry on miniatures.
Thanks in advance.
Hervé -
Carl Parlagreco
Couple o' questions about the heraldry you want to paint:
1. What scale?
In 25mm/28mm, you're going to be able to put some recognizable detail
into the work. If it's 15mm, a lot of that detail will be much harder
to do, and you'll probably be putting representational colored blobs
on the shields. Smaller than 15mm, I'm not sure what you'd be able to
do. I don't go that small.
2. Do you want historical devices, or are you going to make up your
own? Is it for a fantasy game or a realistic game?
I've got a whole bunch of medieval knights. The first ones I did (some
metal figures I've had for 30 years), I just sort of painted designs
on them.
A few years ago, however, I came into a large collection of plastic GW
knights. To paint them, I dug out my copy of Kingmaker, by Avalon
Hill. That game has playing pieces with actual devices of the
participants of the War of the Roses. I used them for many of the
shield designs.
And when I ran out of them, I turned to my book on heraldry.
All of my latest crop of figures, mounted and dismounted knights,
follow the later rules of heraldry (no color on color, no metal on
metal, only the colors that were available, etc.) If your figures are
for a fantasy game, you might not feel the need to do that. (Actually,
you might not feel the need to follow the rules for a historical game,
either. And that's okay by me, too. 8^D)
3. How much work do you want to put into it? Are you planning on
buying a fistful of 5/0 brushes, and painting the details on? Or,
possibly, artists pens, that would allow you to draw a lot of the
details on the shields.
Would you just like something pretty? Would you consider water-slide
transfers, such as Veni Vidi Vici sells? I've got some of those water
slides, for my 15mm Romans, and they're a lot easier to deal with,
especially when you've got multiple shields with the same design. It
allows you to get consistency from shield to shield.
I've also picked up a few sheets of fingernail designs, that I'm going
to experiment with. I don't know yet how well they work, but they've
got some very nice colorful designs: Fleurs de lis, yin-yang symbols,
animals, and the like. Oh, there are a few goofy symbols on there,
too. I don't think any of my men-at-arms would appreciate having a
teddy bear on their shields. But I got them cheap enough that I don't
mind that.
Just a few comments to get the ball rolling.
Carl
crlski
Tom Bryant
Handy site there. Thanks a bunch.
Tom Bryant
President, HMGS-GL
Chipco1
Here's the stuff I wrote as part of Days of Knights. I hope its of some help.
Chip Harrison
Chipco
1. I've got a bag o'knights here from Essefigs, but what are they and what
period are they from? Fortunately there are some guidelines you can follow to
determine the period of your figure, and all are related to the cloth
outergarment worn.
1. If you notice that the arms are covered full length with mail only, the
cloth outergarment is knee length all around, and the cloth outergarment fits
the whole body loosely with no slits up the side, then the figure is most
likely from the period 1100 - 1325.
2. If the cloth outergarment is knee length in the rear, crotch length in the
front, and fits the whole body loosely, then the figure is most likely from the
period 1325 - 1335.
3. If the cloth outergarment is knee length all around, fits the upper body
tightly, and the lower body loosely, then the figure is most likely from the
period 1335 - 1360. The loose part is called the skirt.
4. If the cloth outergarment extends to the midpoint between the hips and the
knees, and fits the whole body tightly, then the figure is most likely from the
period 1360 - 1410.
Note: In all of 1 - 4 above, the cloth outergarments have no sleeves
5. If there is no cloth outergarment, then the figure is most likely from the
period 1410 - 1430.
6. If the cloth outergarment has sleeves reaching to the elbow, and is split
up the side, then the figure is most likely from the period 1430 - 1450, and if
the sleeves extend only to the midpoint between shoulder and elbow, then the
figure is most likely from the period 1450 - 1500, where our examination ends.
Some other clues are:
1. If the helmet has a nasal, i.e. a straight piece of metal over the nose:
pre-1180.
2. If the helmet looks like a horseshoe crab: 1430 - 1500.
3. If the knight carries a "heater" shield, i.e., one is shaped like the ones
in our heraldry illustrations: pre-1360.
4. If the helmet is cone shaped, with mail extending from the bottom edge of
the helmet to the shoulder: 1360 - 1410.
5. If the shield is small, concave, irregularly shaped, and has a notch in
one corner for the lance:
1360 - 1430.
6. If the belt across the hips is exceptionally wide: 1360. Note that this
belt is made of metal pieces connected together, whether squares or otherwise,
and should be painted gold or silver.
7. If the helmet has a smallish, simple crest: post 1335.
8. If the helmet has a large, elaborate, or grotesque crest, or one of many
feathers: post 1360.
9. If the helmet has a scarf attached to its rear: post 1360.
2. I like heraldry - how do I paint the units and knights to look right? By
"right", we mean that the heroes, marshals and knights look like they belong
together. Most units as such during this period were raised locally and tended
to be rather small (in fact, medieval battles in general were smaller than you
might think - several thousand on each side). Since the units were raised
locally, material could have been purchased in bulk for the troops' outfits;
after the addition of the livery of their liege their small group would have a
look very much like a "uniform".
Basic Heraldry. For this discussion we will use ordinary, modern words and
names of colors for the components of the heraldic patterns. Those interested
in the arcane nomenclature of traditional heraldry are directed to the many
excellent sources available.
Heraldry was developed as a means of identifying from a distance who was who
on the battlefield. It was used seriously from about 1200 to the end of our
period and somewhat beyond. Prior to this time, on the Crusades, for example,
the shield was most likely a polished metal (contemporary accounts of the sack
of Constantinople describe the French knights as having polished silver
shields) or adorned with a simple symbol like a cross. For the sake of clarity
of design and recognizability, certain rules were used regarding colors and
their use, as well for the placement of symbols. Often, the symbols used were a
play on the name of the knight.
Colors used. The reference to polished shields gives us a lead-in to the two
basic color types (tinctures) used on shields: "metals" and "colors".
1. Metals. There are only two metals: white (silver) and yellow (gold).
2. Colors. There are five traditional colors used in heraldry: red, blue,
green, purple, and black. There are three additional non-traditional colors
that are sometimes used: orange, maroon, and sky blue (this was never actually
used during our period and is a more modern invention). Any human flesh on the
design may be colored a flesh tone. Helmets, swords, etc., are painted gray.
Most early shields were painted in very simple schemes of one metal and one
color. As designs became more complicated and difficult to recognize, two very
basic rules were implemented. First, no metal may be painted on top of another
metal, and second, no color may be painted on top of another color. For
example, you might see yellow lions on a red shield, but you would not see
yellow lions on a white shield.
Impaling yourself. When knights married, two things could happen. If the
woman's family lacked a coat of arms the knight would continue to use his own,
or, if the woman's family also had a coat of arms, the knight might split the
field vertically in two (per pale) and place (impale) his arms on one side and
his wife's on the other. The knight's arms would always be on the right side
(the viewer's right, and the knight's left), and the woman's on the left.
Drawn and quartered. Children of the above marriage would either carry their
father's arms, or quarter them with those of their mother. When quartered in
this way, the father's arms would always be in quadrants 1 and 4, the mother's
in 2 and 3. Quarters could be broken up further to essentially show a family
tree, but this is hard to paint on tiny miniatures and, since it would be very
intricate and difficult to recognize, unlikely to have been used in battle.
Puns. You may "pun" a shield, i.e. use a symbol that is related to your name.
A knight named "Byrd" might use a bird as the symbol on his shield. Since most
people were illiterate at the time, this sort of symbol would have been easily
recognized.
Divide and Conquer. The field may be divided in a number of ways, but some
ways are more common than others and lend themselves more easily to painting.
1. In half vertically.
2. In half horizontally.
3. A number of horizontal bars. "Barry of six", for example, has six equal
width, horizontal bars of
alternating colors.
4. Quartered.
5. Quartered diagonally.
6. Checkered.
7. Lozengy (checkered with diamonds, not squares).
8. Diagonally, with a band between the two sides.
9. By a cross (popular with religious orders. Teutonics wore white with black
crosses, Templars
wore red with a thin white cross, and hospitallers wore white with a thin red
cross).
10. By a rotated cross (the "saltire" upon which St. Peter was crucified).
Charge! The various devices on the coat of arms (griffins, fleur-de-lis, etc.)
are called charges, and there are literally an infinite number of
possibilities. Our illustrations contain some examples. For specific heraldic
charges, see the references. Typical charges include lions (facing sideways),
"leopards" (lions facing out of the shield), birds, griffins, trees, etc.
People rarely showed up in the arms of England and France, but are common in
Germanic and eastern European arms. Hungarian arms, as well as those of other
kingdoms that often fought the Ottomans tended to be quite grisly with a common
theme being that of a severed Turkish head, blood dripping from the neck.
Labels. Relationship can be indicated in many ways. The first son of a king
might bear a label, usually a horizontal bar placed high on the shield with
three or four short vertical bars descending from it. The classic illustration
is the arms of Edward, the Black Prince. Bastards (the word generally did not
have the negative connotation during our period that it does now) would often
wear their father's arms with their own charges imposed upon them. If for
example, your character has a white shield with a red diagonal band, his
bastard son might use the same arms with a white lion, or group of lions,
superimposed on the band. The names of bastards, by the way, typically began
with "Fitz-". Edward Fitz-William, for instance, would be Edward, the bastard
son of William.
We have included a sheet showing basic heraldry patterns. The top two rows
depict the basic partitions described above, as well as those with horizontal
and vertical bars. The next two rows show some typical crosses and saltires.
Note the very thin lines used on some. Hospitallers and Templars would use thin
lines on their crosses like those of the saltire depicted. Checks and diamonds
are then illustrated, as are crenellations like the tops of castle walls, and
chevrons. Note the arms of France on the sixth row. The arms directly to its
right depict a label of the sort discussed above. The remaining shields then
illustrate various charges and puns.
3. Actually doing it. Now that you know all the information above, how should
you go about painting an army for DOK? First, you will have a king. Decide
whether you want to use the heraldry of the historical king, or make your own.
If you make your own, why not use your actual family coat of arms? A little bit
of research is all that is required. If you wish to proceed historically
instead, the references listed at the end of this section will be useful if you
can locate them.
Next, you will need three marshals to lead the three battles. If you are
designing your own army you might make the heraldry of one marshal that of the
son of the king and invent two different heraldries for the other marshals.
Next, work out the heraldries of the individual heroes. Throw some sons
(legitimate and illegitimate) in there, too, just for fun. Each knight
thereafter should have his own individual arms. Infantry units belonging to the
marshal should share their heraldry, and be liveried similarly. If the colors
of the marshal are mainly red and blue, for example, you might paint the hose
of the men red and their shirts blue, or one leg of their hose blue and one
red, etc. If the men are wearing quilted armor, you might paint it with one of
the primary symbols (charges) of their marshal or king. Once you've got this
done, you've got the makings of a great story as the families of your royal
house march out to do battle for king and country.
The following is our recommended procedure for painting the knights. First,
get a piece of wood or other rigid material seven to eight inches square. Drill
six rows by six columns of 1/4" holes in the board. Put legs (dowels) on each
corner of the board so that it sits about one inch off the ground. Buy a bunch
of large, flat head nails. Attach the knights to these nails with superglue (or
whatever) as if they were sitting on the edge of the nails (they will only
attach at a couple of points and that's OK). Drop the nails into the holes in
the board. Use the board to hold the knights while you spray prime them black
(!). After the primer sets (preferably overnight), use the nails as a handle
for painting the knights. First, dry brush the knights a silvery color. Next,
paint all the shields, cloth outergarments, crests and lances white (this will
ensure that you get beautiful, bright colors later). Be sure you have drawings
of each knight's arms available so you can paint quickly. Paint the shield
field colors of the knights first, painting all the blue ones, then all the red
ones, then all the white ones, etc. Next, paint the patterns, again painting
all the patterns of the same color at one time. Finally, paint the charges,
labels, etc., to match your drawings or illustrations. Once the shields are
done you can put away your reference materials as the shields themselves will
now suffice as a reference. For the knight's cloth outergarments, the colors
and patterns will replicate those of the shield, both in the front of the
garment and in the back. For the crests, pick a color from the shield that
makes sense to you. Horses have several panels that work the same way: one on
each side in the rear, one on each side in the front, and in some cases, one on
each side of the head and neck. Again, repeat the colors and markings on the
shield on these panels. If the horse is fully caparisoned (barded only relates
to the armor under the caparison) stretch the heraldic pattern from the bottom
of the front panel to the top of the head. You may have to distort it to
accomplish this - that's OK!