Need some direction

 
loaba
 
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loaba
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28 November 2006 21:58
Guy Power
 
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Guy Power
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28 November 2006 22:21
 

Loaba,

Pardon me for not reading everything first before asking; but, are the charges on the bend supposed to be saltires or crosses?  As I recall, charges on bends are to follow the "vertical direction" of the bend.  So, if your charges are to be saltires, no change is necessary; if they are to be crosses, you need to reorient the vertical shafts so they are parallel to the bend.

 

If they are crosses and you want them to maintain the current orientation, I suppose you could say "six crosses palewise".... or, would that be "palie" .... or "per pale"????  (Help, Michael McCartney, Help!!)

 

Regards,

—Guy

 
loaba
 
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loaba
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28 November 2006 22:42
 
 
Guy Power
 
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Guy Power
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29 November 2006 00:27
 

Loaba,

Ahhhhh .... six crosses pattée Argent—I like!  I recommend shifting the bottom sinister (viewer’s right) portion of the bend up about one width to where the shield curvature begins from the horizontal.  This move will balance the shield by giving the dexter base more room; as it is currently situated, the bend appears overly steep.

 

One of the blazonry experts can better advise, but I think you can say "...six crosses pattée per pale  Argent…." if you need them to appear "upright" to the viewer.

 

 

Regards,

—Guy

 
loaba
 
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loaba
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29 November 2006 01:06
 

Glad you like it and thanks for the input! The color scheme is just perfect and I like that the arraingment appears (to me anyway) to be unique.

I had thought about making the bendlette a bit higher and thereby evening out the division. But by doing so I’d practically have to put something in the dexter, right?

 

With the current layout, I have room for a prominent charge. Problem is I just can’t think of something that both myself and my sibs relate to. I spose we could go with legal scales (pops was a lawyer as are other family members), but I am not an attorny myself.

 

I could even the bendlette and just not have a charge…

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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29 November 2006 02:13
 

loaba, far be it from me to tell you what you should do. and i certainly like and respect mr. valarezo-duenas. i can’t say what the meaning is in different Iberian charges. all i know is there is plenty of borders in Spanish heraldry. if there is some other meaning then i’d take that into consideration.

however, i would strongly recommend you avoid the bendlet. as an artist in general, as well as a heraldic artist, i can tell you that it would both look better and be easier to be creative with a regular bend. minimizing it will make the crosses, to which you previously said were very important for symbolic reasons, way too small for viewing. and when the eye sees them the eye will register little more than blurbs in a row. this is what happens with very small items (crosses) on other small items (bend). right now you appear to ahve a bend and i’d stick with that. call it a bendlet, however, adn an artist will make it narrower and the charges thereon smaller.

 

also, i would be very, very hesitant about using a color on color except in proper cases (Colin’s Orange and White arms having a Blue charge(s) on them is one thing). to have a mass of Black on Green, however, is not very appealing for the eye and in the psychology of color, or at least the way the eye proccesses this color combination you will not be stimulated because they do not contrast very well. the reason is that the colors are both too dark to bounce off of each other… unless you use a very bright green or extremely muted Black (less than 70% i’d say), but then you are straying away from some very fundamental color principles in heraldic art. leave the black out as in the latest version.

 

as to what can you palce on either side of the bend, well, it is rather easy actually. it might not be with your pc, but when you ahve them rendered you will see that they can come out just fine if you move the line up as Guy suggested. and that is an excllent suggestion. ref how Ton de Witte did my own arms, or, how I did my own arms. it can be done and done well even if it does not look good on your pc.

 

so, from a purely artistic pount of view i would avoid the smaller bend (bendlet) and the resulting smaller crosses and the Black on Green unless done with a metal thrown in, as in the arms of Colin above. also move the bedn up, as Guy suggested. and if you choose an eagle display one, but do it in either Or or Argent, as both metals are in your arms as seen above.

 

but, you are free to design whatever you choose, as they are your arms and you will be the one who lives with them and therefore need to be the one who is most pleased with them.

 

i am curious where you found this Dominguez cot of arms you’ve mentioned. i’ve yet to see one with a star on it in the few places i’ve been to. i’d like to see this palce with these arms, as i’m always trying to expand my reservoir of heraldic devices for artistic, educational and inspirational purposes.

 

p.s. i call it a star. some purists call it a mullet. in the english system - i believe - it would be a mullet. either way a good artist should know what you are talking about.

 

p.p.s. way too late here in Colorado and i’m tired, so forgive the gramar and spelling errors… just tired and lazy…

 
loaba
 
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loaba
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29 November 2006 02:25
 

Donnchadh wrote:

from a purely artistic pount of view i would avoid the smaller bend (bendlet)


By seperating the sable bend from the vert field with an or border, does that necessarily force me into using a bendlet?

 

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/loaba/ArmsSansChargeII.jpg

 

Is a charge really necessary anyway? What would the blazon be for the design right now? I’m really leaning towards just going sans charge at this point.

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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29 November 2006 03:14
 

Is another charge necessary?

No. It is fine as is artistically and heraldically. You can and might eventually want to after your “fridge test,” but it is not necessary.

You do not need to make it larger in order to make it a bend per se. However, in calling it a bendlet an artist will draw it narrow and therefore make it all smaller. And if you are not going to add other charges using a larger bend is a good idea.

 
loaba
 
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loaba
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29 November 2006 08:15
 

I think I am ready for the fridge test. In the meantime I’d better research what a bordered bend means in Spanish heraldry, or heraldry in general.

 
Linusboarder
 
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Linusboarder
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29 November 2006 10:41
 

Well if you were interested in a charge, I thnk this would be the best place to go

http://www.heraldicclipart.com/

This has a boatload of charges to choose from. If you wanted to free up some space on the shield for a charge you could move the 6 crosses to a border (maybe: On a border Or 6 crosses patee’ sable), and change the bend to a bendlet.

Another way to fit a charge on there is to make it salient like the otter in my Arms, this uses the space well because the charge goes in the same direction as the bend. (both diagnol)

Of course I don’t think you really need a charge at all. I like the current version of your arms, and think they are probably quite unique. Another thing you could do is make those your arms and use The Brittish and Canadien Cadency system . This would allow for a unique charge for you and your 5 brothers, and your father’s arms would not have a charge.

 

The only problem with this is it starts to get tricky when you start applying more cadency marks to future generations.

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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29 November 2006 10:49
 

... and if i’m not mistaken it isn’t really Iberian to use the British system of cadency, nor is it American… entirely… but it is an option…

Here’s some member’s arms with great use of bend/bend sinister etc. and other charges if you find during your ‘fridge test’ that you want more charges…

 

Jared Entzminger

http://www.heraldrysociety.us/MemberArmPages/membersarms.php?page=Entzminger

 

Hassan Kamel-Kalisli-Morali

http://www.heraldrysociety.us/MemberArmPages/membersarms.php?page=Kamel

 

Donnchadh (Denny) mag Eochadha (MacGoff)

http://www.heraldrysociety.us/MemberArmPages/membersarms.php?page=MacGoff

and from the artist Ton de Witte

http://www.heraldrysociety.us/MemberArmPages/images/MacGoff_ahs_l2.jpg

 

Monte Lee Mechler

http://www.heraldrysociety.us/MemberArmPages/membersarms.php?page=Mechler

 

Now granted Monte has a lion rampant over all, but remove that and you’ll see the crosses and fleur-de-lis.

 

And these are but a few of the examples. For more variety visit the web pages of some of the masters like…

 

A. Jamieson

http://www.medieval-arts.co.uk/heraldicachievements.htm

 

B. Manning

http://www.heraldic-artist.com/

 

N. Bromley

http://www.calligraphyandheraldry.com/default.aspx

 

D. de Bruin

http://www.heraldicermine.com/

 

M. Lynskey

http://www.ml.clara.net/

 

L. Granier

http://laurentgranier.com/

 

M. Foppoli

http://www.marcofoppoli.com/index.php

 

All that said I still like it the way you have it and really wouldn’t change a thing, but that’s me.

 
Guy Power
 
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29 November 2006 11:47
 

I think your latest rendition, without a charge in sinister chief, is nice as is.  As Denny said, a charge is not required.  If you do decide on a charge be aware that you do not have to have to "balance" it with another charge in dexter base.

I’m an adherent of the "less is better" school of heraldic thought; therefore, I prefer your current Vert on a bend Or a bendlet Sable charged with six crosses pattée Argent.  (I do not know if this is a proper blazon of your design ...)

 

Regards,

—Guy

 
loaba
 
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loaba
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29 November 2006 12:51
 

Linusboarder wrote:

This would allow for a unique charge for you and your 5 brothers, and your father’s arms would not have a charge.


I think I just learned another lesson, as I do not have five brothers. I’m thinking that it is a fair assumption that we are all not Jesus Christ, and therefore not blessed with an immaculate conception. What I mean to say is that we assume a mother and a father in heraldry. Is that right?

 

So based on that, I should really only have 4 crosses, one for myself and one each for my three sisters (all of whom are older).

 

In another thought, I could go with 3 crosses in the current arraingment, but I could add an additional cross in the sinister chief for myself.

 

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/loaba/ArmsIVLR.jpg

 

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/loaba/ArmsIIILR.jpg

 
Linusboarder
 
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29 November 2006 13:43
 

Oh my mistake. Foir some reason I had thought you said you were the youngest of 6 brothers.. don’t know where I got that from, but that was the premise my comments came from.

If you want to use 6 crosses, for the 6 immediate family members, there is nothing preventing you from doing so. Like I said before it’s your oyster, so if that’s the symbol you want there is nothing wrong with it whatsoever.

 

Cadency is a complex issue. The English use their cadency marks, and the Spanish seem to (although not universally) just quarter their arms with their parents (or grandparents) arms on them. The scottish use a border system. I think Germany and other Scandanavian Countries have no cadency at all (I could be mistaken) and only changes the crest. There is no right or wrong to putting something representing your mother or father on the shield. It is whatever you prefer.

 

One thing you could do is one style cross for the children and one for the parents, and or for male and argent for female. (i haven’t looked at this so I don’t know how it would come out artistically) Or you could just keep the 6 crosses from before. Or you could do 4 crosses in the bend and two in the vert to represent your parents. You can mix and match all these until you find something you like.

 

I would keep the bend sable, I think it adds a lot to the arms.

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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29 November 2006 15:36
 

yep everyone is right… it is up top you. however, while i like the second version you just made i do not like it as much as the initial one with six crosses on it with no other charges.

i do not like the first one of the two you just made at all. i’d avoid another charge and stick with the bend and its charges. it is distinctive enough so as to avoid other copies out there i believe.

 

anyway it is up to you… you are the one who has to live with it.

 

p.s. i think that Guy blazoned it right, but that part is not my strength… rendering them… yes… verbage… no. sorry.