Loaba, try to use the shape of the Dominican Cross (cross fleury) and leave it the same color you already have this way it is a nod to both your reasons for a cross and a nod to the name Dominguez; if you’re going to have crosses why not crosses fleury?

As to the color wheel, yes, blue and vert are ‘complimentary’ colors. They are basically cousins on the wheel and that is why they ‘compliment’ each other. So from an interior design standpoint they work well together when broken up by a opposing color making them tertiary.

However, using them close together in heraldry would be IMHO a problem. Heraldic art is different in that it really should contrast and even when using two colors together broken up by a metal or fur the colors should still contrast as much as possible (ref blue claws, teeth etc of red lions on white or gold fields). So, I would discourage you form using both green and blue on the same field even if broken up by a metal or fur for that reason alone.

Now were you a client of mine in an interior design capacity I would advise you to use them together broken up with splashes of opposing color like beige (which is awfully close to white), white, or even yellow. All of course depending on what you were going for as inspiration for the room. Now if you were going from a monochromatic look you’d use three cousins on the wheel, but in heraldry you most definitely do not want that look and that brings you back to blue and green being too close in color.

Okay that’s what I thought, and, to be honest, even the Sable and Vert is very close as well.

Donnchadh wrote:

Loaba, try to use the shape of the Dominican Cross (cross fleury) and leave it the same color you already have this way it is a nod to both your reasons for a cross and a nod to the name Dominguez; if you’re going to have crosses why not crosses fleury?

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/loaba/DominguezArmsIV96kb.jpg

I arrainged the crosses slightly differently, they no longer follow the bend. I like it alot, the other crosses were very reminiscent of the german iron cross. Now there is less of a military aire as well.

loaba wrote:

I arrainged the crosses slightly differently, they no longer follow the bend. I like it alot,...

I like this MUCH better!!

further wrote:

...the other crosses were very reminiscent of the german iron cross. Now there is less of a military aire as well.

As a collector of Iron Crosses* that is what I liked about your first design; however, I like the crosses fleury more.

—Guy

* I have the following Iron Crosses: 1870 2nd class; 1914 1st & 2nd cl.; 1939 1st & 2nd cl; and, the 1957 reissues for official wear: Knight’s Cross, 1st cl., & 2nd cl.  The 1957 reissues take the same form as the WWII versions but replaced the swastika with a three-sprigged oak leaf cluster.

Michael F. McCartney wrote:

Back to blazon—wouldn’t it just be Vert on a bend Sable fimbrated Or six (whatevers) Argent?

Thanks Mike!  That’s what I was thinking of.  I came up with cottised  but that wasn’t right.

How do you blazon the crosses on a bend to have them perpendicular to the shield .... "paley", "per pale", or "oi! right-side up, dude!"?

Thanks,

—Guy

Guy Power wrote:

Thanks Mike! That’s what I was thinking of. I came up with cottised but that wasn’t right.

How do you blazon the crosses on a bend to have them perpendicular to the shield .... "paley", "per pale", or "oi! right-side up, dude!"?

 

Thanks,

—Guy

Palewise or paleways.  But they look better in line with the bend, in my opinion.

Also, the border of the bend looks to me wider than a fimbriation.  I think it might be permissible to blazon it as "on a bend Or a bend Sable."

Joseph McMillan wrote:

Palewise or paleways.  But they look better in line with the bend, in my opinion.

Also, the border of the bend looks to me wider than a fimbriation.  I think it might be permissible to blazon it as "on a bend Or a bend Sable."

Thanks Joe!  Good advice aus unserer lehrmeister.

—Guy

Near as I can tell, a Bend is bit less thick than a third the widith of the shield itself and a Bendlet is half as thick as that. A Baston is half as thick as a Bendlet.

So my shield scale is 7" wide by 10.25" long. My bend widith is 2" which means that my bendlet widith should be half that, 1". A Baston would then be .5".

I guess I could have a bend Sable with two bastons Or?

No… I would go with what Joe is saying here about the bends. Not only because his knowledge of these things is much better than mine, which it is, but because he is right.

Look, any artist worth his salt will be able to "make this work" in a way that is both attractive and proper. Blazon (verbiage) it as Joe suggested and an artist will know what to do. He/she will be able to make it look just right.

And, frankly, I can see this just as Joe blazoned it. So I would suggest you word it the way Joe suggests and let the future artists you commission to do these do them based off of that. I am sure you will be happy with the result(s).

As for the crosses… perfect! I like them better as fleury and I also like them paleways (correct?). I think this one (paleways or following the line of the bend) will be the beauty in the eye of the beholder - you. I think they’re nice either way. But I think you should call the bends as Joe suggests.

Guy can you post images of these in the member’s forum off topic thread? I’d love to see them.

So with my shield as is, it would be blazoned Vert on a bend Or a bend Sable charged with palewise six crosses fleury Argent?

loaba wrote:

So with my shield as is, it would be blazoned Vert on a bend Or a bend Sable charged with palewise six crosses fleury Argent?

Vert on a bend Or a bend Sable charged with six crosses fleury palewise Argent…

the heralds came up with their own grammar rules in blazons… don’t ask me why…

it’s lookin’ great

Actually, on second thought, if you’re going to use this many crosses fleury they do look better palewise.  I still had in my mind’s eye crosses paty.

On the width of ordinaries:  a lot of writers try to turn the guidelines into hard and fast rules, but in fact, for example, a fess 1/3 the height of a shield will look overwhelming on some shield shapes and miniscule on others.  So think of them as rough guidelines to be adjusted according to how things look on the shield.

Sorry to join the discussion so late, but please allow me to cast my vote (for what it’s worth) for the most recent rendition. The design is very nice in it’s simplicity and the colors complement each other wonderfully. It’s also the kind of shield I could easily picture on a medieval battlefield.

Nice Job! :D

Take care,

PBlanton wrote:

The design is very nice in it’s simplicity and the colors complement each other wonderfully. It’s also the kind of shield I could easily picture on a medieval battlefield.

Thanks, that’s exactly what I was going for, failing anything else.

You guys have provided some great comments and critiques and I really appreciate that. Now I just have figure out what to do with all the other components that comprise a full Achievement.

BTW, I registered for membership today, how long does that process take?

PS - is there someplace where I can submit the blazon to ensure that I am not inadvertantly stealing existing arms?