With Ken’s suggestion for fewer & larger ermine spots on the field & the correction of the orientation of the stars on the bend, a good design & likely unique.
But backing up a bit, I think you tossed the notion of the bull too quickly. While the breed of cattle may not relate to "your" folk, your grandfather’s nickname certainly does! Of course you could use a bull for your crest, in addition to or instead of placing a bull or bull’s head on the shield itself, but either way such a design should resonate with you & your cousins descended from old "Bull."
Or perhaps a bull on the fess rather than a lion? Hmmm…probably too tight a fit, but may be worth pondering.
Has anyone mentioned the refrigerator test to Mr. Dexter? Seems like a good time for it…
Kenneth Mansfield;72821 wrote:
Dear Kenneth, this is great, I love it!
Is it actually too good to be assumed?! :oops:
Michael F. McCartney;77405 wrote:
Or perhaps a bull on the fess rather than a lion? Hmmm…probably too tight a fit, but may be worth pondering.
It’s actually too tight for a lion without squeezing and distorting the poor beast. It’s just that we’re used to seeing this unnaturally proportioned feline because it appears in the arms of England, and we’re not used to seeing bulls tortured in the same way.
In any case, no reason a bull’s head caboshed couldn’t take the place of the lion. A star-bull’s head-star all bendwise would be rather striking. A bull’s head crest in complementary tinctures (say Azure tined Argent) would be excellent.
Here are the style issues I pointed out resolved, accompanied by Joe’s suggested change in charges.
http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/2760/dexter02.png http://img686.imageshack.us/img686/7964/dexter03.png
Very good Kenneth. The lion impressive, but the bull much more significant. ................... Regards, Peter
Michael Y. Medvedev;77408 wrote:
Dear Kenneth, this is great, I love it!
Is it actually too good to be assumed?! :oops:
Thanks, Michael. I thought it was a rather clever idea myself, but it didn’t seem to get much traction.
originally i did not want the stars..just something i tossed in at the last minute. i dont want someone to get the wrong idea about the stars when they on the same line as the lion. they appear to be invereted.
i really like the lion has a great deal of meaning to me and my unit in the army, 508th PIR. the bull was just a nickname for gramps in college. im going to work on adding it to the crest possibly. regarding the ermine spots. ken..now that you point it out it does look cluttered around the cotice lines. well its still a work in progress.
thanks gentlemen for the suggestions.
just wish i could get the lion to take up more space in the bend with out distorting it too much.
ken..thanks for the examples in your earlier posts. also wanted to ask, what graphic design software do you use?
Dex - I mostly use Adobe Illustrator (currently CS3).
Have you considered dispensing with the bend altogether? That would allow you to keep the color of the lion consistent with your unit. Ermine a Lion passant guardant Gules armed and langued Azure between two Cotices potent Azure all in bend. Rather unorthodox, I know - and there’s probably a better way to blazon it - but it’s an idea.
<div class=“bbcode_center” >
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/3038/dexter04.png
</div>
wow..thats nice
i gonna print and do some fridge testing..
Kenneth Mansfield;77449 wrote:
Dex - I mostly use Adobe Illustrator (currently CS3).
Have you considered dispensing with the bend altogether? That would allow you to keep the color of the lion consistent with your unit. Ermine a Lion passant guardant Gules armed and langued Azure between two Cotices potent Azure all in bend. Rather unorthodox, I know - and there’s probably a better way to blazon it - but it’s an idea.
<div class=“bbcode_center” >
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/3038/dexter04.png
</div>
I like this one. Very cool.
I think that should be all bendwise rather than all in bend. And of course this is a conversation for the members’ area or offline at this point.
I don’t like the ermine spots in the bend, I would suggest blazoning the shield argent with the bend or whatever between ermine spots.
I like Kenneth’s emblazon, but, like you, Xander, I was not happy with the way the ermine spots surrounded the lion.
I think your suggestion would improve the design and allow the passant lion to be enlarged to fill the whole of the bend.
As for a blazon, how about -
"Ermine, on a bend argent fimbriated potenty azure a lion passant gules."?
Iain Boyd