Hi all. Below are three arms I’ve mostly completed for three persons before I go on my break. Two of them are fellow members of this society and the final one is my cousin who is a research scientist. Hope you enjoy.

Here is my version of Rob Hardin’s arms. I tried to give them a more Irish flare.

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/6154/robhardinarmsfinalcolormy9.jpg

And here’s my version of the arms of T.R. Griffith:

http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/8184/trgriffitharmscolorsketchhh6.jpg

And here are the arms I made for a research scientist who is also a cousin of mine, Dr. Pacheco-O’Connell and it is she who chose the crests not I. I just changed the checkered border to a compony counter-compony one and the checkered boilers (cauldrons) to lozengy and removed the snakes on the Pacheco arms and kept the O’Connell arms “intact”, as Dr. MacLysaght advised can be done for certain Irish names/families with proof of descent and so on. I think on this one I really could’ve used the barred helmet for the Pacheco crest, as it is definitely of Spanish origin, but instead I went with a tilting one…I may re-do it…we’ll see.

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/2060/connellarmscolorsketchcb0.jpg

Remember that my scanner transfers and pixels badly. I used medium green, 100% black, 90% black, cadmium yellow, scarlet lake, ultramarine blue, 10% gray, 30% gray, 40% gray, and Chinese white where needed. They may look different via this post, but in real life the colors are dead on. Anyway…I gotta run back to school for lab work, so see ya…

Nice work! I especially like Dr. O’Connell’s.

Dennis,

Excellent work!!  As you progress I see your confidence emerging as well as your own artistic style.  I hope you continue to emblazon, and that you share your art with us.

I would make a suggestion.  If (when) you have the time, try to learn calligraphy with a pen—it will really make a difference in your mottoes, even if you are self-taught.  What you are doing now is fine, but when you master the pen nib, you will find your lettering becoming stronger and fluid.  As well, Gaelic seems to lend itself to calligraphy—it looks ..... antique.

There is nothing wrong with your current lettering—that style was used by Msg. Heim and is currently used by others.  However, you might want to seek areas to expand your abilities and I think calligraphy goes hand in glove with the brush.

Cheers,

Guy

Thanks Louis and Guy.

Louis, did you get my last PM in reply to some of the questions you had on art stuff? My computer was acting up that day and when it locked up I never checked to see if it was "sent". Let me know. Thanks for the compliments and yeah I like my cousin’s as well. She was the first doctor in the family (MD), but quickly became a research scientist instead…I never did find out why. My baby brother became the second (PharmD). Both are humble and down right laid back. Neither one forces people to use the title Dr. when speaking their name (I’ve dealt with people like that and so be it…they earned it) unless the person is being a jerk to them, in which case both do. But, my cousin really wanted a set of arms and she was kind enough to pay me double what I bid for…that is the third person to pay me more than I bid for and I just think that is classy – and I mean really classy! I can’t wait to hear when that happens to you now that you are doing heraldic artwork yourself! With artists it’s feast or famine…very little in between. Anyway I like her arms as well. She’s a sweetheart and she has already told me she is going to have them put all over things when she gets them from me…some printing business in the state of Washington is going to be very happy!

Guy, I couldn’t agree with you more!!! Calligraphy is so much my nemesis in my own eyes anyway. Which is strange considering I have very nice hand writing normally. But, when it comes to calligraphy, well, I would really like to take a class or two on it. However, at my school there isn’t one – and we are an art school. During my little break from things (combination of a lot more school work this semester, minor health issue and getting sort of serious with one of the women I had been dating and want to spend more of my free time with her…go figure) I am going to try to work on it as if it were a class. I mean…I’ve taught myself this art-form thus far, so why not the calligraphy? Especially since I don’t have a master or school to do some tutelage (sp?) under. Amongst the "Masters" as I dub them (I’ve moved the number up from five…as if I have the right to decide who are masters…hello D….get over yourself…oh man I kill myself sometimes…) I really like Andrew Jamieson’s calligraphy. It seems to have movement and that is my favorite style of heraldic display. To see movement within the charges and all of the accessories is just…lively for me. And to see lettering come to life with movement when it is simply on a scroll…well…very cool indeed. So, thanks for the recommendation and I totally agree with you…it is the main area I really need to work on. Thanks again Guy.

You know…we have several good artists here…Fr. Guy, Brian Jeffs, you, Louis, Mike Swanson, T.R., Joe, Ton de Witte, myself…and I’m sure I’ve missed some (sorry about that fellas!). The styles of the work range so much that it is very enriching – I think anyway. That is just awesome. I am so happy I decided to delve into this MB much more the last year than I had the previous year. And I am really happy I decided on becoming a member. I wouldn’t have this art-form to add to my repertoire if not for everyone here…and for that I am sincerely very, very thankful.

Anyhow…I gotta go to call my girl…

Very Nice stuff Denny. You are right, we have some very talented artists in this group

Those who have been luckty enough to have others "do" their arms should remember that our Members Roll allows for several different versions… (& if you’re not a member yet, get with the program!

Denny,

How is your work with gouache coming along?  I found lots of help on-line by surfing SCA sites—they have some very talented artists and some of them have step-by-step images.  Of course, if I remembered the ones I found I’d tell you .... but this is part of your apprenticeship, "Grasshopper".  :D

Oh, if you insist!!  Here’s a beginning:

http://scribe.atlantia.sca.org/handouts/index.htm and this link on that page:

http://scribe.atlantia.sca.org/handouts/Brigit-Process.html

Now, just Google something like <gouache, medieval, how to> and you ought to get some responses.

—Guy

Mike, I agree&#8230;people really need to become members. As I said above, it has been the single most constructive thing I&#8217;ve done to develop and improve my artistic skills within this art-form. I don&#8217;t want to sound arrogant, but I am very good at cartooning and photography. But, I&#8217;ve been cartooning since I was 8 years old and doing photography since I was 17. So there is lots of years and countless thousands, nay tens of thousands, of hours I&#8217;ve spent doing those art-forms, which is why I am so good at them. However, I&#8217;ve only been dabbling in heraldic art for a short while now and frankly I would not be as good as I am with it if it were not for the help I get here. The criticism, the instruction, the ideas, and frankly and most especially knowledge of how things should look and why has helped develop my abilities as much as they have enriched my experience of heraldry as anything. So, I can not help but agree with you that people should &#8211; maybe even ought though I know that is a very strong word &#8211; to become members of this society. In fact&#8230;I give people a 10% discount on my work if they are or become members of this society. I figure it is a great way to encourage others to become members.

Also I agree on the member’s arms section. That’s why I asked Mike to place Ton de Witte’s version of my arms there as well. Very cool. I think you should place other’s work in that section. It is a nice way to see the varying style of the many wonderful artist’s we have out there and especially in this society.

Guy, I am coming along well with gouache, but for one thing: mixing of colors! I am having a difficult time making them work well together. Everywhere I&#8217;ve read and even the professors I&#8217;ve spoken to said it is easy to mix them. Well&#8230;not for me. I have no problem mixing in other paints, but I am in gouache. I am tempted to break down and buy my varying shades as &#8216;ready mades&#8217;. However, Purple Lake is notoriously grainy/streaky and when you try to make a nice Purpure by mixing ultramarine and scarlet lake it is not really the shade of Purpure that I want! Other mixes have other problems but it is part and parcel of the mixing problem I am having with gouache.

On a different paint topic I have now made two wooden shields with paint. Not shields really, but achievements on wooden plaques. Both turned out great and using acrylic paint is very easy for me. My mom has now asked me to paint her achievement on a coffee table that she is having made from some of our fine Colorado Pine out of Drake, Colorado. So, while I am taking my break I will not only work on calligraphy, but think about and work more on painting on wood &#8211; of course when I am not spending time with Clarissa who has, I am afraid sort of stolen my heart rather quickly&#8230;but I digress&#8230;

I&#8217;ve even just been asked to consider doing paintings on aluminum shields. This might also be a good idea, as I will be using paints I am more familiar with, as opposed to gouache. However, I am not going to give up on gouache. I will master it, though I may never become a master, for that is becoming a master of the artistic vision in your mind&#8217;s eye more so than mastering the medium&#8230;if you know what I mean. I had given myself a year to master gouache back in July and I know I will. That is why I haven&#8217;t offered it yet to my clients. When it is available (when I feel that my work in it is respectable) I will let everyone know, but as the materials for its use are much more expensive than the professional cartooning/interior design materials I use for my heraldic work now my prices will have to go up&#8230;which the business mind I have as a result of my business degree makes me leery of that, as I do not want to price my work out of the market. I don&#8217;t know&#8230;I have plenty of time to work that all out &#8211; by the Grace of God.

Thanks for the tips Guy and I will look into the SCA sites.

Denny,

Gouache is easy—like watercolor (which isn’t easy

Also, it’s much better to mix too much color than not enough—nothing worse than getting half way through a section and running out of paint; and if you prepare too much, gouache can be brought back to life with a touch of water.

And remember, because gouache is opaque, you can paint lighter colors over darker colors, unlike transparent watercolors.  Do not paint gouache first, then overline or write with ink—the ink will spread and ruin the painting.  Instead (if you are using ink), do the outline first with india ink (just a technique, not a rule), then "color inside the lines" with the gouache.  The emblazons I’ve done so far are outlined last in black gouache.

Too thick a layer, and the gouache will crack.

Good Links:

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/2963/

http://www.geocities.com/mary_m_haselbauer/Gouache.html

http://www.sca-caid.org/scribes/scrolltexts.html

Example of some SCA scrolls:

http://history.westkingdom.org/Scrolls/

Latin text for SCA awards/Grants:

http://www.sca-caid.org/scribes/texts/latin.html

Regards,

Guy

I agree do the basic colours first.

I draw the arms in pencil first and then paint the gouache after that and when it has dried for a while I draw ink lines on the arms, after that I put highlights and shadow.

emrys wrote:

... then paint the gouache after that and when it has dried for a while I draw ink lines on the arms,....

Ton,

You do not experience "bleed over" when you apply ink to gouache?  I wonder what I’m doing that’s wrong.  Or, maybe my paint has a higher concentration of chalk?

Thanks,

—Guy

No it doesn’t bleed, but maybe it is the way of applying the ink, I use a normal black bic pen and basicly draw the entire arms again this ink gives a nice thin line but because it is on gouache I let it dry for a while before beginning to put on shadow and highlights.

emrys wrote:

No it doesn’t bleed, but maybe it is the way of applying the ink, I use a normal black bic pen ...

Aha!  That’s why—bic (biro/ballpoint) ink is thick and oily which will not bleed.

I use liquid india ink applied with a brush.

Thanks,

—Guy

What colors do you use for gold? I use cadmium yellow light. However, I really would like to start using a more gold look. Not a dark gold, but a lighter gold like one sees on the grants from Lyon, English CoA, etc. I really like the brighter/lighter gold. Like this from the Society of Heraldic Arts website at http://www.heraldic-arts.com/article-wood1.htm

http://www.heraldic-arts.com/images/Fig1_400.gif

Also what do you do for purple? I have purple lake, but it is rather grainy/streaky. So, that is why I had to mix the ultramarine and scarlet lake to get purple, but that just does not come out well (consistent) at all. Notice the purple above; I can’t get the purple lake to come out this smooth and I can not get the mixed purple to come out this even/consistent.

I use : yellow : Talens Gouache # 200 (yellow)

gold   : Talens Gouache # 803 (deep gold)

silver : Talens Gouache # 800 (silver)

urple : Talens Gouache # 536 (violet)