I took everyone’s ideas and passed them along to the client and he still wanted to stick with the basic layout as it was. He did, however, like the idea of adding a helmet and mantle with the crest, as I advised him it was the Germanic tradition to include one. Obviously these are not in color and this is only a master sketch; the final arms will be based on this when I put color to paper in the final rendition.

He has asked me to design the arms for himself and his two sons and daughter as well. So, this has been a very, very successful design and rendition of arms. I am thankful for everyone’s ideas and for being willing to put their $0.02 in.

He still wants the wheat shaft with the leaves between the deer antlers, so I’ve kept them as is. He also wanted the wreath and mantle to reflect the colors of the shield. So, I am not sure how to blazon them – the rest I have, but the wreath/mantle… I’m not so sure. Here’s my best shot at it…

Arms: Per pale Or and Gules, an eagle displayed per pale Sable, armed and langued Gules and Argent, armed Or, charged on the breast with a fleur-de-lis per pale Or and Gules; upon abase wavy Azure, a trout naiant Argent.

Crest: Upon a tilting helm afronty Proper, lined Gules, issuant out of a wreath Or, Sable, Or, Gules, Argent, Gules, with a mantle Gules, lined Argent on the dexter and Sable lined Or on the sinister, between two stag attires the dexter Sable and the sinister Gules, a wheat stalk leaved Or.

He has yet to decide on a motto…

Here’s the b&w sketch –

http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/1612/kersnickarmsbwsketchwhemo9.jpg

Here’s the previous version w/out helm and mantle –

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/3720/kersnickarmscolorsketchqo7.jpg

So, here you can see the colors and then hopefully see them in your mind for the b&w sketch with the helm and mantle.

Thanks again everyone.

Denny, don’t make yourself crrazy trying to catch every color in the wreath and lambrquin. The 3 bigges are Gules, Or, and Azure. Give him those and explain that it needs to look like a real torse & lambrequin might have.

I love the eagle

Patrick you wouldn’t advise a wreath of six being set up as Or, Sa, Or, Gu, Ar, Gu? You’d suggest Gu, Or, Az alternating over the six? I want to make sure that’s what you’re saying. It does appear nice the way you suggest. But I think Mr. Kersnick is looking to have the color and metal of both the German and Polish halves represented… I may be wrong though… I will advise him of this as well… thanks.

Ben thanks. I like the eagle as well. I based it off of the Polish eagle, as I just love that eagle… it appears so noble to me… I can’t say why though…

one point about the wreath, in German heraldry the numbers of twists are not specified so you do not have to draw six more is allowed (and less for that matter)

cool. thanks ton.

The only suggestion I might make pertains to the crest.  In the German tradition it is fairly common, but not set in stone, for the crest to contain the same or similar charges to the shield.  Really it is up to the client, however.

Here is the final color sketch before I get to finishing the arms. Basically this is the b&w sketch with basic color. I am now ready to move on to putting color to paper for the final. There are some drawing errors, so those will be fixed and the client has decided on keeping the layout of the arms as is.

Again the rationale behind the design is that the client is mostly German/Volga German and Polish with a little French mixed in. He is an outdoorsman and loves the outdoors. He comes from a farming family on both sides in Kansas and Colorado.

I tried to use the shorter round bottom German shield. I tried to make the crest as Germanic as possible and combine his outdoors enthusiasm (antlers) with his family’s farming heritage (wheat). I tried to use a more Germanic looking mantle (don’t know if this is right but I’m trying to say it is… ahem… ). I also used the fish on a blue field to represent the Volga German part as well as the outdoors theme again (he is a rather serious Angler). The eagle is divided as per the German national and Polish national one charged with a fleur-de-lis (a nod to the French and his Catholicism) and I thought by doing it this way in addition to the trout in base it would make it differenced enough.

How would y’all blazon it? I am going to file this with the USGHS on behalf of the client and I want to make sure I submit it correctly. Thanks everyone.

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/2564/kersnickarmscolorsketchwq2.jpg

P.S. it is hard to see the shading/highlights, but where the Or looks green/blue it is the shading and the scanners poor job at differentiating the colors hence its pixelization of the colors. :(

My only suggestion would be to make the torse something like "Or, sable, argent, gules, or, sable."  Since it’s supposed to be a twisted cloth, it seems to me just thinking about it that it would be hard to have it come out the way you show it.  Of course, it might be hard to do it my way, too.

Donnchadh wrote:

Here is the final color sketch before I get to finishing the arms. Basically this is the b&w sketch with basic color. I am now ready to move on to putting color to paper for the final. There are some drawing errors, so those will be fixed and the client has decided on keeping the layout of the arms as is.

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/2564/kersnickarmscolorsketchwq2.jpg

Only thing I have to say (and you probably know this) that the colours of the mantling should be reversed.

emrys wrote:

Only thing I have to say (and you probably know this) that the colours of the mantling should be reversed.

I didn’t notice that before you mentioned it—so the "German colors" should be on the German side of the shield?  I’ll bet Denny swapped sides to "balance" the colors.

—Guy

good point joe. i’ll try one that way… makes sense… and will probably look better.

good point ton… i tried it this way to counter change the position of the shield, but that was simply a try to see if it is OK. i’ll reverse it on the final, as it will probably look better.

guy that is xactly what i was trying to do. ton is probably right however, so i’ll go back… i can’t let my art nature get hold of me too much, as it can get out of hand… this isn’t the cartooning i do, nor the landscape scenes… got to keep myself in check! lol.

thanks again everyone.

Does anyone here know German well enough to translate a motto from English into German properly?

Donnchadh wrote:

Does anyone here know German well enough to translate a motto from English into German properly?

You might try PMing Reinhard Greis-Maibach or Jochen Wilke.  I have a bit of German still cached in my brain from college a long time ago, so if it’s fairly simple I can give it a shot, but you’d be better off with a native speaker.

thanks Joe.

The Arms would really pass off as German ones.

As for the motto - just name it, and we’ll try to do our very best….

Kind regards and, oh - by the way…

Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches Neues Jahr

Frohe Wiehnacht un’n gooden Rutsch in dat niee Johr

Fruohe Chreßhi’elege Daag on’n guoden Rotsch ennet nöüe Joahr

Prettig Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year

Glad Jul og et (ett) godt (gott) Nyt (Nytt) Ã…r

Gleðileg jól og farsælt komandi ár

Gleðileg jól og eydnurikt nýggjár

Joyeux Noël et une Bonne Année

Feliz Navidad y prospero Año Nuevo

Buon Natale e felice Capodanno

Καλά Χριστούγεννα και Ευτυχισμένο Νέο Ετος

Nollaig Chridheil agus Bliadhna Mhath Ur

Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa

Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda

Nedeleg laouen na bloav ezh mat

Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth

Kellemes Karácsonyi Ünnepeket és Boldog Uj Évet

Sarbatori fericite si La multi ani.

С Рождеством Христовым и Новым Годом

Hauskaa Joulua ja Onnellista Uutta Vuotta

クリスマスと新年のお慶びを申し上げます

聖誕快樂暨新年快樂

Jochen