A crest, of course. 
Alexander - any suggestions? 
I’m not Alexander, but how about something like this?
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_N97B1mkoHno/TJzKtPO8sSI/AAAAAAAAAPk/VjqPS0NzxJk/s512/Stag crest.jpg
Well, you were thinking about a star or compass rose in your previous design?
How about a deer head to continue the generally same pattern, and adding a star between the antlers?
thanks for the suggestions - I’m currently evaluating a caboshed stag, so I don’t want to over do the deer angle.
I like the idea of not using a helm…
It is up to you, Jonathan, but, I preferred the deer tynes, only.
Regards,
Iain Boyd
If by now, as it appears, you’re down to two designs—pile with stag’s head caboshed vs pile just the tynes; and possibly two color choices—white - green—white vs yellow—green—white; then its time for the time-honored refrigerator test.
Print out the four variations, as posted in the two related threads, in color, and stick them on the door of your fridge or some other suitable place where you will see them several times a day; then see which, if any, gradually and subconsciously "grow" on you over a period of at least a month or so.
Study them sometimes, and merely casually observe them in passing at other times. If one design & color combo gradually comes, in your conscious and subconscious mind, to naturally represent "you" then you have your answer, whatever various folk here may say—in fact, try not to ask us about it during that period, so as not to skew the results—but please tell us how it comes out!
(I’m not suggesting you drop out of active participation in the group—please don’t!!—but just focus on other things & other folk’s arms while your subconscious does its thing re: your own arms).
Beware the heraldista’s curse—"blazon in haste, regret at leisure."
But on the other hand, you can’t keep second guessing yourself. There’s always SOMETHING you could change to your arms. You need to just find a design you like, and settle with it when you know the time is right. Sometimes I see cool designs that I think I could’ve done, but then I step back and realize that I’m proud of my design…it’s very me, and I’m happy with it. It’s a matter of finding something you like, and then just being content.
Okay guys, here are the contenders (minus one dark horse)
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/loaba/contendersv1.png
With anyone of these, a crest needs to maintain some sort of woodsy aire. I’ll start working on that. Joshua made some neat images in the members forum for me, so I have to work on that.
I agree with Mike McCartney on the other thread, that the charges on the pile stand out more on the versions with the gold/yellow field. As for a crest, if you are going for the medieval standard, it is probably true that the crest might carry over from the shield, but that certainly is not the standard today. There is no reason for the crest to correspond with the shield, though I admit it is a nice touch. Joe McMillan’s hand holding the Creek atassa has no obvious connection to the shield (though, if you know the story behind the arms, you know that it has everything to do with it). My groundhog crest has no discernible relationship to the primarily geometric patterns from my arms. As long as the two elements (shield and crest) are meaningful to you, there is no reason they must be complementary one to the other. Though, as I already said, it is nice when they are.
Kenneth - I agree with you, it would be nice for shield and crest to "match".
As you know, I have another blazon that is a departure from the stag motif that I am currently contemplating.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/loaba/linessml.png
This counter-changed blazon could easily accept a stag crest. That is appealing; I simply don’t want to abandon the stag completely.
Thoughts?
No 24;79407 wrote:
Kenneth - I agree with you, it would be nice for shield and crest to "match".
As you know, I have another blazon that is a departure from the stag motif that I am currently contemplating.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/loaba/linessml.png
This counter-changed blazon could easily accept a stag crest. That is appealing; I simply don’t want to abandon the stag completely.
Thoughts?
i really like this one!
I like it as well, but I’m having trouble with the stag crest. I "steal" images and photoshop ‘em. That’s not hard to do with geometric shapes (which I generally create anyway), things like stags are hard to find and even harder to rework.
So, put a nice big VIKING helmet on top, with antlers, with a mantling made of leaves. It keeps the "woodsy" touch you want.
Why is this all being discussed in two different threads? Can a moderator merge them?
