OK, let’s get this thing rolling. I’d like to share two additional emblazonments of my arms, the first by me, in a more English style compared with the Scottish version that serves as my main version in the members’ arms section.
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeohzt4/McMillan2-large.png.
And the other is a scan of a painting I commissioned from the English heraldic painter Marie Lynskey, which I just received Saturday. Miss Lynskey, a calligrapher as well as a painter, was previously an artist at the College of Arms and is a member of the Society of Heraldic Arts. She trained at the well-known Reigate School . Her website is http://www.ml.clara.net/.
http://www.heraldrysociety.us/MemberArmPages/images/McMillan_ahs_l4.jpg
We’ll see how well this new software works!
[Edited to save bandwidth now that both are in the Members’ Arms section]
Hi Joe,
Those are indeed very nice emblazonments—I’m particularly struck by the club (intended pun). I note the club now has a better balanced proportion. Ms. Lynskey’s work is very beautiful!
Regards,
Guy
they are nice joe. i like both yours and hers. i have to say that i like her helmet quite a bit.
Joe,
Both look excellent! Miss Lynskey is an outstanding artist as is demonstrated with her emblazonment of your arms.
Take care,
From her website above:
Marie Lynskey trained for five years at the Reigate School of Art and Design, Surrey, England where she obtained an Ordinary National Diploma in General Art and Design then a Higher National Diploma in Calligraphy, Heraldry and Illumination. She has been a full time scribe and heraldic artist for many years and is author of several books on related subjects. She accepts freelance commissions from all parts of the world as well as undertaking work from various companies specialising in illuminated documents including the Royal College of Arms in London.
Nice Joe I like both renditions of your arms
Joe, I have one question on her design for ya – and please forgive my ignorance of Native American weaponry. But, what is the little knob on the club that she has that I don’t see elsewhere? I really like it myself, but I just didn’t know what that was.
John, I love your avatar! Very cool seeing a tartan behind the shield. I wouldn’t mind seeing that with other Scotsmen, or those who are a part of Scottish clan societies, here; very cool indeed.
I wonder if I could do that with the Irish tartan for the district of Oriel, or, at least Ulster…hmm…I’ll have to look into that and see…great idea John. How did you do it anyway?
Donnchadh asked about the knob on the war club in my crest in Marie Lynskey’s rendering.
The Creek Indian war club, or "atassa" seems to have come in a variety of forms, of which the most usual was the simple style, shaped in profile like a falchion, that I used on my emblazonments. Another, more distinctive, had a sphere or oval carved on the back of the blade, opposite the striking area, to increase the weight and thus the force imparted by a blow. Along with the blazon of the arms, I provided Miss Lynskey drawings of various atassas from the Georgia state historical museum and she opted for the form with the oval protrusion.
Donnchadh wrote:
John, I love your avatar! Very cool seeing a tartan behind the shield. I wouldn’t mind seeing that with other Scotsmen, or those who are a part of Scottish clan societies, here; very cool indeed.
I wonder if I could do that with the Irish tartan for the district of Oriel, or, at least Ulster…hmm…I’ll have to look into that and see…great idea John. How did you do it anyway?
Hi Dennis,
Its my own Tartan ‘Duncan of Sketraw’ registered with the Tartans Authority http://www.tartansauthority.com ITI No. 006497 designed by Brian Wilton.
Its easy realy just place your sheild over the tartan square of the size you require.
Yep just like that Joe…... Nice I like it. 
Is it your own tartan or the McMillan?
The tartan is MacMillan Ancient, otherwise known as MacMillan Old. Actually my arms would probably look better against either MacMillan Hunting or the one known simply as MacMillan, which is a really garish yellow and red (which means orange wherever the colors cross each other). I’ve played with the idea of trying an emblazonment with the mantling lined in MacMillan (yellow and red) tartan, but I’m not sure I have the nerve.
Well nothing ventured nothing gained have a go at the mantling Joe and see what it looks like, sometimes it turns out better than expected. At least you have a choice of Tartans to use.
The McMillan Old your using behind the arms is good and I think the green in the tartan shows the arms up well. Perhaps embossing the arms may blend them even better but it all boils down to a bit of trial and error. It is good to experiment and you never know you might end up being a trend setter. :cool:
OK John and Joe. I feel like a dunce. I’ve tried to use a swatch of the Oriel tartan I got on line and place a shield on it, and, my computer won’t do it. So, what am I doing wrong?
Dennis, Send the arms and tartan to me john@sketraw.co.uk and I will do it for you, easier than explaining
Joe, I have to say that I like the knob on the club. Especially since it looses its great size in her rendition, as opposed to the other renditions you’ve given us. I think it helps in that way. In fact Joe I think I like her rendition the best of all the ones you have so far. The more I see it the more I really, really like how she drew this up. While de Bruin is my favorite of the heraldic artists I’ve seen so far (can’t help it, as I am a cartoonist myself and his arms are so reminiscent of cartooning), she is a very close second.
