With the increasing interest in ancient and medieval gaming, it is time to explore some quick and effective methods for painting heraldic devices, shields and livery. Although painting such intricate objects may appear to present some challenges, the theory here is the same as with any type of wargame painting. The key is to break down the task at hand into logical components so that the end product looks better than the sum of its parts.
First, let's look at the medieval devices themselves. I will not rehash the entire history of tinctures, charges and the like in this article since there are many fine books on the subject available to you. It is important, however, in the context of this article to understand the basic colors used in Europe during this period. The original colors included yellow, white, blue, red, black and to a lesser extent green and purple. As the demand for greater variety grew later in the period, orange and maroon were added.
The original purpose of heraldic devices was to help to identify an individual on the battle field. When you transfer this idea onto a table top using 15mm or25mm figures, the problem is magnified. The solution is to over-paint for clarity.
This is especially true when pastels or lighter colors are combined in a single device. For instance, light blue devices painted directly on a field of white will wash out. If you study contemporary illustrations of heraldic devices, the devices themselves appear to be outlined. When painting this type of device on a shield the outline should be applied first.
Outlining colors should be complimentary to the color of the device. Black as an outlining color can be used with blue, white or green. Dark brown should be used with orange, red and and yellow. If black or dark brown appears to be too harsh for your taste, then use your base colors, mixing them with black or brown until you have the right colors for your taste.
Now for painting the actual devices
The key point here is that devices are painted in layers. But before you can begin, proper cleaning of the surface is important. Remember that flat surfaces show all types of flash lines and file marks, and when you paint those flat surfaces with detailed devices it will show markedly. The clean-up is a two step process. First, use a jeweler's file to clean off any flash lines. Then to eliminate any file marks, use some fine emory cloth as a final touch.
After cleaning, undercoat the shield with white paint. Not only will this brighten the painting surface for the next color you will use, but it will also point up any flaws still remaining on the surface of the shield. When the white coat has dried you are ready to paint the device.
As a simple example I will use the coat of arms of John Lord Mowbray which is a white lion rampant on a red shield. After painting the shield red, you paint the lion black.
A common problem with painting any device is centering it. You do this by painting the device from its center outward. From the center, or stomach in this case, of the device, you paint a stick figure of the device to scale. The next step is to fill in the rest of the figure to form your lion. I usually begin the filling-out process in a clockwise fashion starting with the top of the figure(in this case the head) and working around the shield until the device is complete. The reason for this procedure is that you proceed in an orderly fashion which helps with proportion and you can continue to move on should you make a mistake, which saves time. The final step in completing the process is to repeat your performance using white and leaving some of the black as an outline.
Multiple devices are handled in the same fashion except, in some cases, you will do them all at once. For instance, three lions rampant white on a red shield will all start with the stomach and work clockwise. Again, while this may sound a bit strange it will really help you with proportion. The exception to the above suggestion occurs when you are painting devices on a halved or quartered shield. Then each device should be painted separately.
Speaking of quartered shields, the most common device found on medieval shields is a straight line. Whether you quarter a shield, paint a cross, or make a diagonal, the straight line is the most important device to master and one of the easiest. Yet it is surprising how many people struggle with it. The key to a straight line is to paint one side of it and then the other. Try to paint one side of the line straight. Don't worry about the other side of the line because you can always cut it with either the outlining color or the base color of the shield. Cutting the line means narrowing or broadening the line to straighten it.
Straight lines also take the form of diamonds, hounds' teeth, and a variety of other configurations. Here it is important to use outlining except in the most extreme instances (dark blue on white, etc.). Let's take diamonds for example. After painting in your outlining color simply fill in with the proper color for your diamond. Whenever a device is a series of straight lines do the outlining first; the rest is easy.
There is almost an endless variety of devices used in the ancient and medieval periods for shield facings. A little research will take you a long way, but as a start, try Armies of Feudal Europe 1066-1300, by Ian Heath, a Wargames Research Group Publication. An excellent volume for a solid and brief history on the subject, Armies of Feudal Europe also contains hundreds of illustrations of basic shield devices. Many of the devices found in this book can also be traced back to earlier times... highly recommended.
Up to this point I have concentrated on devices painted upon shields. For most of the combatants of the medieval period devices were worn on the person, usually on the chest. The procedure for painting them is the same as if they were painted on shield surfaces.
The other item I promised to cover is livery. Basically, livery was the coat-of-arms of the wearer found on his outer coat or draped upon his horse. The coat-of-arms made up of various devices consistant with those on the shield are also painted in the same fashion. The only problem, and I find it to be a difficult one, is shading the surcoat (outer coat) and then painting on the devices. In theory, at least, the devices should be shaded as much as the surcoat, but now we are entering into an area for the more experienced painters among our readers. Using the usual techniques of shading and highlighting will not work well with devices. It is difficult to control a wash or dry brushing technique on half or one quarter of a device. My advice is to paint the device on the surcoat all one shade or tone, ignoring the fine points, and let the shading and highlighting be picked up by the surcoat of the figure or the draping of the horse itself.
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