Over the years I have painted several wooden, escutcheon-shaped plaques for the purpose of armorial display; some are used as list shields for tournament fighting, and some are used for decorative purposes in the home, depending on the needs of the recipient. The plaques themselves are available in various sizes at a local craft store (JoAnn’s Superstore) for a reasonable price (all sizes are under $5).
My first few plaques were given as gifts for friends, and were painted using acrylic so that they would be durable and water resistant for outdoor use. I recommend this approach for list shields, or anything that will travel and be exposed to weather.
When it came time to depict my own arms, I decided to experiment with tempera, which I created from egg, water and pigment powders using period techniques and materials. Working in tempera was a rewarding and educational experience, and I love the results – but these items are definitely for display only as art pieces.
I entered one of my tempera-painted plaques, depicting my personal arms, at Caid Arts and Sciences Fair and Pentathlon in 2015. This entry placed first in the category ‘Heraldic Display: Painted Item,’ at the ‘Apprentice’ level. Below is my full documentation from that event.
This particular plaque was also one of my three entries in the Dreiburgen Arts & Sciences Champion Competition of 2015.
[embeddoc url=”http://atelier.angharat.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/List-shield.pdf” height=”750px”]