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Some Special Interests => Heraldry Crests and Coats of Arms => Topic started by: KGarrad on Tuesday 03 February 15 22:41 GMT (UK)

Title: Drawing a Coat-of-Arms
Post by: KGarrad on Tuesday 03 February 15 22:41 GMT (UK)

I recently found this website:
http://www.karlwilcox.com/drawshield/

If you click on "Create", you can enter a blazon in the box, click on "Draw Shield" and you get a representation of your coa!

I am well impressed!


I also spotted a minor bug; informed the owner, and it has been fixed in just a few days.
Now that's customer service!!

Title: Re: Drawing a Coat-of-Arms
Post by: miriamkinga on Wednesday 04 February 15 12:00 GMT (UK)

Thanks KGarrad I will have hours of fun with this  ;D

Title: Re: Drawing a Coat-of-Arms
Post by: bean on Thursday 05 February 15 10:47 GMT (UK)

I had something similar (blazons) that doesn't work on more recent versions of windows so this is great but it's driving me mad!
Can't work out how to specify which charge goes in which quarter and how to say I only want a fesse engrailed on two of the quarters - all as per my avatar.
I've tried entering the correct arms but it doesn't recognise most of it.

Will keep persevering though

Title: Re: Drawing a Coat-of-Arms
Post by: KGarrad on Thursday 05 February 15 10:54 GMT (UK)

Try sending an email to Karl (the website owner/developer).

He freely admits that it's a work-in-progress!! ;D



I tried playing around, and got this to work!

Quartered first and fourth gules a gryphon or second and third argent a lion rampant sable  a fess engrailed gules

Title: Re: Drawing a Coat-of-Arms
Post by: bean on Thursday 05 February 15 11:10 GMT (UK)

That's brilliant and now I can see where I was going wrong - trying to enter the quarters as numbers not words.
More playing to be done on others now, thank you

Title: Re: Drawing a Coat-of-Arms
Post by: KGarrad on Thursday 05 February 15 11:13 GMT (UK)

A tip!

I tried playing with the "Build function first.
That's where I could get the quarters; and see the blazon.

Then I added the charges (Gryphon and lion).


Finally I guessed at where to add the Fess engrailed!!


But it worked! ;D ;D


Lastly, don't forget that you can save the CoA and edit it in your favourite graphics program!

Title: Re: Drawing a Coat-of-Arms
Post by: behindthefrogs on Monday 16 February 15 14:55 GMT (UK)

It only seems to produce the shield.  How did you all get the complete coat of arms?

Title: Re: Drawing a Coat-of-Arms
Post by: KGarrad on Monday 16 February 15 15:06 GMT (UK)

In deciding the title for this thread, I used terminology in common use, that the average person would understand! ;D

I am well aware the a full Coat-of-Arms consists of the shield, the mantling, the crest and a motto.

But a Title of "Drawing a Shield" didn't seem to convey the information I was trying to put across?

Title: Re: Drawing a Coat-of-Arms
Post by: davidbappleton on Monday 16 February 15 18:56 GMT (UK)

In fact, "coat of arms" applies to just the shield (or, in other instances, to a surcoat of the arms):

"Coat of arms, or Coat-armour: the general term for the escutcheon or shield of arms, but properly applicable to the Surcoat...."  (Parker, A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry, cf. Coat of Arms)

The term usually applied to the combination of "the shield, the mantling, the crest and a motto" (and compartment and supporters, if any) is an "achievement of arms."

David