Our shield

In the Middle Ages, individuals were identified by their Coat of Arms. As they were used on the battlefield to identify a person’s friends and foes, they were often in the shape of a shield.

The symbols used on coats of arms were chosen carefully to represent an individual or an entire family. The study of the symbols, colors and patterns used in Coats of Arms is known as heraldry.

Create your own COAT of ARMS based on your hobbies, personality, character and family.

Read through the list of colors, animals and symbols shown below.

Which represent your group?

Can you think of more animals or symbols that you could use on your Coat of Arms ?

Include the following information on your own Coat of Arms for your group:

A symbol / picture to represent an important place.
A symbol / picture to represent a hobby / activity.
An animal that represents you
Any other symbol or picture that represents you.
Include a Personal Motto (words or a phrase that represent you) at the top.

Your group should answer the next questions and justify the choosen symbols and share it on the portfolio.

What are some important places for your group? What symbols represent these places?
What are your group favorite hobbies / activities? What symbols represent these activities?
What is an animal that represents your group? Why?
What else is important to you and should be represented in your Coat of Arms?
What color best represents your group?
Add some ideas for a Personal Motto.

Write a paragraph to explain the key points of your group Coat of Arms. Be sure to explain each element of your design and why you chose it.

Creating our shield

Now your group have the design of your own coat of arms. Wht is the next step?

Paint your own coat of arms .

You should follow the next steps to get a coat of arms to show in your fair:

Prepare a wooden square with gesso.
Copy your coat of arms in a vegetal paper.
Transfer your design in the wooden piece.
Produce your own tempera with pigments and egg yolks.
Paint the coat of arms. You should know that to get a good one, you have to paint several times.
Get a gilded shield,just adding some gold paper in some areas. You should choos well which areas you want to get gilded.

Your coat of arms would be prepared for the fair.

We use oil paints now but during the middle ages they didn't have oil paint. They made their own paints using eggs! Yup, that type of paint is called "Egg Tempera" Paint and it works terrific. All it takes is an egg and something for pigment.

Crack open an egg and separate the yolk from the white. Then put the yolk on a paper towel to get rid of most of the egg white. Roll it around on the paper towel.

Hold the yolk in one hand and pierce it with something, you can use a toothpick. Let the yolk run into your container. We do this because we don't want the skin of the yolk in our mix.

Go ahead and mix lots of pigment into that egg yolk. You can also add a little water. The water is optional. You will get a feel for the paint and how you like it so you can judge the water addition.

And you are ready to paint!

With egg tempera paint it is common to paint on multiple layers to

deepen and richen the colors and pigment.