Shield Painting for Reenactors
A well-painted shield is the single most visible piece of your reenactment kit. It identifies you on the field, tells spectators who you are, and - done well - looks spectacular.
I paint shields by hand, building up the design in layers the same way a medieval painter would: gesso ground for a smooth white base, coloured field laid in with broad strokes, then the charge built up from outline to highlight. The result is a painted surface that looks hand-crafted because it is.
What Can Be Painted
Simple Field Colours
A single tincture across the whole shield face. Clean, bold, historically common. This is the cheapest option and looks striking on the field.
Heraldic Devices
Your personal arms painted in full: field, ordinaries (bends, chevrons, crosses, etc.), and charges (lions, eagles, fleur-de-lis, etc.). I work from your blazon or from reference images.
If you don't have a registered device, I can help you design one that's heraldically correct and period-appropriate for the century you're portraying.
Complex Designs
Multi-quartered arms, full achievements with crest and mantling, or non-heraldic period designs (religious iconography, guild marks, campaign crosses). These take longer but produce a showpiece.
Process
- Consultation - You tell me what you want. Send a blazon, a sketch, a reference image, or just a description. I'll mock up the design and confirm before painting begins.
- Preparation - The shield face is sanded and primed with gesso to create a smooth, absorbent painting surface.
- Painting - The design is built up in layers. Field first, then ordinaries, then charges, then detail work and highlights.
- Sealing - The finished painting is sealed with a protective coat to resist weather and abrasion.
Pricing
Painting is priced by complexity:
- Plain field - Single colour coverage
- Simple device - Field + one charge or ordinary
- Complex device - Multi-element arms, detailed charges, or special techniques
Use the shield calculator to see current pricing for each level. Painting can be ordered as part of a new shield build or as a standalone service on your existing blank.
Turnaround
Painting adds 1-3 weeks to the build time depending on complexity. Simple field colours can be turned around quickly; a full heraldic achievement with detailed charges takes longer to do properly.