Hey!
I've been working on several crests for my knight helmets.
First of all, I'd like to correct a small mistake we often read here: the designs on a shield are called a "coat-of-arms" (blason, in French). It's this coat-of-arms that identifies the knight in battles. The first purpose of a coat-of-arms was to show who the bearer was, since his features had become hidden by his helmet, as these grew bigger and more protective of the face with time. Later it became personal to the knight, and then to his family, etc...
The crest, then, was an addition to the knight's helmet, only worn during tournaments (in French, cimier). It was a high and complex object, the purpose of which was again to identify the bearer during melees, and to make him taller as well as more impressive for his enemies. In the days before a tournament, both the coat-of-arms and the helms of all contestants were displayed (with their crests).
The crest could be anything, from an animal (real or imaginary) to two hands holding a heart, and of course a "Fleur-de-Lys". If the bearer was a king, or any person authorised to wear a crown, then the crown would feature at the bottom of the crest. The king of France's crest was: a crown topped by a Fleur-de-Lys.
The crest could be one of the designs featured in the coat-of-arms, but not necessarily.
I could spend more time talking about these, but I'm not sure anybody really cares (except WoT, I guess).
So here are some of the crests I made with Plastiline. They're rough sketches, I want to make them with resin later, but Plastiline is so much easier to sculpt (like clay, almost, but it never hardens), and quicker too!
For each, I made a close up pic and a full size portrait if the knight to show proportions.
That's it! I didn't bring enough helmets on my holiday...
Best,
Arnaud
