Assignment #6: Shields

This assignment is not due until Monday, November 26th.
There will be an assignment #7 due at the same time.

This next assignment is something new, and does not necessarily require a blog posting. However, it does involve that you develop your childhood talents of fun with scissors, paste and colored paper. It is a chance to show your more physically creative side and I want you to create a finished design that is done well. This time, you are going to be graded not only on the content, but on the care and effort put into it. It will cost a few dollars to make, probably not more than $10-20 at most. Admittedly people in the past have spent a lot more than that in time and effort, but decent jobs can be done for the suggested amount.

I want you to make a shield with the heraldry of your character upon it. The heraldry can be complex or it may be simple, but there is heraldry for all the characters we have chosen, even the female ones. I want you to make a shield, a kite or heater shield out of cardboard/posterboard as the base (find the dimensions of an actual kite or heater shield online) and then decorate the front with colored paper or poster paint or whatever, using the actual heraldry of your character from Arthurian myth. Make sure you use only the colors that would have been available at the time. This project should not cost a lot of money, but will probably involve a trip to Walmart, Office Depot or a craft store for the supplies. All three usually stock colored paper and posterboard.

The shields should be the actual dimensions of either a kite shield or a heater shield. Either will be acceptable. Samples of previous shields are in the Humanities department hallway ranging from very good to okay. The designs range from simple shields of cardboard and drawings, to more intricate  wooden shields and three years ago a shield made completely of steel and the heraldry design was in raised brass. If you have been to my office, you have seen one made in stained glass. Such elaborate designs are not necessary, as there have been plenty of excellent shields made with a little creative effort from posterboard. Just don't wait until the last minute as your results will be craptacular.

If you have any questions, please forward them on to me.