Scutum detailing

[Matthew Amt]

Fourth, what methods of decorating the front are reasonable? I'd prefer to avoid painting directly onto the facing fabric (inauthentic but inexpensive quilting cotton that looks a lot like linen), because I don't think my hands are steady enough to avoid ugly slips.

Do some practicing first, on scrap wood or whatever, and then go for it, carefully, and don't worry too much. Paint the whole shield with the background color first. When that's completely dry, use a PENCIL to trace the emblem from whatever patterns you are using. Fill in the color starting with the edges--use the END of the bristles to follow along the edge, not the edge of the brush, since changing the pressure or angle of the brush can make the edges blob out farther than you want! More control with the end. Once the edges are defined (at least part of that section) you can fill in the rest much more quickly. Don't worry too much about perfection, since the Romans certainly didn't. Just do the best you can. If you get slips or mistakes, just wipe the paint off with a damp rag. Any trace remaining you can touch up later with a dab of the background color.

If you plan to have black outlines, do them last, with a narrow brush. Some folks have used "paint markers", but of course I frown on those as evil!

I thought about using the Legio XX design, since the web site has such nice patterns, but I'm not near their geographic area so it wouldn't really fit in if I join a group.

Go ahead! Many other groups and individuals do. Or if you're worried about using the emblem of a group you're not with, use some of the elements in a different combination, using Trajan's Column or a grave stele as your guide. I've tried to make our wing match those on the Column--they're narrower and more curly than what you drew. Don't let the wings get too big, either: many reenactors have them really dominating the whole shield face, whereas on the Column they are smaller (which makes it easier to lay out the whole emblem authentically!).

If you do join a group, of course it makes sense to use their emblem. So maybe just leave it plain red for a while, and practice painting, to see if you end up with a group or not. When individuals happen to turn out with Legio XX now and then, it doesn't bother us at all if their shields don't match ours. We all still look great!

Happy painting!

Matthew