"Medieval Non-Nobility Shields?" Topic

I am looking for ideas on how to paint shields of non-nobility in early middle-ages, Barons War or War of Scottish Independence to be specific.

This would be for things like London Militia and levied spearmen/billmen and Scots.

Also, Foot Sergeants, although I assume they may have some heraldry pattern.

Any advice appreciated.

It's a bit later than your period, but there was a decree of the Scottish Parliament in 1385 that each man in the muster would bear a St Andrew's Cross (white saltire) "before and aft". If the man's jack was white, the saltire was to be on a circle or square of black. If a Scots muster had any commonality of shield decoration, it seems to me a white saltire is as good a guess as any. (Probably no standardization of background color).

Solid-colored shields of an inexpensive paint (white, black, russet-red, or yellow ochre spring to mind) might be a reasonable assumption – but avoiding charges or even divisions of the shield, as that would be heraldic. In truth, the 13th-century period art I've seen shows lots of noble heraldry but doesn't typically depict formations of common troops (unlike art of the late 14th- and 15th centuries, where they show up regularly).

It's the levies and militias that I have been stumped about what to do with. I have 50 London Militia, 30 Scots and 50 Levied Spearmen that I am doing. With so many, I'd like to have something that has some plausible historical look.

What you suggest is sort of my assumption about having just a few basic colors, all solid.

I have about 100 foot knights and sergeants that will have the basic/generic patterns and colors shown here -
link

Plus a few that will have specific individual heraldry.

Thanks for the input. One day I will get this project done. Last of my foot finally going off for commission painting.

Game of Thrones simplified things greatly. Everyone wore the Lord's "sigil". This almost leads me to think that either Martin or the showrunners were frustrated gamers. 😄

Heraldry for knights was in its infancy during the Barons' War period, and there was not yet any concept of livery colours. Foot serjeants were hired professionals who brought there own kit along, so likely had individual patterns and colours.

National saltires and crosses come later, so levy are just a motley lot.

Good blog post here by Andy Hobday:
link

City militia tended to be raised from moderately well-off burgher families, a cut above the general rabble. Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised if your London militia had quite brightly-painted shields. You could give them the city's coat of arms – which at this date seems to have been an image of Saint Paul on a red ground:

" A reference in Liber Custumarum (COL/CS/01/006) refers to the service of Robert Fitz-Walter, Castellain of London, who died in 1235, in which he receives from the Mayor the banner of the City "of bright red, with a figure of St Paul in gold, with the feet and hands and head in silver and a sword in the hand of the said figure". The saint is also depicted, sword in hand, on the obverse of the Common Seal of the City, which dates from the early thirteenth century, and on two embroidered seal bags of 1319"
from link