Here are some of the most common. The background of the shield was often divided, and there are names for the common divisions. A shield divided diagonally, upper left to lower right, blue on top and black on the bottom, with a silver lion standing on his hind legs. Vert, a tierce azure, in chief three roses or A shield divided vertically into three parts, the first one blue, the other two green, with three gold roses across the top of the shield. Common divisions of shields are shown below, together with the most common major shapes, termed Ordinaries.
Ordinaries do follow the rule.
Sometimes shields were divided into four parts, or quartered, to show the arms inherited from both sides of the family. The upper left quarter is named first, then the right upper quarter, then the two lower quarters in the same order. The first quarter and fourth quarters are blue with a gold gryphon, the second and third quarters are white with a red cross with split ends.