Draw a Flag

Need to draw a flag for a history or geography project? Here's an easy tutorial on how to do it!

Steps

Draw the flagpole. Sketch two lines, on top of which you’ll put an oval and a circle. Give your shapes some depth, so they look sort of three-dimensional.
Draw the flag itself. Sketch two parallel, curved lines and another set a little bit below those. The flag can’t be a perfect rectangle because it’s waving in the wind, so no matter how tempted you are, don’t just draw two parallel lines.
Connect the lines to one other with vertical curved lines. The overall effect will be of two loosely-drawn squares overtook of one another, like sheets of paper just barely touching on a desk.
For the lower fold, draw a curved line that will connect the two lines. This is a turning point for the drawing, wherein the line creates a realistic illusion rather than a flat flag.
Add in some details, like ropes that would tie the flag to the pole. Don't forget your flag's design! It could be an original design OR a design from the country whose flag you want to draw. Remember to account for the folded nature of the flag, so don't make your design perfectly flat.
Outline the flag. Smooth the edges/lines and erase the guidelines.
Color it in! And there you go, your very own flag. Use shading and highlighting to make it as realistic as possible.

Flags are different in every country, of course, but many are incredibly simple--Italy’s, for instance, just has three stripes of green, white, and red. If you have a choice, you should start with simple patterns like that so you can concentrate on the texture and shadowing of the flag. When you’ve mastered that, move on to another, more challenging design, such as the British flag, and soon you’ll be drawing every national flag from America to Grenada.
Draw lightly in pencil so that you can easily rub out mistakes. I have been told to write so lightly that if you were writing on your face, it would tickle