How to Draw a Flag

Smart Art Institute Online - Drawing and Painting Art Lessons

Learn how to draw a waving flag in a few simple steps. Painting or drawing a flag is fun and easy. Whether you want to know how to draw the american flag, how to draw the mexican flag or how to draw a canadian flag, most of the steps are the same, it's just the decoration that's different.

If you can draw one flag, you can draw any flag. When the wind starts a flag waving you can see the folds in the cloth as it carries a "wave" of energy across the flag. (TIP: This drawing lesson can also be used to as a foundation to draw cloth.) The flag in this lesson has a simple wave pattern that helps show off the flags colors. A real flag will have have waves going in multiple directions and will be more complex than this example. However this is a great place to get started with flag drawing. Which ever flag is your favorite, its time to show your colors and get to creating some art. Now let's get started with "How to Draw a Flag."
Waving Flag Drawing Tutorial Step 1: Draw three rectangles as show below. The rectangles should be slightly angled. This forms the basis of your flag drawing.

Waving Flag Drawing Tutorial Step 2: Now extend the cloth of the flag drawing at the base of the second and third panel and draw diagonal lines connecting the adjacent panels.

Waving Flag Drawing Tutorial Step 3: It's time to smooth your waving flags edges. Round the top corners and use "S" curves to round out the bottom of the panels edges.

Waving Flag Drawing Tutorial Step 4: Draw over the outline with a pen or pencil to darken it. Make corrections as you go.

Waving Flag Drawing Tutorial Step 5: Complete the outlining of the flag drawing and shade the panels as shown in the picture below. Continue darkening the flags folds to depict shadow and show depth.

Waving Flag Drawing Tutorial Step 6: Here is where we begin to add the decoration to make our flag unique. Continue this flag by adding stripes. Try to follow the curve of the top and the bottom edges of the flag to make the stripes look like they are truly part of the cloth.

Waving Flag Drawing Tutorial Step 7: Paint or color your flags stripes. You can use the colors I used or use your own favorite colors. Notice the highlights at the folds of the cloth. This is accomplished by leaving some white paper exposed. Try it! You can always add more color, but it can be hard to take away depending on what you are using to paint your flag.

Waving Flag Drawing Tutorial Step 8: Add a flag pole to complete your flag drawing.

Waving Flag Drawing Tutorial Step 9: You can also add a sky. I have used a textured hatching that looks somewhat like a basket weaving. In art you can have fun making interesting marks. Your art and your drawing can be your own unique world. You can create it the way you like it. Its' your drawing after all.