How to draw the flag of Canada

The flag of Canada is a white square between two red vertical bands, with a red maple leaf at the centre. Below is how to construct it step by step, with the measurements written as fractions so they work at any size — on paper, on a whiteboard or in an art program. If you would rather test yourself first, you can draw it from memory and get scored.

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Step by step

  1. Start with a rectangle in the proportions 2:1. If you are working on paper, 20 cm wide by 10 cm tall is a convenient size — every measurement below is given as a fraction, so any size works as long as the shape is right.
  2. Divide the width into vertical bands of 25% red, then 50% white, then 25% red.
  3. Draw the red maple leaf in the centre square. It has eleven points; sketch the outline lightly first and get the overall width right before committing to the points.

The colours

These are the shades used in the reference drawing. Official specifications are usually given in Pantone; the hex values below are the closest common screen equivalents.

The mistakes people make

Test yourself

Reading how a flag is built and being able to reproduce it from memory are different skills, and the gap between them is bigger than most people expect. Draw the flag of Canada from memory and the game will score how close you got, or try today's flag if you want to be surprised.

Other flags to draw