How to draw the flag of Spain

The flag of Spain has three horizontal bands — red, a double-height yellow, then red — with the coat of arms towards the hoist. 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 3:2. If you are working on paper, 15 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 height into unequal bands, from the top: red at 25% of the height, yellow at 50% of the height, red at 25% of the height. Measure these before filling — equal bands would make it a different flag.
  3. Add a red rectangle starting 28% across and 36% down, 10% of the width by 28% of the height.
  4. Finally, the emblem. This flag carries a device too detailed to reproduce faithfully by hand — even official renderings simplify it at small sizes. Place it correctly and at the right size, and do not worry about its interior.

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 Spain 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