North America · Canadian pale
How to draw the flag of Canada
The flag of Canada is three vertical bands with a double-width centre in red and white, with maple leaf. It flies at a ratio of 1:2.
Step by step
- Start with the right shape. Canada flies at 1:2 — for every 2 units of width the flag is 1 tall. Sketch that rectangle first; a flag drawn too square is the fastest way to lose layout points.
- Block in the background. Fill the whole flag with red first, then build the rest on top of it. Working from the largest area to the smallest keeps the proportions honest.
- Add the white. Three vertical bands with a double-width centre. Place these shapes by eye against the edges of the flag, not against each other.
- Finish with the maple leaf. Detail is the last ten percent of the score, so leave it until the colour blocks are down. Size and position count for more than drawing every line of it.
Canada flag colours
The colour codes below are the ones to reach for if you are recreating the flag digitally.
| Colour | Hex | RGB |
|---|---|---|
| Red | #FF0000 | rgb(255, 0, 0) |
| White | #FFFFFF | rgb(255, 255, 255) |
What the flag means
Adopted in 1965 to replace the Red Ensign, the eleven-pointed maple leaf was chosen as a symbol no province could claim.
Common mistakes
- Drawing equal thirds. The white centre is a square — as wide as the flag is tall — and each red band is half that width.
- Watch out for Peru and Lebanon — they are close enough to Canada that people draw the wrong one from memory.
A trick for remembering it
Canadian pale: red, double-width white, red. The leaf has eleven points, not nine or thirteen.
Flags that look like this one
Side-by-side breakdowns of the pairs people mix up:
Questions about the Canada flag
What colours are on the flag of Canada?
Canada uses 2 colours: red (#FF0000), white (#FFFFFF).
What are the proportions of the Canada flag?
It flies at 1:2 (height to width). Drawing it at the wrong shape is one of the quickest ways to lose layout marks in the game.
What does the Canada flag mean?
Adopted in 1965 to replace the Red Ensign, the eleven-pointed maple leaf was chosen as a symbol no province could claim.
Which flags look like the Canada flag?
Peru, Lebanon. Watch out for Peru and Lebanon — they are close enough to Canada that people draw the wrong one from memory.
How hard is the Canada flag to draw from memory?
PlayVexle rates it 2 out of 5. Flat colour blocks and no fine detail, so most players score in the eighties or nineties.
