Europe · Nordic cross
How to draw the flag of Iceland
The flag of Iceland is an off-centre cross with the upright shifted toward the hoist in blue, white and red. It flies at a ratio of 18:25.
Step by step
- Start with the right shape. Iceland flies at 18:25 — for every 25 units of width the flag is 18 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 blue first, then build the rest on top of it. Working from the largest area to the smallest keeps the proportions honest.
- Add the white and red. An off-centre cross with the upright shifted toward the hoist. Place these shapes by eye against the edges of the flag, not against each other.
- Finish with the off-centre cross. 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.
Iceland flag colours
The colour codes below are the ones to reach for if you are recreating the flag digitally.
| Colour | Hex | RGB |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | #02529C | rgb(2, 82, 156) |
| White | #FFFFFF | rgb(255, 255, 255) |
| Red | #DC1E35 | rgb(220, 30, 53) |
What the flag means
A red cross of Christianity edged in white on blue: the blue of the mountains, white of the ice, red of the island’s volcanic fire.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting the white outline around the red cross.
- Watch out for Norway and Denmark — they are close enough to Iceland that people draw the wrong one from memory.
- The proportions are unusual: 18:25 is slightly squarer than the usual 2:3 rectangle.
A trick for remembering it
Norway with the colours swapped: blue field, white cross, red cross inside.
Flags that look like this one
Side-by-side breakdowns of the pairs people mix up:
Questions about the Iceland flag
What colours are on the flag of Iceland?
Iceland uses 3 colours: blue (#02529C), white (#FFFFFF), red (#DC1E35).
What are the proportions of the Iceland flag?
It flies at 18:25 (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 Iceland flag mean?
A red cross of Christianity edged in white on blue: the blue of the mountains, white of the ice, red of the island’s volcanic fire.
Which flags look like the Iceland flag?
Norway, Denmark. The proportions are unusual: 18:25 is slightly squarer than the usual 2:3 rectangle.
How hard is the Iceland 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.
