Practice · Asia
Japan
How to draw the flag of Japan
The flag of Japan is a plain white field, with a red disc at the centre. Its official proportions are 3:2.
Colours used
- white —
#ffffff - red —
#bc002d
You do not need to match these hex values exactly. Scoring allows a generous margin on shade because nobody remembers the precise navy of a flag; what it does not forgive is putting the right colour in the wrong place.
How to draw it well
The disc is the focal point, so its size and position carry real weight. Aim for a diameter of about 60% of the flag's height and centre it carefully — an off-centre disc is the giveaway. Use the circle tool and drag outwards from the middle.
- Fill the whole canvas with the background or the first stripe — an unpainted margin costs you points.
- Lay in the remaining bands with the rectangle tool, keeping the divisions level.
- Add the central detail last, checking its size against the height of the flag.
- Press Check my flag to see your drawing next to the real one.
Where people lose points on this flag
- Leaving a white margin around the edge of the canvas. Unpainted area is scored as wrong colour, so fill right to the borders.
Proportions
Japan flies its flag at 3:2. The drawing canvas is a fixed shape and scoring compares regions rather than absolute measurements, so you do not need to reproduce the ratio exactly; what matters is that the internal divisions land in the right relative places.