Top Ten List: Flags!

Category: Blog

Hello all,

It’s been a while since I’ve updated you with what I have been up to recently.  So I’ll take a sentence or two to say that I returned to Ontario, then went on vacation, and then traveled again to spend time with some out of province family.  It has been a busy month in regards to comings and goings.  Very little art has been produced. HENCE! I’ve decided to write a post based on “what I do when I get artists block, feel genuinely uninspired or when I procrastinate.” Since I have been on the road for the last little while, I’ve compiled a list of what I deem to be the most interesting flags.  Criteria for my selections are based on elements of design, cultural influence, history and maybe a little personal bias.  The selections are sprinkled with colourful commentary to justify my decisions.  So without further adieu, I give you my TOP TEN favourite flags.   Beginning with number 10 . . . CHINA!

10. CHINA

For the record I am no bandwagon jumper.  I know that China is the next great World super power, but let me say that I was diggin’ their flag when they were still a Communist nation.  The flag itself is modeled after the former Soviet Union’s flag, without the hammer and sickle of course.  Instead the large star represents Communism and the smaller stars represent the different social classes within China.

9. GERMANY

The whole “3-band” flag is a little overdone in the flag industry.  But there is something about the German flag or “Bundesflagge” that resonates with me.  Maybe it’s Germany’s turbulent history?  Or maybe it is my love for gradations? Leave it to the Germans to take the most basic of templates and create gold, or should I say Pantone 109 (which is the yellowy band), while the red is Pantone 485.

8. GREAT BRITAIN

The Union Jack!  The World’s very first global super power!  History is written all over this flag and there are countless countries who still embed the Union Jack on their own flags.  My personal favourite of this kind is the flag of Hawaii.  I digress.  The Union Jack is the combination of the elder flags of Scotland, Ireland and of England.  If you are fluent with these flags it’s fairly simple to recognize.  Fun fact: Did you know flags used to be called Jacks?

7. TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

I’m a sucker for simplicity used in a modern way and this is it.  This flag is one cigarette away from a no smoking sign. Come to think of it, this is the only flag which reminds me of a universal symbol.  Love the dash.  And the sexy, white key-line stroke.  It’s edgy and literal.  A flag split in two:  Trinidad AND Tobago.

6. SENEGAL

Here’s a little African flavour for the countdown.  Without the star, the flag is incredibly bright and competitive among it’s colours.  The single green star balances out the colours and adds a central focal point.   I don’t know why, but looking at this flag makes me want to have a fruit salad.

5. PANAMA

Everything in perfect balance.  The “type A” part of my soul is very happy right now.  You can’t go wrong with red, blue and white.  The combo just radiates awesomeness wherever it goes  Fun fact: The Panamanian flag was introduced the very first day after Panama gained independence from Columbia on November 4, 1925.

4. TURKEY

In the case of Turkey’s flag, I understand the religious significance of the star and crescent moon, but I see through it and look straight at the design.  It’s practically perfect.  The over-sized, off-centre graphic is excellent.  Just a little bit different from your average star and moon based flags.  Plus, we see the rule of thirds at work without any strong vertical being seen.  Nice.

3. BAHRAIN

I’ve already mentioned that I am a fan of “simple”, so you can imagine why I enjoy this flags design so much.  It is simple with a touch of edginess.  The serrated white band is unlike any other flag I’ve seen and since I don’t know a lick about Bahrain, I thought some research should be in order.  Fun fact: Bahrain has been proposed as the site for the biblical Garden of Eden.



2. GREECE

Greece is one of my dream vacation spots, so you can imagine that just seeing their flag makes me all giddy with excitement.  I also like the fact that if I wanted, I could make this flag out of lego!  The positive and negative space are making my Gestalt radar go loco right now, so I’ll move on.

1. ALBANIA

How bad-ass of a flag is this!  If I had to go into battle, this is the flag I would want streaming in the air.  Truth is, this flags history goes all the way back to the Byzantine Empire.  It’s evolution is really interesting.  You can check it out here. The fabrication of the double-headed eagle is beautiful.  The rounded edges balance the composition nicely, while it still maintains an imposing graphic quality.

Well there you have it.  When I am not working on a project, I am scouring my resources to find interesting ideas and inspirations.  And for those truly patriotic, I did have the Canadian flag on my top 20 list.  Well I’m sure I’ll be updating the blog soon.  I have some small projects I’ve been researching/tinkering with.  So I’ll catch you later.

P.S. Let me know what flags are on your favourites list!  Most flags can be found here.


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