The clueless thread starter strikes again! Moderators, feel free to move!

Here's a handy tutorial to get you all started making flags for your country.

1. Color. Pick out two or three colors that represent what you want your flag to mean. Here is a handy guide to the significance of colors, their moods and the heraldric symbology: http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html

2. Think of what you want your flag to represent. If you know the history of your country, who would have had the flag designed? the flag represents his vision of the country, not what it is centuries later. Was it wealthy and powerful? Did it have many provinces? What was the main export? Use these elements to come up with some symbols for your flag. (Crown, stars, grain, etc.)

3. Pick out a motto. (optional) You can use one in english or latin, or if your country has it's own language or writing system use that. Here is a list of common mottos: http://www.heraldryandcrests.com/Mottos.htm

4. Put it all together. The most important color is going to be your background. The other colors usually match your symbols. (wheat is gold, leaves are green, etc.) Try to pick colors that coordinate to an extent. Flags usually employ two or three colors.

5. Be creative. You don't have to have a solid background, look into the meanings of stripes or crests. Invent a seal and use that. Maybe your country has a checkered background. Try not to make your flag too cluttered, simplicity is usually best for identifying a nation's flag in battle.

Have fun! Feel free to post your results, or your own suggestions here.

(Disclaimer: I'm pretty clueless at making flags, but I've been assembling information all night and thought it might be helpful to share. )

to add to Jaynin ( )

Some helpful links to Wiki pages

The colors used in heraldry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tincture_(heraldry)

Patterns used in heraldry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variation_of_the_field
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_of_the_field

Main heraldry article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraldry


and two examples of shield heraldry (using Jaynin's country of Yen and a random one)

Thanks for the info, Jaynin! It was very helpful to someone who happens to be clueless when it comes to flag-making.

You made a shield for Yen? How cool is that?

Here are my examples, the flag of Yen and my dad's flag.

This thread looks helpful. I like designing my own flags, but after around ten I started running low on ideas.

Thanks for this. I'll finish up my Edradria flags and post them here based on these steps.

Thanks for the help, Jaynin! I'll post the flag of the favorite of my countries, and one that is a WIP. It needs a seal yet. And, just for fun, I'll post another cool one.

Wow... this is fascinating, and helpful! What program do you all use to put together an image of your flags and crests?

Vilisse using Photo shop, I use Paint.Net. I'm sure GIMP would work, or any other photo editing/manipulating software.

I drew mine by hand.

Here's the flags from Edradria, I'm just missing some of the small city-states which aren't important. It does take a bit to load.

I used Fireworks 2 to make mine.

I use the GIMP and this online coat of arms generator. http://inkwellideas.com/coat_of_arms/

I have only created one so far, for my MC's home country, the Nolavian Empire.

I have created another flag, this time for what will probably be the only state to govern an entire race, the as-yet unnamed pixy land. They are major antagonists, as well as being, not coincidentally, the only large-scale democracy in my world.

The symbolism is:

The flag's basic layout recalls the revolutionary tricolors so in vogue today.
The circle represents equality.
The red color recalls communism and socialism.
The red circle itself recalls Japan, thus lending the pixies a strong sense of Other-ness, letting you know this is a decidedly un-Western culture.

What do you guys think? Is the symbolism too heavy-handed, particularly for a world that has yet to see a major worldwide revolutionary movement or the rise of communism?