Design your own flag

Designing Your Own Flag

    If you have gotten this far, then you probably want to actually get down and start designing your flag. You may have already chosen the shape, partitions, colors, and charges that you want on your flag. Again, remember the basic rules:

1. As few colors as possible and only 1 shade of each color.
2. Keep it simple. You don't want a flag that has a confusing set of symbols on it. A flag is not meant to tell an entire story, it is simply a device that identifies you to others. Excellent examples of simple but effective flags - U.S.A., New Mexico, and Texas.
3. Use symbols that are meaningful to you as an individual.
4. A single symbol can be repeated for artistic effect.
5. Avoid using numerals and lettering.

     You don't have to be anyone socially important to have your own flag. You just have to be you. You also don't actually have to have the flag made. The design would be great just as a graphic for a personal webpage.
     Just to show you how far that you can take a simple idea, I will use as examples my personal flags. Yes, I did say "flags", I will also use other personal insignia as well. Hey, sometimes we all just have a little too much time on our hands!
     In this case I will include my personal and family flags, personal coat-of-arms, personal heraldic badge, and personal mon. Click the image to see the larger size.

     1. Personal Flag. My persoanal flag is based on an ancient Aztec warrior's shield design. The shields were round and the meaning of the design eludes me, but it is bold and striking. The colors of blue and white are my personal colors.

     2. Family Flag. This flag is based on the Gamez heraldic shield as found in armorials published in Europe. The name derives from the Basque name "Gamiz" but was changed to the more Spanish sounding "Gamez" around 1530. An "armorial" is a book detailing hundreds and even thousands of coats-of-arms.

     3. Persoanl Coat-of-Arms. Based on the Gamez heraldic shield, I added anchors for my years of naval service. The white flag with the red "X" is the ancient flag of Spain. The other flag is known as the "Flag of the Hispanic Race". It is often used to symbolize Hispanic culture in the Americas.

     4. Heraldic Badge. Secondary identifying symbol. Not as complex as a coat-of-arms, but just as meaningful. In this case it is a winged ship's wheel. It symbolizes my love of aircraft and my naval specialty of naviagation. The rating badge of a naval Quartermaster (or QM) is the ship's wheel. The slogan is "You can trust your keel to the men who wear the wheel."

     5. Combined Flag. My personal flag in the place of honor in the Gamez flag.

     6. Personal Ensign. My personal flag for use at sea.

     7. Personal Air Ensign. My personal flag for use at my air fields and to distinguish my aircraft (like that's gonna happen!).

    8. My Personal Piracy Ensign. Hey, if things get bad enough I can take to the high seas and make a living!

     9. Personal Mon and Flags. Japan has it's own system of family symbols called the MON. They look more like the modern logo than they do a coat-of-arms. A mon can be symbolic of the family name. For example if your Japanese name means "boat" then a mon for the name can be a boat. Usually a stylized boat inside a circle. It's that simple. They also don't follow the hard rules of European hearldry. The colors of a mon can vary in usage.
     To the right is a mon tht I designed for Gamez. "Gamez" means "pasture or ground". I took the symbol for mountains and added the symbols for fog. In my mnd that represents a valley which is good pasture. The colors are my personal colors and the flags are simply interchangable.

     10. My Personal Cypher. A cypher is simply a set of stylized initials. In this case, "JHG". The symbol can be used alone as a decoration or even on a flag.

     11. Imperial Arms. OK, we're going to take this to it's ultimate silly end! I have taken my personal arms and embelished it a bit. I added a blue, double-headed Imperial Eagle as the main supporter and added my heraldic bagde as a crest. This is my "Imperial Arms".

     12. Imperial Flag. This is simply a horizontal tricolor in the colors of the Gamez shield emblazoned with the Imperial Arms near the hoist. This would serve as my State and War Flags. I could get really silly and create separate ensigns for use by merchant and war vessels.

Now you should have the basic idea of how to design your own personal flag. if you need some more ideas you can go to the Le Drapeaux Personnels de Vexillogues (Personal Flags of Vexilollogists). There you can see many other personal flags used by other students of Vexilollogy.
If you have any questions regarding on how to design or what is appropriate, e-mail me with your question.

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