Drawing a flag with TikZ

Question

I am trying to create a flag in TikZ but aesthetically it's not the best. Here is my MWE:

\documentclass[letterpaper]{article}
\usepackage{fullpage}
%\usepackage{amsmath,amssymb,amsthm}
\usepackage[dvipsnames]{xcolor}
\usepackage{tikz}
\begin{document}
\usetikzlibrary{shapes.symbols,shapes.misc}
\begin{tikzpicture}[scale=0.25,transform shape]
\draw[rounded corners=0.1pt] (0,2) rectangle (0.2,4);
\node[tape, draw,right] at (0.32,3.55) {\vphantom{\large i}\hphantom{TEST}};
%\draw[xshift=0.25cm](0,4) -- (1,4) -- (2,3) -- (3,2) -- (2,2) -- (1,2) -- (0,2) -- (0,4)--cycle;
\end{tikzpicture}
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% or%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
\begin{tikzpicture}[x=1.00mm, y=1.00mm, inner xsep=0pt, inner ysep=0pt, outer xsep=0pt, outer ysep=0pt]
\path[line width=0mm] (138.71,542.78) rectangle +(14.34,14.44);
\definecolor{L}{rgb}{0,0,0}
\path[line width=0.30mm, draw=L] (140.71,555.13) [rotate around={270:(140.71,555.13)}] rectangle +(10.35,1.73);
\path[line width=0.30mm, draw=L] (142.93,554.82);
\path[line width=0.30mm, draw=L] (142.98,549.72) .. controls (142.98,549.72) and (142.98,549.72) .. (142.98,549.72) .. controls (142.99,551.40) and (143.07,553.03) .. (143.01,554.75) .. controls (143.00,554.94) and (142.98,555.18) .. (143.11,555.20) .. controls (144.51,555.37) and (146.55,554.72) .. (147.61,553.60) .. controls (148.77,552.38) and (150.28,551.53) .. (150.87,552.64) .. controls (151.02,552.93) and (151.94,548.83) .. (147.57,549.33) .. controls (146.00,549.51) and (144.56,549.84) .. (142.98,549.72) -- cycle;
\path[line width=0.30mm, draw=L] (147.56,553.67) -- (147.53,549.33);
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

The second is drawn with TpX. The display are not the best. Maybe a flag like the one shown here in tex.stackexchange.com would suffice.

I am really just looking for a neat representation of a flag which I can scale. This flag will be displayed like an icon on my Lecture Notes for important milestones in certain topics.

Answer 1

A black flag but it's easy to change the form or the colors

\documentclass[11pt]{scrartcl}
\usepackage{tikz}

\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}

\begin{scope}[rotate=10]
    \begin{scope}[every path/.style={fill=black}]
        \draw (-.2,0) to [bend right] (.2,0) -- (.2,8) to [bend left] (-.2,8) -- cycle;
        \draw (0,8) circle (.4) ;
    \draw [rounded corners] (.2,7.6) to [out=60 ,in=180] (3,8) to [out=0, in = 200] (8,9) to [out=-85 ,in=85] (7.5,4) to [out=220,in=0](5,3) to [out=180,in=10] (.2,3) to [out =85,in=-80]  (.2,7.6) ; 
\end{scope}
\end{scope}  
\end{tikzpicture} 
\begin{tikzpicture}

\begin{scope}[rotate=10,scale=.5]
    \begin{scope}[every path/.style={shade, top color=black,bottom color=darkgray}]
        \draw (-.2,0) to [bend right] (.2,0) -- (.2,8) to [bend left] (-.2,8) -- cycle;
        \draw (0,8) circle (.4) ;
    \draw [rounded corners] (.2,7.6) to [out=60 ,in=180] (3,8) to [out=0, in = 200] (8,9) to [out=-85 ,in=85] (7.5,4) to [out=220,in=0](5,3) to [out=180,in=10] (.2,3) to [out =85,in=-80]  (.2,7.6) ; 
\end{scope}
\end{scope}  
\end{tikzpicture} 

\begin{tikzpicture}[scale=.5]

\begin{scope}[rotate=10]
    \begin{scope}[every path/.style={fill=black}]
        \draw (-.2,0) to [bend right] (.2,0) -- (.2,8) to [bend left] (-.2,8) -- cycle;
        \draw (0,8) circle (.4) ;
\end{scope}
\begin{scope}
\clip [rounded corners] (.2,7.6) to [out=60 ,in=180] coordinate[pos=.95] (h1) (3,8) to [out=0, in = 200]  coordinate[pos=.5] (h2) (8,9) coordinate(h3) to [out=-85 ,in=85] (7.5,4) coordinate(b3) to [out=220,in=0] coordinate[pos=.85] (b2)(5,3)  to [out=180,in=10]  coordinate[pos=.5] (b1)(.2,3) to [out =85,in=-80]  (.2,7.6) ;
\fill[blue] (-1,9) -- (h1) to[out=-85,in=80] (b1) -- (0,0) --cycle;     
\fill[red] (h2) to[out=-85,in=80] (b2) -- ++(0,-0.75) -- ([yshift=-1.25]b3) --(b3) to  [out=85 ,in=-85]  (h3) -- cycle  ; 
\end{scope} 
\draw[thick] [rounded corners] (.2,7.6) to [out=60 ,in=180] coordinate[pos=.95] (h1) (3,8) to [out=0, in = 200]  coordinate[pos=.5] (h2) (8,9) coordinate(h3) to [out=-85 ,in=85] (7.5,4) coordinate(b3) to [out=220,in=0] coordinate[pos=.85] (b2)(5,3)  to [out=180,in=10]  coordinate[pos=.5] (b1)(.2,3) to [out =85,in=-80]  (.2,7.6) ;      
\draw[thick]  (h1) to[out=-85,in=80] (b1); 
\draw[thick]  (h2) to[out=-85,in=80] (b2);  
\end{scope} 
\end{tikzpicture} 

\end{document}    

Answer 2

How about this:

\documentclass[parskip]{scrartcl}
\usepackage[margin=15mm]{geometry}
\usepackage{tikz}

\pgfmathsetmacro{\flagscalefactor}{0.2}
\pgfmathsetmacro{\flagrotationdegree}{45}
\newcommand{\flagpolecolor}{brown!60!black}
\newcommand{\flagcolor}{yellow!67!red}
\newcommand{\flagsymbol}{:)}
\newcommand{\flagsymbolcolor}{black}

\newcommand{\tikzflag}{%
    \begin{scope}[scale=\flagscalefactor,rotate=\flagrotationdegree]
        \draw[fill=\flagpolecolor,thick] (0,0) -- ++ (0,8) arc (180:0:0.4 and 0.1) -- ++ (0,-8) arc (360:180:0.4 and 0.1);
        \draw[thick] (0,8) arc (180:360:0.4 and 0.1);
        \draw[fill=\flagcolor,thick] (0.8,7.5) to[out=-30,in=210] ++(3,0) to[out=30,in=150] ++ (3,0) -- ++ (0,-3) to [out=150,in=30] ++(-3,0) to[out=210,in=-30] ++(-3,0) -- cycle;
        \node[\flagsymbolcolor] at (3.8,6) {\textbf{\flagsymbol}};
    \end{scope}
}

\newcommand{\questionflag}{%
    \pgfmathsetmacro{\flagscalefactor}{0.2}
    \pgfmathsetmacro{\flagrotationdegree}{22.5}
    \renewcommand{\flagpolecolor}{brown!60!black}
    \renewcommand{\flagcolor}{yellow}
    \renewcommand{\flagsymbol}{?}
    \renewcommand{\flagsymbolcolor}{red}
    \tikzflag
}

\newcommand{\importantflag}{%
    \pgfmathsetmacro{\flagscalefactor}{0.2}
    \pgfmathsetmacro{\flagrotationdegree}{-22.5}
    \renewcommand{\flagpolecolor}{brown!60!black}
    \renewcommand{\flagcolor}{green!50!blue}
    \renewcommand{\flagsymbol}{!}
    \renewcommand{\flagsymbolcolor}{white}
    \tikzflag
}

\begin{document}

\begin{tikzpicture}
\tikzflag
\end{tikzpicture}

\begin{tikzpicture}
\questionflag
\end{tikzpicture}

\begin{tikzpicture}
\importantflag
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}

Firt I made a general command \tikzflag that can be altered in several ways, then I made some specialized commands from it. Like that you can easily 'flag' questions, problems, hints etc. Here's the result:

---

Edit 1: Here is a more usable implementation. The \marker command is from some question around here, I don't recall were it originated from. It is used to define the positions the flags should go to. The names of the flags should be unique, otherwise a flag might end up at a previous position. As this uses the overlay, remember picture option, it will take two runs to work properly.

\documentclass[parskip]{scrartcl}
\usepackage[margin=20mm]{geometry}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{amssymb}

\newcommand{\marker}[2]{% name, shift
    \tikz[overlay,remember picture] 
        {\node (m-#1) at (#2) {};}%
}        

\pgfmathsetmacro{\flagscalefactor}{0.3}
\pgfmathsetmacro{\flagrotationdegree}{45}
\newcommand{\flagpolecolor}{brown!60!black}
\newcommand{\flagcolor}{yellow!67!red}
\newcommand{\flagsymbol}{:)}
\newcommand{\flagsymbolcolor}{black}
\newcommand{\flagadditionalcommands}{}

\newcommand{\tikzflag}[1][0,0]{% shift
    \begin{tikzpicture}[scale=\flagscalefactor,rotate=\flagrotationdegree,shift={(#1)},overlay,remember picture]
        \draw[fill=\flagpolecolor,thick] (0,0) -- ++ (0,8) arc (180:0:0.4 and 0.1) -- ++ (0,-8) arc (360:180:0.4 and 0.1);
        \draw[thick] (0,8) arc (180:360:0.4 and 0.1);
        \draw[fill=\flagcolor,thick] (0.8,7.5) to[out=-30,in=210] ++(3,0) to[out=30,in=150] ++ (3,0) -- ++ (0,-4.5) to [out=150,in=30] ++(-3,0) to[out=210,in=-30] ++(-3,0) -- cycle;
        \node[\flagsymbolcolor,fill=white,circle,thick,inner sep=1pt,draw,thin] (a) at (3.8,5.25) {\textbf{\flagsymbol}};
        \flagadditionalcommands
    \end{tikzpicture}
}

\newcommand{\questionflag}[1]{% name
    \pgfmathsetmacro{\flagscalefactor}{0.1}
    \pgfmathsetmacro{\flagrotationdegree}{22.5}
    \renewcommand{\flagpolecolor}{brown!60!black}
    \renewcommand{\flagcolor}{yellow}
    \renewcommand{\flagsymbol}{\tiny ?}
    \renewcommand{\flagsymbolcolor}{black}
    \marker{#1}{-0.8,-0.8}
    \tikzflag[m-#1]
}

\newcommand{\importantflag}[1]{% name
    \pgfmathsetmacro{\flagscalefactor}{0.1}
    \pgfmathsetmacro{\flagrotationdegree}{-22.5}
    \renewcommand{\flagpolecolor}{brown!60!black}
    \renewcommand{\flagcolor}{red!50!orange}
    \renewcommand{\flagsymbol}{\tiny !}
    \renewcommand{\flagsymbolcolor}{black}
    \marker{#1}{-1.1,-0.6}
    \tikzflag[m-#1]
}

\newcommand{\hintflag}[1]{% name
    \pgfmathsetmacro{\flagscalefactor}{0.1}
    \pgfmathsetmacro{\flagrotationdegree}{0}
    \renewcommand{\flagpolecolor}{brown!60!black}
    \renewcommand{\flagcolor}{blue!50!cyan}
    \renewcommand{\flagsymbol}{\tiny $\blacktriangledown$}
    \renewcommand{\flagsymbolcolor}{black}
    \marker{#1}{-0.9,-0.6}
    \tikzflag[m-#1]
}

\begin{document}

\questionflag{first}\lipsum[1]

\hintflag{firstmath}\[ \int\limits_0^11dx=1 \]

\importantflag{second}\lipsum[2]

\importantflag{secondmath}
\begin{align*}
    0 &= x^2 +px +q\\
    x_{_{1/2}}   &= -\frac{p}{2} \pm \sqrt{\left(\frac{p}{2}\right)^2-q}
\end{align*}

\hintflag{third}\lipsum[43]

\questionflag{firstpicture} \\ \includegraphics[scale=7]{avatar}

\end{document}