Rainbow brick wall, each course of bricks a new colorRed through violet, white. Paint rows of bricks with white gaps and change color every row.
Rainbow seen through a prism: white beam in, colors outRed through violet, white, black. Paint a white line into a triangle and six spreading lines out of its far side.
Rainbow between two gray clouds, rain still falling from oneRed through violet, gray, white. Sponge the clouds, arc the bow from one to the other and streak rain under the darker.
Chunky six-band bow resting on two sponge-dabbed puffsRed through violet, white. Paint six wide bands and dab a sponge cloud over each end.
Double rainbow: a bright bow and a pale twin outside itRed through violet, white. Paint the main bow, mix white into every color and repeat the bands above it in reverse.
Full-circle rainbow, the way one looks from an airplaneRed through violet, pale blue, white. Paint six rings around a pale center and brighten the sky inside them.
Nine-band rainbow with the in-between colors mixed inRed, red orange, orange, yellow, lime, green, teal, blue, violet. Mix each neighbor pair for the new bands.
Quarter-circle rainbow tucked into one lower cornerRed through violet, pale blue. Set the center of the arc on one corner so only a quarter circle shows.
Rainbow bands running straight across like a knitted scarfRed through violet. Tape six level stripes and paint them from red at the top to violet at the foot.
Rainbow drawn as six separate dashed arcsRed through violet, white. Paint each band as a row of short dashes with gaps between them.
Rainbow flipped into a U with two dot eyes above itRed through violet, yellow. Paint the bands as a U and add two dot eyes above it on a yellow ground.
Rainbow on a gray sky, brighter inside the bow than outsideRed through violet, gray, white. Mix more white into the gray for the sky under the arch.
Seven-band arch from red on the outside to violet insideRed, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Paint the red arc first and fit each next color under it.
Sherbet pastel rainbow, each band softened to matchPink, peach, pale yellow, mint, sky blue, lilac, white. Add white to each color until all six match in softness.
Wobbly hand-drawn rainbow, no two stripes equally wideRed through violet, cream. Let each band wobble and change width, and leave narrow cream gaps between them.
Rainbows in a landscape 12
Bow springing between two hilltops above quilted farmlandRed through violet, green, yellow green. Paint the fields as tilted squares and spring the bow from two hilltops.
Evening rainbow, a full half circle over a field of wheatRed through violet, gold. Paint the bow as a half circle and warm the whole sky with a light gold glaze.
Highway narrowing to a point where one foot of the bow landsRed through violet, gray, yellow, green. Narrow the road to a point and plant one foot of the bow right there.
Moonbow: a nearly white arc above dark water at nightNavy, white, pale blue, lilac. Paint the bow nearly white with the faintest tint of color in each band.
Ocean horizon with a bow and a lone white triangle of sailRed through violet, blue, white. Rule a level horizon, arc the bow from the water and add a white triangle sail.
Rainbow above a single red kite and its long tailRed through violet, pale blue, white. Paint one red diamond kite under the bow and loop its tail down to a corner.
Rainbow behind a windmill, the sails crossing its bandsRed through violet, white, brown, green. Stand the mill on a low hill and let two of its sails cut across the bands.
Rainbow coming down among sheep, each one a white dabRed through violet, green, white, gray. Paint the bow down to the grass and dab small white sheep where it lands.
Rainbow ending behind a red barnRed through violet, red, green, gray. Paint the barn in front so the bands disappear behind its roof.
Rainbow over a mountain lake, mirrored into a full ringRed through violet, blue, white, green. Repeat the bow upside down in the water so the two halves make a circle.
Small bow caught in the fan of water from a nozzleRed through violet, green, white, blue. Fan white spray from the nozzle and glaze a small bow inside it.
Street of triangle-roofed cottages beneath a single archRed through violet, white, red, blue. Paint five squares with triangle roofs and one bow across them all.
By tool: sponge, fork, cotton swab, finger paint 12
Bunched cotton swabs dabbed into rainbow cloudsRed through violet, white. Hold six swabs in a rubber band, dip them in one color and dab a fluffy band.
Comb dragged through six wet stripes to ripple themRed through violet. Paint six wet stripes and pull a wide-toothed comb through them in gentle waves.
Craft-feather rainbow, each arc pulled in a streaky curveRed through violet. Use a craft feather as the brush and pull each band in one streaky curve.
Fork-printed rainbow, the tines leaving ridged bandsRed through violet. Dip a plastic fork in one color at a time and press rows of prints along each arc.
Ice-cube rainbow: frozen paint slid along each arcRed through violet. Freeze thinned paint in a tray, then slide one cube along each arc as it melts.
Ring-printed bow made with the rim of a paper rollRed through violet. Dip the rim of the roll in paint and print rows of rings, one color to each row.
Side-of-the-fist rainbow, each band a row of soft printsRed through violet, in finger paint. Press the side of a closed fist along each arc and wash the hand between colors.
Sponge-dragged rainbow: six colors loaded on one spongeRed through violet. Paint six stripes of color along a sponge edge and pull it across the canvas in one arc.
Spray-bottle rainbow: six misted bands that bleed togetherRed through violet. Mist thinned color from a spray bottle one band at a time and let the edges run together.
Toothbrush rainbow, the bristles leaving fine streaksRed through violet. Dip an old toothbrush in one color at a time and drag each band so it stays streaky.
Toy car rainbow: wheels dipped in color and driven in arcsRed through violet. Roll a washable toy car through each color and drive it across the paper in a curve.
Two-hand finger rainbow: three fingers each, one long arcRed through violet, in finger paint. Dip three fingertips of each hand, one color each, and drag one arc together.
Abstract rainbows 12
Checkerboard where each diagonal is one rainbow colorRed through violet. Rule a grid and paint the squares so each color runs corner to corner.
Diagonal rainbow stripes behind one white heartRed through violet, white. Stick a paper heart down, paint slanted stripes over everything and peel it off.
Rainbow brick wall, each course of bricks a new colorRed through violet, white. Paint rows of bricks with white gaps and change color every row.
Rainbow circles like a target, violet bullseyeRed through violet. Trace six lids from large to small and fill the rings from red at the rim to violet.
Rainbow of concentric squares, red outermostRed through violet. Paint a red square frame and fit each next color inside the last, to a violet center.
Rainbow ombre circle fading into a white canvasRed through violet, white. Blend the six colors around a ring and feather the outer edge away with a dry brush.
Rainbow ombre: six colors blended top to bottom, no linesRed through violet. Lay the six colors in bands and brush across each join while both sides are wet.
Rainbow pinwheel: six curved blades around one centerRed through violet. Mark the center, pull six curved wedges out to the edges and fill each with one color.
Rainbow seen through a prism: white beam in, colors outRed through violet, white, black. Paint a white line into a triangle and six spreading lines out of its far side.
Rainbow triangle fan, six wedges meeting at one cornerRed through violet. Rule lines from one corner to the far sides and fill each wedge with one color.
Rainbow waves, six wavy bands across the canvasRed through violet. Paint one wavy red line and follow its shape with each color below it.
Watery streaks of six hues sliding down a tilted canvasRed through violet, white. Water down each color, load the top edge and tilt the canvas so the paint runs.
After rain: clouds and puddles 12
Cloud with rainbow-colored raindropsRed through violet, white, pale gray. Sponge one cloud at the top and paint six columns of drops, one color each.
Pair of galoshes standing in water ringed with colorRed through violet, yellow, gray. Paint two yellow boots and bend bits of color around the rings in the water.
Rainbow above a wet playground slide, its metal shiningRed through violet, gray, red, white. Paint the slide with one white streak down its chute and the bow above it.
Rainbow between two gray clouds, rain still falling from oneRed through violet, gray, white. Sponge the clouds, arc the bow from one to the other and streak rain under the darker.
Rainbow fading out halfway across a clearing skyRed through violet, pale blue, white. Blend the far end of every band into the sky color.
Rainbow over a clothesline of dripping white sheetsRed through violet, white, gray. Paint the line of white shapes below and tiny gray drips under each.
Rainbow over a duck pond, rings on the waterRed through violet, green, blue, white. Paint small white rings on the pond where the last drops land.
Rainbow reflected in a puddle on a pathRed through violet, gray, brown. Paint the puddle as a pale oval and a short piece of the bow inside it.
Rainy pane in front, a clear bright arch far behind itRed through violet, gray, white. Paint the bow, let it dry and dot the glass with clear-looking drops in white and gray.
Soap bubble drifting over wet grass, colors swirling on itRed through violet, green, white. Trace a lid, swirl faint loops of color inside it and add one white shine.
Spider web hung with drops, a rainbow glint in eachRed through violet, white, gray. Draw the web in white and touch a different color into each drop.
Storm cloud leaving at one side, bright bow at the otherRed through violet, charcoal, white. Push the dark cloud half off the canvas and brighten the sky near the bow.
How it works
Red goes on the outside of a rainbow and violet on the inside, with orange, yellow, green and blue between. Get that order right and any tool will do: a brush, a sponge, a fork or a fingertip.
Read the full guide
Rainbow canvas painting ideas: order and sky
Paint the red arc first and fit each color under it. Under the arch the sky looks lighter than above it, so add white there. In a double rainbow the second arc is fainter and its colors run the other way. A rainbow stands opposite the sun.
One tool, six colors
Sponge-dragged rainbow: six colors loaded on one sponge makes the whole bow in one pull. Bunched cotton swabs dabbed into rainbow clouds keeps small hands busy longer.
Questions and answers
Which are the rainbow finger painting ideas?
Two-hand finger rainbow: three fingers each, one long arc, and Side-of-the-fist rainbow, each band a row of soft prints. Both name finger paint in their colors. An adult helps with the washing between colors.
Are there rainbow ombre painting ideas?
Two: Rainbow ombre: six colors blended top to bottom, no lines, and Rainbow ombre circle fading into a white canvas. Brush across each join while both colors are still wet.
What is the easiest rainbow for a small child to paint?
Chunky six-band bow resting on two sponge-dabbed puffs: six wide bands and two sponge dabs. Easy first rainbows, under More filters, holds 23.
What are the colors of the rainbow in order?
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, from the outside in. The six-band ideas here fold indigo into blue. Seven-band arch from red on the outside to violet inside keeps all seven.