Rainbow Drawing: Step-by-Step Tutorial & Easy Ideas

Want to draw a rainbow that actually looks right? Start with a horizon line and two or three big simple shapes and build from there. This page covers the full process — nine steps from first line to finished drawing — followed by rainbow drawing ideas in every style: easy, cute, realistic, and a few you probably haven't tried.

Difficulty Medium
Time ~15 min
Tools Pencil, eraser, paper
Starts with a horizon line and two or three big simple shapes

Rainbow drawing — hand-drawn rainbow illustration with ink lines and soft colors

How to Draw a Rainbow Step by Step

Step 1 of 9

Outer and inner arches

Draw a light wide arch curving from the lower left up over the top and down to the lower right, then a smaller matching arch inside it.

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Outer and inner arches
Draw a light wide arch curving from the lower left up over the top and down to the lower right, then a smaller matching arch inside it.
Rainbow band outline
Trace both arch curves to form one thick curved band from one end to the other.
Cloud ends
Draw a puffy three-bump cloud under each end of the rainbow band.
First band line
Add one curved line inside the band near the outer edge to start dividing the color stripes.
Second band line
Add a second curved line inside the band, evenly spaced toward the middle from the first line.
Third band line
Add a third curved line inside the band, evenly spaced toward the inner edge.
Sparkle accents
Add three small sparkle stars scattered in the open sky above the arch.
Ink the lines
Go over every kept line with dark ink, then erase the light outer and inner arch guides.
Color the rainbow
Fill the four stripes red-orange, yellow, green, and blue-violet from outer to inner, and the clouds white.

Rainbow Drawing Ideas to Try Next

Once the basic rainbow clicks, run it through these variations — each one practices a different skill while staying on a subject you already know.

A postcard-style rainbow
Frame it in a rectangle with a hand-lettered greeting — vintage travel poster energy.
Rainbow at golden hour
Same drawing, warm palette, long shadows — light does the heavy lifting.
Rainbow with a wanderer figure
One tiny silhouette person gazing at your big rainbow — instant scale and story.
A minimalist one-line rainbow scene
Reduce the rainbow to its simplest continuous line — modern, framable, and fast.
A tiny rainbow in a glass jar
The miniature-world trend: your rainbow scene bottled with a cork on top.
Day and night split rainbow
Divide the page down the middle and render the same rainbow in both lightings.
Rainbow through a window frame
Draw a simple window and place the rainbow outside it — built-in composition and cozy mood.

Tips for Better Rainbow Drawings

Squint at your reference until it blurs into 3–4 big shapes — draw those shapes first. Every landscape that "looks off" skipped this step.
Detail only the focal area and let the edges stay loose. The viewer’s eye goes where the detail is; detail everywhere means focus nowhere.

Not feeling the rainbow today?

Let the generator pick your next subject — filtered by mood and difficulty.

🎲 Random Drawing Generator

Rainbow Drawing FAQ

How do you draw a rainbow easily?

Start with a horizon line and two or three big simple shapes, keeping your lines light. Refine the outline, add the defining details, then erase the construction shapes. The nine-step method above breaks this down — most people get a recognizable rainbow on their very first try with it.

How long does a rainbow drawing take?

A simple rainbow drawing takes about 15 minutes following this tutorial. A quick doodle version can be done in two or three minutes, while a detailed, fully-shaded study might take an hour. Speed comes with repetition — the second attempt is always faster than the first.

What supplies do I need for rainbow drawings?

Just a pencil, an eraser, and any paper. An HB pencil for construction lines and a 2B for final outlines is a nice upgrade, and colored pencils or markers finish it off — but nothing on this page requires special supplies.

Is a rainbow easy to draw for beginners?

Yes — the rainbow is very manageable once you use construction shapes, and this method was written for first-timers. Kids can follow the same steps; just expect wobblier lines and more charm.