A rainbow is a cheerful drawing that teaches you the order of colours and how to draw smooth, even arcs. This step-by-step guide shows kids how to draw a rainbow with fluffy clouds at each end, getting the seven colour bands in the right order every time.

A rainbow is one of the best drawings for learning colour, because it puts all seven colours of light side by side in their natural order. As you fill in each band, you are learning the sequence that real sunlight makes when it shines through rain. It is also brilliant practice for drawing smooth curves: keeping seven arcs evenly spaced and nicely rounded trains your hand to make confident, sweeping lines, a skill that helps with everything from drawing hills to circles. A simple way to remember the order is the name Roy G. Biv, where each letter stands for a colour: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet, running from the outside of the arc to the inside.

🖍️ What You Need

  • Pencil
  • Compass or round objects to trace (optional)
  • Eraser
  • Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet pencils
  • White paper

How to Draw a Rainbow Step by Step

  1. Lightly draw the biggest arc first — a smooth curve like the top of a hill.
  2. Below it, draw a second arc following the same curve, leaving an even gap.
  3. Keep adding arcs inside one another until you have seven bands.
  4. Try to keep all the gaps the same width so the bands look even.
  5. At each end of the rainbow, draw a fluffy cloud made of bumpy circles.
  6. Outline the arcs lightly so you can erase mistakes.
  7. Colour the bands in order from the outside in: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.
  8. Add a sun peeking out and a few small clouds in the sky.
💡 Parikshet's Tip: Draw your arcs from the centre outward and keep your wrist relaxed — swinging your whole arm in a smooth motion gives much rounder rainbows than tiny, careful strokes.

🌟 Did You Know?

A real rainbow always has its colours in the same order — red on the outside and violet on the inside — because each colour of light bends a slightly different amount as it passes through raindrops. You can remember the order with the name “Roy G. Biv.”

Tips for a Perfect Rainbow

  • Trace around plates or lids of different sizes for neat arcs.
  • Keep the colour order Red-Orange-Yellow-Green-Blue-Indigo-Violet.
  • Make each band the same thickness.
  • Add clouds at the ends to hide where the arcs stop.

🎯 Try This: A Rainbow Scene

  1. Draw your seven-band rainbow.
  2. Add a green hill or field below it.
  3. Draw a sun and a couple of birds in the sky.
  4. Add a little pot of gold at one end for a fairy-tale touch.