Painting has always been a fun hobby for kids and adults alike. It can also be a great way to add some color to your space. Whether you’re looking to spruce up an empty wall or create something beautiful, painting is the perfect project for any skill level.
There is nothing quite like a rainbow to brighten up a person’s day. In a classroom, it may be a good idea to paint a rainbow onto the wall, or pin one onto a bulletin board. This is such a simple idea, but so effective!
In this article, we will show you how to make a DIY rainbow in just five easy steps. You can use these techniques to decorate anything from walls to furniture. The possibilities are endless.
Let’s get started!
Decide On An Area
The first step of making a rainbow is deciding where you want to place it.
If you have a large area that needs a bit of decoration, then choose a spot that will fit into your theme.
For example, if you’re going for a nature-inspired look, then maybe you would want to hang a rainbow near a window. If you want something more modern, then perhaps you could put it on a whiteboard or chalkboard.
Whatever you decide, make sure that you don’t cover too much of the room with the rainbow. Otherwise, it won’t really stand out as being special.
The Order Of The Colors Of The Rainbow
If you want to educate your students about rainbows, you will want to make sure that the colors of your rainbow are in the correct order.
When creating artwork of rainbows, some people think it’s okay to place any random color anywhere in the rainbow. However, a rainbow has a specific order to it, and if you want to be able to teach others about rainbows, then you need to follow this rule.
For those who are unsure, this is the true order of the colors of the rainbow:
- Red
- Orange
- Yellow
- Green
- Blue
- Indigo
- Violet
A rainbow will always display these seven colors in this exact order.
Look up any photograph of a natural rainbow, or try to find one in the sky: you will notice that every rainbow starts with the color red, ends with a shade of purple, and has the other colors filling the middle.
Color theory comes into play when looking at the reasons why the rainbow displays these colors in this order.
Technically, a rainbow is only made up of the three primary colors: red, yellow, and blue.
The secondary colors – orange, green, and purple (indigo and violet) – only appear due to the primary colors blending together, creating the secondary hues.
For example, red and yellow are next to each other in the rainbow: due to the two colors blending together while next to each other, the color orange is visible between them.
This is because red + yellow = orange. So, orange isn’t a color on its own, but is created due to the fact that red and yellow are so close together.
Green exists on the rainbow because yellow and blue are next to each other, and when they blend together, the color green is created.
This is why it is so important for the order of the colors of the rainbow to be accurate! It wouldn’t make sense for the color green to be placed between red and yellow, as red and yellow blended together makes orange.
There is a scientific order that should be followed if you want to create a realistic rainbow.
White Or Neutral Wall Paint Color
Once you’ve decided where you want to place your rainbow, you’ll need to pick the right paint color to go along with it.
For the best results, you will want to paint the rainbow onto a neutral colored wall: i.e., white, cream, or any other light colored wall.
If you happen to have a darker colored wall, it may be more difficult to get the paint to stand out. You may need to add several layers of paint to ensure that the colors are bright and visible enough for everybody to see!
DIY Rainbow Wall Paint & Supplies
You can use anything from spray paint to acrylic paints to create your own DIY rainbow wall paint. The key thing to remember is that you will need to start by painting the walls first, before applying the rainbow paint.
To create your own rainbow, you’ll need:
- A bucket filled with water
- An old towel
- Spray paint or acrylic paint
- Brushes
- A clean surface
As we’re sure you already know, painting a wall can be a messy experience. It can also be a fun one! Make sure that all surfaces have been covered beforehand, so that you do not get paint on anything other than the wall.
Drawing A Rainbow On A Wall
You may want to sketch out a rough outline of the rainbow before painting it. This way, you can make sure that the lines are neat, and that the shape will fit in the area that you will be painting.
A rainbow is shaped like a large arch, and involves seven stripes inside. This means that you will need to draw six lines inside the arch, and two lines making up the outline.
By sketching eight lines altogether, you will be able to fill the shapes with seven colors.
The easiest way to draw these lines is using a pencil. A pencil is the best medium to use for this craft, as you will be able to use an eraser to remove the lines if they are not perfect, or correct.
When sketching the outline, make sure you use the pencil as lightly as you can so that it will be easier to erase the lines if needed.
However, you will need to draw the lines visibly enough that you are fully able to see the shapes on the wall.
Mixing The Colors
To paint the rainbow, you will need the correct colors that we mentioned above. You will need red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet colored paint.
Technically, you only need three colors of paint to create the rainbow: red, yellow, and blue.
As long as you have the three primary colors, you will be able to mix these colors to create the secondary colors: orange, green, indigo, and violet.
Here is how you can create each of these colors.
Orange
To create orange, you will need to mix 2/3 parts of yellow paint with 1/3 parts of red paint.
This is because red paint is a lot darker than yellow, so you will need more yellow to create the orange hue.
If you would like a lighter shade, add more yellow. For a darker shade, add more red.
Green
To create green, you will need to mix 2/3 parts yellow paint with 1/3 parts blue paint.
Again, this is due to yellow being a lot lighter than blue.
For a lighter shade, add more yellow. For a darker shade, add more blue.
Indigo
To create indigo, mix together 3/4 parts blue paint with 1/4 red paint.
Indigo is a shade of blue with a slight tint of red, so you will want blue to be the more predominant color.
Violet
To create violet, mix together 2/3 parts blue paint with 1/3 red paint.
Unlike indigo, violet is a more reddish shade of purple, so you may want to add small amounts of red paint until you have reached your desired shade of purple.
Painting A Rainbow On A Wall
Lastly, all you need to do is paint the sketched-out rainbow design in the correct order! Simply fill in the empty stripes with each color, creating the rainbow effect.
Once you have finished the rainbow, you can either leave it as is, or you can add some finishing touches such as adding stars or other designs.
When you are done, allow the paint to dry.
Final Thoughts
A rainbow is a beautiful sight to behold. It is a symbol of hope and joy, and even though rainbows are often associated with springtime, they can also appear at any time of year.
You can enjoy drawing a rainbow on your own wall by following our step-by-step guide.
We hope you enjoyed learning about how to paint a rainbow on a wall!
