Rainbows combine many scientific phenomena such as reflection, refraction, light and water. Most of us know to search the sky for a rainbow when the day is both rainy and sunny. We also know that rainbows are mysterious and make us happy as though witnessing a miracle right before our eyes. They are elusive and can disappear in the blink of an eye. One way to keep the rainbow forever is to paint it. Watercolor is the perfect medium because it is dependent upon water to bring the rainbow alive on your paper.
Steps
Part 1
Part 1 of 2:
Researching and Preparing
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Begin by “meeting” Roy G. Biv. This acronym is a way to not only remember the colors in a rainbow but also the order in which they appear (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet).
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Do as much research as you wish. Bear in mind, however, that the scientific principles surrounding rainbows might be hard for a non-scientist to grasp. Don’t be discouraged. You can still paint and appreciate the miracle of a rainbow if you know even a little about it.
- Traditionally, rainbows are often depicted as a pile of colored stripes, with very distinct definition between the colors. In life, this just isn’t true. The colors of rainbows blend and bleed into one another.
- The colors mix slightly against one another making a continuous gradation of hues. Watercolor is the perfect medium to depict a rainbow because it is transparent and can be very runny.
- In real life, the arc, or highest point of the rainbow is always centered right above the viewer’s head. In art, the rainbow can be anywhere in the sky, no hard and fast rules apply.
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Decide whether to sketch or not to sketch first. If making a very light pencil line on your paper will help you, do it. Just one line to act as a guide line to get you started will probably be enough. If you need more help to stay on track, go ahead and draw the lines between the colors. Keep your lines pale.
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Practice using markers first. This will help you to get the feeling of making that wide arc. If you wish, put a fine black line between colors. When you do your actual rainbow in watercolor you will have more confidence.
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Prepare your painting supplies and paper. Find a location to work out of the way of traffic. Despite what other might think, painting takes a degree of concentration and can best be accomplished in a calm atmosphere.
- Use heavy watercolor paper. Try to find a pad of paper. The cardboard backing will support your painting as you work. This special paper won’t buckle when water is added and holds the watercolor paints well, keeping them from soaking in or through the paper.
- Set out your colors and dampen each pad of dry color with a few drops of water so they will be ready when you are.
- Line up your brushes on a piece of folded paper towel or a terry kitchen towel to keep them from rolling around.
- Place your water bucket on the side of your dominant hand to avoid unwanted drips on your painting as you work.
- Have a sharpened pencil, a pencil sharpener and a good eraser nearby.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 2:
Painting
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Look at the blank paper and think what you want to paint on it. Keep in mind that your rainbow in the sky will probably be the most important and colorful element on the page. Hold the pad in either orientation. Allow lots of area for the sky, so draw your horizon line in the bottom half of the paper.
- Any simple scene is good. You could paint a few strokes of green or brown for the earth and a tree or two. Stay away from frozen winter scene since rain is a component of rainbows and when it is below 32 degrees it doesn’t rain.
- If desired, make an irregular sky line to represent city buildings.
- Water is good as a rainbow over water is always beautiful
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Paint the bottom half or third representing land. Add in as little or as much detail as you wish.
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Decide between two choices for the sky. Paint it first, very lightly in blue or gray. The difficulty with this is that after the sky is completely dry and you paint in a rainbow, the colors you will be using will be dulled by being put over a first wash. Solve this by wetting around the rainbow.
- Alternatively, leave the sky white paper. Paint the rainbow first directly onto the pristine paper for greater luminosity and brighter colors. Then, go back and paint the sky, avoiding the rainbow.
- Either way is fine. You could do a test swatch to see how this principle works. Then decide what you want to do with your painting.
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Paint the rainbow. Again, two choices are commonly made at this point. Whether to paint the rainbow on wet or dry paper. Wet will be harder to control, but will give you interesting results. Carefully wet the rainbow arc and wait a few minutes. The water will help the colors merge and blend in unique ways.
- Painting the rainbow on dry paper will give you lots of control so the colors don’t run amok.
- Either choice is fine. Accidental effects are one of the hallmarks of watercolor, but depart from how many see reality. Your choice.
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Complete your painting. Finish the sky, again, in one of two ways. For those who feel like taking a chance, wet the area around the completely dry rainbow with plain water using a medium size brush. Allow the water to soak in for a minute or two. Put a little blue or gray (well diluted black) purple, etc, virtually any color for the sky on a brush and touch the wet sky near one of the paper's edges. The water will carry the color to all the wet places.
- Paint the sky on dry paper. This is easier to control but you will need to make a well diluted puddle of sky color and paint it over the areas around the rainbow.
- Hold a paper napkin or tissue in your hand that isn't holding the brush and use it to dab up any spots that you are unhappy with.
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6Allow the art work piece to dry. Stand back and analyze your work to see if anything needs tweaking. If you want to punch up an area, add another layer of color in all or a few areas.
- If you need to remove something, cut a half inch piece off the end of a white kitchen eraser pad used to remove stubborn spots and stains. Wet it wring it out and gently lift off anything you wish.
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7Paint to sharpen the details. Work further on the trees, house, path and clothesline.
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Hang it to enjoy. It will most likely prompt others to tell of their experiences with rainbows. This is a good time to talk with family and/or friends. Some things you might discuss are:
- Songs with rainbows in them.
- Clothing with the colors of the rainbow.
- Home decorations based on rainbows.
- Name foods are influenced by the rainbow.
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