How to Draw Rainbow — Free Practice Sheets

A rainbow drawing is mostly a geometry exercise: one large semicircle, five smaller arcs nested inside it, and a flat base line that closes each band. This page explains how to build that structure step by step, then how to use tracing, grid-copy, frame-guide, and partial-completion sheets to practise it. The goal is a clear, balanced banded outline, not a pixel-perfect copy.

Build the arc structure first

Start with the outer semicircle. Draw a horizontal base line, choose a centre point on it, and sweep one large arc from the left end to the right end. Keep the two endpoints level with each other so the rainbow sits flat rather than tilting.

Inside that outer arc, add five smaller semicircles that share the same centre point. Each new arc should sit a roughly equal distance from the one outside it. Even spacing is what makes the bands read as parallel stripes rather than random curves.

Close each band at the bottom with a short horizontal segment joining neighbouring arcs. The outermost band needs a flat end on both sides, and each inner band does too. Without these short closing lines, the arcs look like open hoops instead of a finished rainbow.

1. Draw a horizontal base line and mark a centre point on it.
2. Sweep one large outer semicircle from the left end of the base to the right end.
3. Add five smaller concentric semicircles inside the first, spaced evenly.
4. Close the bottom of every band with a short horizontal line to make flat ends.
5. Thicken all outlines to a uniform weight for the banded line-art look.

Use the practice sheet formats deliberately

The tracing sheet asks you to follow the reference outline first, then repeat the contour on your own. Tracing builds the hand motion; the independent repeat is where the shape actually sticks. Compare your free attempt with the separate full reference sheet rather than with your traced line.

The grid-copy sheet works differently. Match the reference at grid intersections, so the outer arc's highest point and the base endpoints land on the same relative positions. The grid helps you judge proportion, not just outline.

The frame-and-centre-guide sheet gives you a bounding box and a centre line. Place the silhouette inside that frame before adding the band details. The partial-completion sheet supplies one side and asks you to finish the other, which tests whether you understand the spacing rule well enough to continue it.

1. On the tracing sheet, trace once, then draw the contour independently.
2. On the grid sheet, align key points to matching intersections before drawing curves.
3. On the frame sheet, set the outer arc and base endpoints inside the frame first.
4. On the completion sheet, measure the visible band spacing and continue it across.

Check proportions and band consistency

A convincing rainbow keeps its arcs concentric and its bands similar in width. If one band is much wider than its neighbours, the drawing looks lopsided even when the outer shape is correct. Step back and compare the gaps between arcs at the top and at the sides.

The flat ends should sit on the same horizontal level. If one end is higher, the rainbow appears to lean. Also check that the outer arc is the widest and that each inner arc stays strictly inside the previous one.

Art has many valid outcomes, so judge visible features and proportions rather than exact matching. A slightly different overall size can still be correct if the concentric structure and even banding hold.

1. Compare band widths at the top and at both sides.
2. Confirm all flat ends rest on one horizontal level.
3. Check that every inner arc stays inside the one outside it.

Check your work

• Six bands are present: one outer arc and five inner arcs.
• All arcs share a single centre point and remain concentric.
• Band widths are roughly even across the drawing.
• Every band closes with a flat horizontal end at the base.
• All flat ends sit on the same horizontal level.
• Outline weight is uniform across the bands.

Worked example

rainbow: Trace the reference outline, then practise the contour independently. Compare with the separate full reference sheet.

Common mistakes

• Drawing arcs from different centre points so the bands cross or pinch. Mark one centre point on the base line and sweep every arc from it.
• Leaving the band ends open instead of closing them with short horizontal lines. Add a flat horizontal segment at the base of each band on both sides.
• Making one band noticeably wider than the others. Compare the gaps between neighbouring arcs and adjust the spacing to match.

Questions and answers