A raining rainbow is exactly as it sounds––it is a rainbow with colors that cascade downwards just like rain, only much more colorful. It is achieved using crayons and heat or paint and air flow. Choose the approach that best suits your artistic interest and available art items.
Crayon raining rainbow
1Gather the colors of crayons that you would like to use. Note that if you're doing a realistic rainbow, you will need shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, depending on your taste.
- If you're doing a rainbow that's differently colored, that's fine too. You could use pastels, psychedelic colors, your favorite colors, etc. It's art, so use your creativity.
2Cover the area in which you'll be working. This is to prevent any staining from the wax colors.
3Hot glue the crayons to the canvas. Glue them in a rainbow formation.
4Place the blow dryer on the high heat setting.
5Hold the hot blow dryer air flow over the crayons. Allow the crayons to begin melting and dripping down the canvas. Do this slowly, in small increments.
- Take care to keep your skin well away from both the heat source and the melting wax, as you could burn your skin if it comes into contact with either.
6Continue until you're happy with the end result.
7Let it dry overnight. The next day, when dry, it will be ready to hang on your wall.
Painted raining rainbow
1Choose the colors of paints that you would like to use. If you're painting a realistic rainbow, you will need shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, depending on your taste.
- If you're creating a rainbow that's differently colored, choose the appropriate paint colors. You could use pastels, psychedelic colors, your favorite colors, etc. It's art, so use your creativity.
- Use poster or acrylic paints. Oils and watercolors won't work very well with this project. Cheap, runny paints are a good option.
2Set up the workspace. Cover the area you'll be working on with paper to protect it. Squeeze out the paints into separate pots in readiness for painting. Have the paintbrushes ready to go.
3Paint the rainbow on the canvas. Work very quickly, as you don't want the paint to dry before blowing it.
4Set the hair dryer to low or no heat. You only need airflow, not hear for the paint.
5Blow the paint downwards from the rainbow design. Allow the paint to run down the canvas in any direction it wishes to go. You'll need to keep working quickly.
6Continue until you're happy with the result.
7Let dry overnight or for as long as needed. When dry, the canvas is ready to hang on the wall.
- If you're not comfortable with drawing the rainbow freehand, draw it in place in pencil first, then attach the crayons or paint on it, as needed.
- If you find that the paint is drying too quickly for the painted raining rainbow, consider painting and blow drying in stages, painting over the trickled paint to add the next color layers.
- Supervise any children making this project.
Things You'll Need
- Wax crayons in varied colors
- Blow dryer
- Hot glue applicator, e.g. hot glue gun
- Paints in varied colors
- Pots for paints