How to Draw A Waterfall

Learn how to draw a waterfall made from refreshing colors and simple elements. In this drawing lesson, I will show you how to draw a picturesque image featuring a large waterfall made from great special effects. You will need a vector application and some basic knowledge of this software to duplicate this cartoon image. 

Step 1

First, you can draw the elements from the drawing using basic shapes without any outlines. These shapes must be filled with plain colors for now. As you can see, this illustration is pretty basic. Let's add some effects to make this image more spectacular!

Step 2

Start by using the gradient fill tool to add volume to these shapes. Inside each element of the drawing, add a second color (usually a darker version of the color already used inside the shape) to create the illusion of depth. 

Step 3

Next, draw new shapes on the mountain like shown in the illustration below (with the pink outlines). Shapes on top must be brighter while the ones on the bottom must be darker. The pink outlines were only added for readability purposes so you don't need to draw them. 

Step 4

Continue working on your illustration by adding two large clouds made from curved lines. On top of the waterfall, draw some waves using a shape filled with a bright blue color. Repeat the same technique on the bottom with darker colors. Finally, add darker irregular shapes on both sides of the mountain. 

Step 5

On the trees on top of the picture, draw dark shapes on the bottom. Inside the waterfall, draw more waves made from bright blue shapes. On the bottom of the illustration, create a large oval shape made from curved lines. You can also blur this shape to create a more realistic effect. 

Step 6

On both sides of the mountain, draw more darker shapes to create patterns and textures. You can use transparency to partially hide these new elements. Next, draw more waves on the bottom of the image. You can also draw a large version of the oval shape created on the bottom of the waterfall. You can blur this one too. 

Step 7

On both sides of the mountain, draw brighter shapes like shown below. You can also add a white shape on the bottom of the waterfall and blur this one. On both sides on the mountain (near the bottom), create two white shapes to complete this illustration. 

This lesson on how to draw a waterfall is now done! :)

Nice work! This is the final cartoon illustration. I hope you had fun learning how to draw a waterfall made from complex effects. Feel free to draw your own landscape using the same techniques found here and unleash your creativity now! :)

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