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How to Draw a Dam
Draw a dam in 12 easy steps, about 9 minutes. Free, with a printable worksheet.
Each picture adds one red line. Draw that line, then scroll to the next picture. Rub out any dashed helper lines at the end. First up: two hillsides.
Step 1: Two hillsides
On each side, start high at the edge. Draw a round hill sloping down, and stop near the bottom middle.
Tip Leave a wide gap between the two hill feet for the dam.
Step 2: The river
Start at the left edge. Draw a wavy river line across to the right edge, touching both hill feet.
Step 3: The dam wall
Start on the left hill, high up. Rule a straight line across to the right hill for the wall top.
Tip The wall fills the valley from this line down to the river. A road runs along its top.
Step 4: The road rail
Stand 7 short posts on the wall top. Start on the left hill, rule a rail across to the right.
Step 5: The lake behind
Above the rail, start on the left hill. Rule a flat line across to the right hill for the lake.
Tip The deep lake water fills the space down to the wall top.
Step 6: Two openings
Low on the wall, draw 2 upside-down U shapes side by side. Start and stop at the same height.
Step 7: Gushing water
From the feet of each opening, draw 2 lines getting wider apart as they fall. Stop on the river.
Step 8: The sun
In the top right corner, draw a round sun with 8 short rays pointing away from it.
Step 9: Yellow sun, sky-blue water
Colour the sun yellow. Colour the gushing water sky blue, right up inside the openings.
Step 10: Grey dam
Colour the dam wall grey, going around the gushing water.
Step 11: Blue lake and river
Colour the lake and the river blue. Take the river right out to the edges and the bottom.
Step 12: Green hills
Colour the 2 hills green, out to the edges. Go over your lines and your dam is done!
Your finished drawing
Follow the steps above and this is where you end up: a dam, drawn by you.
Every step in one picture
