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How to Draw a Water Cycle

13 steps · Medium · about 10 min

Draw a water cycle in 13 easy steps, about 10 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: the hill.

Step 1: The hill
Start low near the bottom. Draw a line up to a round hilltop, then down, and stop near the right edge.
Tip Keep the hill on the right half: the sea goes on the left.
Step 2: The sea
Start near the left edge. Draw a wavy line of 5 bumps across, and stop at the hill.
Step 3: The sun
In the top left corner draw a round sun with 8 short rays around it.
Step 4: The cloud
At the top, above the hill, draw a puffy cloud: 5 round bumps and a flat bottom.
Step 5: Raindrops
Under the cloud draw 4 raindrops, pointed at the top and round at the bottom.
Tip Leave a gap in the middle of the drops for an arrow.
Step 6: The river
Start near the hilltop. Draw 2 wiggly lines down the hill, getting wider apart, and stop at the sea.
Step 7: Water rises
Start just above the sea. Draw a long arrow going up, and stop below the sun.
Tip The sun warms the sea, and tiny bits of water float up into the air.
Step 8: A cloud forms
Start above that arrow. Draw a curved arrow across to the cloud, and stop beside it.
Tip High up it is cold, so the water gathers into a cloud.
Step 9: Rain falls
Start under the cloud. Draw an arrow straight down, and stop above the hilltop.
Tip When the cloud is full, the water falls as rain.
Step 10: Back to the sea
Start beside the hill. Draw an arrow sloping down, and stop above the sea.
Tip The river carries the rain back to the sea, and it all starts again.
Step 11: Yellow sun, grey cloud
Go over your lines. Colour the sun yellow and the cloud grey.
Tip A grey cloud is full of rain.
Step 12: Green hill
Colour the hill green all the way down, going around the river.
Step 13: Blue water
Colour the sea, the river and the 4 raindrops blue. Your water cycle is done!