How to draw a waterfall - a free waterfall drawing guide

What can we use instead of masking tape, watercolor paper, or a fine ink pen if we don't have them?

Use removable painter's tape or washi tape to tape your paper flat, heavyweight mixed-media or glued-down cold-press cardstock if you don't have watercolor paper, and a waterproof fineliner or India ink with a small round brush in place of a fine ink pen for the inking step.

My ink smudged and the washes are lifting weirdly—how can I fix or avoid that?

To avoid smudging, follow 'Let the ink dry completely before you do anything else' and test dryness with a fingertip or low hair dryer, and if lifting streaks goes wrong when you 'Use a clean damp brush or a paper towel to lift tiny streaks,' practice lifting on a scrap and blot gently rather than scrubbing.

How can I change the project for younger children or make it more challenging for older kids?

For younger kids simplify by skipping the fine ink pen step and letting them paint over the penciled horizon and rock shapes with washable tempera or watered-down acrylic, while older kids can use masking fluid, wet-on-wet layered vertical washes for the waterfall, and detailed inked rock edges and pencil shading.

What are some ways to extend or personalize the finished waterfall drawing?

After 'Let the whole artwork dry' consider adding white gouache highlights or using masking fluid before washes to preserve highlights, sprinkle salt into wet rock washes for texture, collage torn paper for foliage, and then sign and share your finished waterfall drawing on DIY.org.