Rainbow Waterfall Colouring

This peaceful nature scene shows a wide waterfall pouring over rounded rocks into a quiet pool while a giant rainbow arches overhead. Early-summer rain has filled the stream, freshened the ferns and opened the flowers along the bank. A waterfall forms when flowing water reaches a sudden drop in the land. Gravity pulls the water down, and the splash can send countless tiny droplets into the air. When sunlight reaches those droplets at the correct angle, the mist may create a rainbow near the falls. That is why waterfalls are wonderful places to look for colour after rain, although visitors must stay on safe paths because wet rocks can be slippery. Start with the rainbow and colour each long band using steady curved strokes. You can follow the usual sequence of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, or design a new sequence of your own. Try not to press too hard at first; a light first layer makes it easy to deepen each band evenly. The upper clouds can be pale blue-grey with white centres. Leave the falling water mostly white, then add very light blue along a few edges and vertical lines to suggest clean, moving water. Use turquoise or gentle blue in the pool and slightly darker blue beneath the splashes. The rocks can be warm grey, sandy tan, rust brown or a mixture of natural stone colours. Make rocks closest to the water a little darker, as though they are damp. Colour the ferns with several greens, following each small leaf from its stem towards the tip. The large wildflowers can be yellow, pink, orange or violet, with deep green leaves. Keep distant plants lighter so the central waterfall stays easy to see. Children can add tiny curved blue lines to the pool for ripples, but should leave generous white space so the picture remains bright. As you colour, imagine hearing the steady rush of water and feeling cool mist on a sunny morning. This page offers a gentle lesson about the water cycle: rain feeds streams, streams flow downhill, sunlight warms the returning water, and droplets can briefly turn ordinary light into a magnificent rainbow.

◫ A4 size✎ Bold outlines♡ Ages 3–8

Download JPEGHigh-resolution A4 image Download PDFPrint-ready A4 file

Make it an activity

Choose a favourite colour palette
Add a simple background
Display the finished artwork

Grown-up note: Please supervise printing and choose age-appropriate art materials.