How to Draw Fountain — Free Practice Sheets

A fountain drawing reads clearly when the structure comes first and the water comes second. This page shows how to build a three-tier fountain from stacked ovals, connect the basins with tapered pedestals, and then add the spout, spray, and falling arcs that make the water look like water. The practice sheets let you trace, copy onto a grid, place a silhouette inside a frame, or complete a half-finished drawing, so you can work on the same fountain in several ways.

Build the fountain from stacked ovals

Start with the largest shape: a wide, flattened oval for the ground-level base pool. Flattened means the oval is much wider than it is tall, which makes it read as a pool seen from slightly above rather than a ball. Above that, draw a smaller oval for the middle basin, and above that an even smaller oval for the top basin. Keep the three ovals centered on one vertical line so the fountain looks balanced.

The ovals should decrease in size as they rise. If the middle oval is wider than the base oval, the fountain will look top-heavy. Check the spacing between the ovals before adding anything else; the gaps become the pedestals.

1. Draw a wide flattened oval for the base pool.
2. Add a smaller oval above it for the middle basin.
3. Add an even smaller oval above that for the top basin.
4. Check that all three ovals share one vertical center line.

Connect the basins with pedestals

Join the basins with tapered vertical pedestals. Tapered means the sides narrow slightly as they rise, which suggests a carved stone support rather than a plain cylinder. Add a horizontal band near the top and bottom of each pedestal to suggest the tiered structure.

Keep the pedestals narrower than the basin rims so the ovals still overhang. The overhang is what makes the fountain look like stacked bowls rather than a single column.

1. Draw two curved sides from the base pool up to the middle basin.
2. Repeat from the middle basin to the top basin.
3. Add horizontal bands near the top and bottom of each pedestal.
4. Confirm each pedestal is narrower than the basin above it.

Add the spout, spray, and falling water

Place a small central spout on the top basin. Draw short radiating lines from the spout to show water spraying upward. Then draw curved lines falling from the rims of the top and middle basins down into the lower pool. The arcs should curve outward and then down, following gravity rather than dropping straight.

Finish with a few ripple lines inside the base pool where the falling water lands. Ripples are short curved marks, not full circles, and they should sit near the landing points rather than spread across the whole pool.

1. Draw a small spout at the center of the top basin.
2. Add short radiating lines for the upward spray.
3. Draw curved arcs from the top and middle basin rims into the lower pool.
4. Add a few ripple lines inside the base pool at the landing points.

Using the practice sheets

The trace sheet asks you to follow the reference outline first, then practise the contour independently and compare with the separate full reference sheet. The grid sheet asks you to copy the reference onto the blank grid using matching grid intersections. The frame sheet gives you a bounding frame and center guide so you can place the silhouette before adding details. The partial sheet asks you to complete the blank right-hand portion using the full reference.

In every case, the goal is the visible features and proportions, not a pixel-perfect match. Different line weights, ripple counts, and arc shapes can all be correct.

1. Trace the outline, then redraw it without tracing.
2. Copy onto the grid by matching intersections.
3. Place the silhouette inside the frame before adding details.
4. Complete the blank portion, then compare with the full reference.

Check your work

• Three stacked oval basins are present and decrease in size from bottom to top.
• The basins share one vertical center line.
• Tapered pedestals connect the basins and are narrower than the basin rims.
• A central spout sits on the top basin with short radiating spray lines.
• Curved water arcs fall from the upper and middle basin rims into the base pool.
• Ripple lines appear inside the base pool near the landing points.

Worked example

fountain: Trace the reference outline, then practise the contour independently. Compare with the separate full reference sheet.

Common mistakes

• Making the middle or top basin wider than the base pool. Redraw the upper ovals smaller than the one below so the fountain narrows as it rises.
• Drawing water arcs as straight vertical lines. Curve each arc outward from the rim, then downward, so it follows gravity.
• Spreading ripple lines across the whole base pool. Keep ripples short and place them only near where the falling water lands.

Questions and answers