The art of drawing on coffee: original latte art technique

What is latte art

Latte art is the art of drawing certain images on coffee foam. This original idea came from Italian monks. True, not many people remember this now. Creating beautiful patterns and original inscriptions on the surface of the drink has already begun in all corners of the planet.

Coffee art is an opportunity to show your imagination. Certain coffee shops even offer a unique service.
The visitor shows a photo on his smartphone, it is transferred to the coffee machine, and this image is reproduced on the latte or cappuccino.

Professional skills in using latte art technique

The idea of latte art is to bring taste and aesthetic pleasure to the coffee shop visitor. Masters pay even more attention to the preparation of milk foam than to the quality of brewed espresso. The density, delicate taste, and height of the “cap” will depend on the consistency and size of the bubbles.

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Chilled milk is whipped under pressure and at the same time heated to a certain temperature. Another method of whipping does not guarantee the desired consistency and preservation of the applied pattern. High-quality foam retains its “art” for more than 10 minutes.

Draw with a coffee and milk stream. On a cappuccino, drawing is done with milk foam, on a latte, on the contrary, by pouring a stream of coffee over the foam. They also use improvised means of various sharpness and subtlety, and for taste and decoration - syrups and cinnamon.

A beautiful drawing requires hard, careful work.

There are basic figures that even novice masters can easily reproduce:

Heart. A stream of milk foam forms a circle in the center of the cup until it is completely filled. The last stroke in the center of the circle is the final movement of the drawing.
Apple. A small portion of foam is used to form a “stem” near the wall. The milk flow then moves to the center of the cup. The jet forms a circle and the cup is filled to the top.
Flower. Direct the milk stream towards the far wall and carefully fill the cup 1/2 full. Then bring the milk jug closer to you, making rocking movements so that the foam fills like a snake. The last movement is to cross out the drawing with a small amount of milk.
Rosetta. It resembles both a flower and a leaf at the same time. The barista rocks the vessel while pouring milk, which creates different petal shapes. The final thin stripe in the middle forms the stem of the flower.

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The pattern created by the master is influenced by the master’s technique and the following factors:

height of the milk jug above the surface of the cup;
oscillation frequency of the milk jet;
the point at which the stream of milk enters the cup;
infusion rate.

Coffee with voluminous figures looks very cute

Secrets of drawing for black coffee

The drawings are created on dense milk foam. Only in this case will it be possible to make the perfect decoration. However, if desired, you can apply the pattern to espresso. Drawing on coffee is not difficult.

The easiest way is to create a base. The surface of the drink is sprinkled with cocoa powder. Pour it into a cup in an even layer using a strainer or salt shaker.

Cinnamon can be used as a base. Against its background, the drawing will be contrasting and bright.

What kind of coffee can you use to create latte art?

Certain types of coffee are used to create images.

The main requirement for a “canvas” drink is dense thickness and tightly whipped foam. Espresso and cappuccino are great for this; frothed milk is used to draw on them. The latte has light coffee foam, and therefore the drawings on it are of a darker tone.

Techniques for painting on milk foam

They make drawings on coffee using different techniques. Typically, the following are used:

pitching. When applying this method, a pitcher is used. This is a kind of jug, equipped with a sharp spout. In this case, the foam is poured into the coffee, and the selected image is immediately drawn on it;
etching. This technique involves using a sharp, thin stick. For example, you can take a toothpick. It is immersed through the foam so that the tip comes into contact with the coffee. After this, an image is applied by combining milk foam and espresso;
mixed media . In this case, two methods are used at once: etching and pitching;
stencil method. The method is considered the simplest. It is with its use that it is recommended to begin mastering the art of latte art. In this case, you need to buy or make a stencil yourself, which is then applied to the cup. In this case, the surface is sprinkled with grated chocolate, cocoa or cinnamon;
volumetric technique. When used, it is possible to create three-dimensional images from thick foam;
engraving. The method involves the use of syrup. With its help, an image is created on the surface or an inscription is made.

Etching

Pitching

Stencils

Volumetric drawing

Essential Drawing Tools

When planning to draw on coffee, you must first prepare all the necessary tools. During the work process you may need the following:

pitcher It is considered the main one among the instruments. It is designed to froth milk manually. In addition, it will act as a kind of pencil;
salt shaker It is filled with cocoa, which is necessary to create an image on espresso;
wooden sticks . They are used when making thin lines;
cream injector. Used when outlining contours. It can be replaced with a tube with a thin tip or a ready-made can filled with liquid chocolate.

Ideas for Beginners

It is quite possible to master the art of latte art at home. At the same time, it is not at all necessary to start with complex patterns. Initially, it is recommended to learn how to create simple pictures. For example, draw a heart or a star.

Lesson 1: heart

To make a heart using the latte art technique, you need to perform the following manipulations:

Place the milk in the refrigerator in advance and cool it to the desired temperature.
Froth the milk product in a pitcher using the steamer of a coffee machine.
Brew espresso using any convenient method.
Sprinkle the surface of the prepared drink with cocoa powder.
Take the pitcher in your hands and tilt it over the cup.
Pour in the frothed milk strictly in the center. In this case, the pitcher should be kept at a distance of 5 cm from the cup.
When the white circle on the surface is the right size, the pitcher's nose should be moved to the place where the heart will have a depression.
The spout should be slightly closer to the coffee. It should be approximately 2 cm away.
Now you need to quickly cross out the diameter of the milk circle. You should start from the place where the depression should be, and end at the sharp part.

This is where the work ends. Thanks to the drawn line, the last drop will pull the image to the side and you will get a heart.

Lesson 2: bunny

Making a bunny drawing is no less simple. During the work you only need to perform a few manipulations:

By using a pitcher, make a circle in the center and form a heart above it, as mentioned above.
Use a toothpick to make the bunny's eyes and nose.
Then draw the mustache and mouth.

This creates a funny bunny face with heart-shaped ears.

Lesson 3: star

Even beginners in the art of latte art can create an image of a star on the foam. In this case, you only need to perform a few steps:

Pour milk from the pitcher into the center of the cup, thus forming a small circle.
The resulting white figure should be outlined with chocolate icing. A pastry syringe is used for this purpose.
After this, another chocolate rim is made. It should be larger in diameter than the first one.
Using a toothpick, draw lines from the center of the circle to the edges of the cup. The more such strokes are made, the more rays the star will have.

Varieties of coffee art

Having mastered the basic areas of latte art technique, they move on to creating complex ornaments and compositions.

The basic images are:

hearts. This is an easy drawing method. The pitcher pours cream into the coffee, allowing it to spread exactly in the center. By crossing the circle in the middle with a thin stream, an image of a heart is obtained;
apple To depict it, start drawing from the edge of the coffee cup, creating a branch of an apple tree. By adding cream to the center of the cup, you get a round apple;
rosettes. It is used to decorate cappuccino. Conventionally, the surface of the coffee in the cup is divided into quarters and gradually “painted over” by pouring cream. The upper quarters are filled first, and then the lower quarters are filled from left to right. In this case, the pitcher makes zigzag movements. The final touch is to divide the drawing in half with a thin line.

Be sure to read: How to make milk foam for coffee

To master cappuccino art, you need to stock up on endurance and free time. Creating an ornament involves repeated daily training, during which precise, fast and accurate movements are practiced.

Mastery of basic latte art techniques opens up the opportunity to create and experiment, creating your own original compositions.

DIY coffee stencils

The easiest way to make drawings on coffee is to use stencils. You can make them yourself. To do this, you need to perform a number of simple manipulations:

Draw or simply print a drawing.
Attach the paper with the image to a thick base.
Cut out the design using a utility knife, securing the cardboard with tape.
Apply the resulting base to the cup, placing the image in the center.
Trace along the outline.
Make a small indent and cut out the workpiece.

Creating drawings on coffee foam is a fun activity. Absolutely anyone can master this technique. The main thing is to follow certain recommendations and be patient. Without any doubt, after a short time you will be able to achieve a high level of skill and create many new masterpieces.