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  • “Latte Art” Tutorial (with Real Coffee)

    by

    Lindsey Bugbee

    , , , , , ,

    There are few things more comforting than holding a warm latte in your hands. Today, we’re channeling that feeling by creating “latte art” on handmade paper. The secret ingredient? Actual coffee.

    In today’s tutorial, I’ll walk you through how to use instant coffee and watercolors to create this cozy art.

    One snowy morning last week, I whipped up a very dark coffee brew and began experimenting with “latte art” in my sketchbook. The rich brown tones that the brew achieved were absolutely delightful. There is a comfort in the unpredictability of painting with coffee; it creates organic, rich tones that you just can’t quite replicate with standard watercolors.

    Latte art in a sketchbook

    This makes for a nice relaxing project: just grab some instant coffee, hot water, and a bit of watercolor paint. Whether you’re working on an envelope or just playing in your sketchbook, I invite you to brew a cup and give this technique a try.

    “Latte Art” Video Tutorial

    If you have 30 minutes to create alongside me, watch the video tutorial below! Alternatively, you can find written instructions and step-by-step photos just past the video player.

    “Latte Art” Written Tutorial

    Before you create this latte art, you’ll need to gather a few supplies:

    • Instant Coffee (powdered works best for a dark brew)
    • Watercolor Paper or Envelope (I used an Indian Cotton Paper Company envelope, which handles moisture well)
    • Small Jar or Cup (about 2″ diameter)
    • Watercolor Paint (I used “Green Earth” to paint the coffee cup, but any high-contrast color works)
    • Size 1 (-ish) Paintbrush
    • Wide, shallow bowl

    1. Mix Up “Coffee Ink”

    The first thing you are going to do is mix up some coffee ink. You want this to be strong. I recommend using instant coffee because you can customize the intensity of your brew.

    I used about a 50% powder to 50% hot water ratio to achieve a very dark brew.

    Be sure to mix your “ink” in a fairly wide, shallow bowl so you have room to dip your jar in the next step.

    2. Make the Rim

    Grab a jar or cup that is about two inches in diameter (make sure that the entire mouth of the jar fits into your bowl). Then, dip the rim of the jar into the coffee mixture.

    Dipping jar into coffee
    Shake off the excess! You want coffee on the rim, but not so much that it drips all over the place.

    Now, quickly impress the rim onto your paper to create a circle.

    This is, more or less, what your coffee circle will look like.

    Don’t worry if you get some splatters or if the rim isn’t perfect. Coffee is unpredictable, and those little imperfections lend to the artistic nature of the piece.

    3. Create the “Latte Art”

    While the coffee ring is still wet, use your paintbrush to drag the wet coffee down into a “V” shape. Fill it in to start your base.

    You’ll notice that coffee isn’t as opaque as watercolor, which gives you natural variations in tone.

    Now, think about how latte art looks: it’s organic and round, with no angular elements. With that in mind, add a fairly generous border of coffee around the inside edge. Then, draw a heart in the center.

    Continue to paint supporting “foam” ripples both on the outside and the inside of the art to mimic the look of a pour.

    Remember that real-life latte art is never perfectly reliable or symmetrical. You want those unexpected occurrences where the coffee joins up.

    4. Paint the Mug

    Once your coffee art has dried, it’s time to paint the mug. You want a color that provides high contrast to the earthy brown. (I chose a green tone; but a deep blue, turquoise, or light purple would also look lovely.) Using a small paintbrush, carefully “skate” around the edge of the coffee circle, leaving a bit of space between the coffee and the watercolor. Finish up by painting a rounded handle on the side.

    After your watercolor dries, use a touch of Bleed Proof white ink, white gouache, or even Wite-Out to add a bit of shine to the handle.

    Adding a bit of white to the handle mimics the look of ceramic.

    5. Add Splatters and a Shadow

    You can finish up your latte art with some coffee splatters and a shadow for extra dimension. For the splatters, paint a few large, vaguely circular shapes, then use your brush to dot smaller droplets around the cup. Then, use black watercolor tone to “hug” one side of the mug, blending the color out with water so it gets progressively lighter.

    If, like me, you plan to use your latte art for mail art, write your recipient’s address with a pointed pen. Then, add a couple of postage stamps that echo the brown tones in the coffee and the color of your coffee cup. Next, be sure to waterproof the envelope. (Waterproofing the envelope is non-negotiable; the coffee will smudge if exposed to moisture.)

    I created this envelope for the TPK Premium Pretty Mail Penpals exchange.

    Once you’re finished, step back and admire your work. Then, experiment with other latte art concepts! Hint: It’s fun to look up images of real-life lattes and try to replicate them in your sketchbook.

    I love projects that remind us that art supplies can be found anywhere … even in the kitchen (or the liquor cabinet). I hope you enjoyed experimenting with turning your morning pick-me-up into a relaxing piece of art with me today. Thanks so much for reading, and happy creating!

    Warmly,