Drawing on coffee is a whole branch of fine art. A cup of regular coffee turns into piece of art. Drawing on coffee makes you smile and improves your mood.
For different types Coffee technology for obtaining images on the surface of this drink varies. For black types of coffee, such as espresso, Americano, the pattern is formed on the surface of the coffee itself. For coffee with milk foam, such as cappuccino, latte, macchiato, the design is applied to the milk foam covering the coffee.
Secrets of drawing for black coffee
The most important thing when painting on the surface of black coffee is to create a dense base for applying the design. One of simple ways To create such a background-base is to sprinkle the surface of the coffee with cocoa powder. Pour cocoa from a salt shaker or through a strainer into a cup of freshly prepared coffee in an even layer until a dense, dry brown base for the design is formed.
You can also use cinnamon to create the base.
On a brown surface, the design will look bright and contrasting.
Secrets of drawing for coffee with milk foam
For coffee with milk foam, it is the foam that will serve as the basis for painting. The foam must be dense so that the design stays on it for at least 15 minutes. Main secret base density - milk foam should consist of small bubbles. The technique for obtaining foam from small bubbles in modern high-pressure coffee makers is simple: it is whipped from milk cooled to 2–4°C.
The foam from large bubbles is loose and quickly settles, losing its shape, and then completely dissolving in the coffee along with the pattern.
Essential Drawing Tools
Prepare or buy a pitcher, salt shaker, wooden sticks, and a pastry syringe.
The main drawing tool is a pitcher - a metal vessel with a spout and handle, similar to a milk jug. Designed for frothing milk manually at home. In drawing on coffee it is used instead of a “pencil”.
You will also need a salt shaker filled with cocoa to create the background of the design.
Wooden sticks are useful for drawing fine lines.
A pastry syringe is needed to outline the contours. Instead of a syringe, you can use ready-made cans, tubes with a thin tip filled with liquid chocolate.
Milk heart
Prepare chilled milk. Foam it using the steamer of the coffee maker in the pitcher. Brew espresso. Sprinkle the surface of the coffee with cocoa from a salt shaker. The espresso already has its own foam, so the cocoa will not get wet or sink, but will be an excellent base for the design.
Wrap your hand around the pitcher and bend him over a cup of coffee. Foamed milk from the pitcher onto the surface of the coffee should come from a height of about 5 cm. It should be poured strictly into the center. When a white circle of the required size appears on the surface of the coffee - a blank for a milk heart, move the pitcher's nose to the place where the heart should have a depression. Bring the spout closer to the surface of the coffee at a distance of 2 cm and sharply cross out the milk circle in diameter - from the beginning of the supposed depression to the sharp tip of the heart. Finish drawing. A sharply drawn line will pull the drawing in the direction where the last drop of the drawing was made: a depression will form on the circle, and a sharp tip will form on the opposite side.
A cup of regular coffee can be turned into a work of art. There are various techniques for applying patterns to the surface of coffee. To produce such a masterpiece, you need to know the intricacies of painting on coffee, which we will reveal in this article.
How to draw on coffee - basic techniques
You can draw on milk foam using different techniques, namely:
- Pitching. This drawing technique involves the use of a pitcher; it is a jug with a sharp spout, with the help of which an airy foam pattern is simultaneously poured and applied.
- Etching. This technique requires a thin, sharp stick; a toothpick is ideal. It needs to be immersed through the milk foam so that the tip of the toothpick comes into contact with the coffee. Then, the barista applies a pattern, combining whipped foam and black coffee.
- Mixed. When pitching and etching are used to create a pattern on coffee.
- Stencil. This technique of applying a pattern to coffee is considered the easiest and most accessible to a novice barista. To do this, you need to purchase a stencil or cut it out of paper, attach it to a cup of coffee and sprinkle chocolate, cinnamon or cocoa on top of the milk foam.
- 3D. Various three-dimensional figures are created from thick foam on the surface of the coffee.
- Engraving. For this technique, you need to purchase syrup, which is used to apply an inscription or design to the surface of the foam.
How to draw a heart on coffee
To draw a heart on coffee you need:
- froth cooled pasteurized milk using the steam wand of a coffee maker or beat heated pasteurized milk in a French press;
- make espresso;
- Sprinkle brewed coffee with cocoa or cinnamon, this will become a contrasting background for the picture;
- using a pitcher, start pouring frothed milk into the center of the mug at a distance of 5 cm from the surface of the coffee;
- When the white circle reaches the desired heart size, you need to bring the sharp nose of the pitcher to a distance of 2 cm from the surface of the coffee and sharply move it downwards. This is necessary in order to form a sharp tip of the heart, as well as a depression.
Coffee decorated with a heart is ready! You can also create a heart on the surface of coffee using other techniques; they look beautiful and impressive.
How to draw a chocolate flower on coffee
To create a chocolate flower for coffee you need:
- froth pasteurized chilled milk using the steam wand of a coffee maker, at the rate of 3 parts milk to 1 part coffee;
- make coffee;
- prepare tumbler, put aside a spoonful of milk foam and pour milk into it;
- in the center of the glass, into the milk, we begin to pour coffee, after this manipulation two mugs appear in the glass;
- Place the reserved spoon of foam in the center of the glass;
- use melted chocolate to make the outline of a small and larger circle;
- Using a toothpick, we move from the center to the edge, then from the edge to the center, where we did not draw.
Coffee decorated with a chocolate flower is ready! Using this scheme, you can create different flowers; to do this, you need to change the direction of moving the toothpick over the foam.
How to draw on coffee using a stencil
The easiest way to apply a design to coffee is considered to be stenciling. To create coffee with a pattern on the surface using a stencil, you must:
- froth the milk using one of the following methods;
- make coffee;
- combine coffee with milk;
- purchase or make your own stencil with a design or inscription you like;
- Place the stencil over the cup and sprinkle it with cocoa, cinnamon, grated chocolate or ground nuts.
Coffee decorated using a stencil is ready!
To achieve a successful result, practice is necessary. Try the basic techniques of drawing a picture on coffee and choose the most suitable option for yourself. Try, experiment, make yourself and your loved ones happy!
Trying to keep warm in the cold and rainy autumn, we never refuse a cup of hot food. invigorating coffee. Many of us need coffee constantly to get everything done and stay energetic. And how nice it is when, running into a coffee shop for this invigorating drink, you see a cute design of foam on it! The mood immediately improves, the coffee becomes even tastier, and it seems that it is much more pleasant to warm up with it. Therefore, we decided to tell you a little about drawings on coffee and teach you how to draw on coffee at home!
Capuchin monks from Italy were the first to notice that unusual patterns sometimes appear on coffee. – This is how the idea of drawing on coffee came about. Nowadays this skill is called latte art, and the coffee artist is called a barista.
Some coffee bartenders use stencils to apply a design, but creating a pattern without auxiliary materials, when you simply calculate the movements with which you pour milk foam into an espresso or Americano, is considered true art.
Nowadays, the art of drawing on coffee is rapidly developing, and baristas are learning more and more complex and unusual latte art techniques: foam portraits, three-dimensional images, the use of cinnamon, syrups and much more.
But there are several classic drawings on coffee, with which latte art began. They are much simpler, so you can try them at home.
Heart
To draw on coffee, you will need foamed milk with a fat content of 3.4% heated to 62-65 degrees and well-brewed espresso, otherwise you will not be able to draw a pattern. Hold the container of foam five centimeters from the glass of coffee, tilt the glass slightly and pour in the foam in a circular motion. At the very end, bring the foam glass closer to the coffee and “cross out” the resulting circle.
Rosetta
Pour the milk into the espresso in a thin stream. Hold the foam glass high above the coffee. Then begin to lower the vessel with milk lower, making slight movements to the right and left. With the last movement, “cross out” the drawing.
Tulip
Pour foam into coffee. When the glass is half full, make several hearts and cross them with a milk strip.
Now you know a little more about the art of coffee painting and you can even try painting at home. Make this fall a little cozier by decorating your drink with patterns!
Today, drawings on coffee are a modern art, which is called “Latte Art”.
The idea of painting on the surface of a drink first arose in Italy among blacksmith monks. In the modern world, masters of creating drawings on coffee are called baristas (coffee bartender).
Initially, this art was not very diverse. The first images were in the form of simple flowers, leaves and hearts. But over many years of intensive development, “Latte Art” has improved, becoming a very popular and expensive art.
Drawings – basic technologies
The first step in creating a beautiful design is a well-prepared, thick espresso and high-quality foam using high-pressure steam.
In practice, there are several basic technologies for applying patterns to coffee drink– using a toothpick and a stencil. The first option is considered the most difficult. 
Using a stencil allows you to create complex compositions with maximum clarity. You can make such a stencil at home, for example, from thin cardboard. In addition, drawing on coffee can be done using a variety of syrups - caramel, chocolate, strawberry, etc. In elite restaurants and coffee shops, “Latte Art” is carried out with a special printer.
Pitching is a unique Italian technique. Its essence lies in the fact that the design is applied to the coffee using a pitcher in which the milk is first whipped.
Etching is an original addition to pitching. To implement this method, frothed milk is first poured into the espresso, and then, using a pointed object (skewer, toothpick), we draw the desired picture. 
Cappuccino art - this technology is characterized by the additional use of chocolate syrup and, rarely, food coloring.
Multi art is a skillful combination of etching and cappuccino art.
Espresso art - a picture of coffee is created on crema (espresso foam).
The most common elements of Latte Art
The basic elements of this art include:
First, to add brightness and richness to the image, you need to sprinkle the espresso with cocoa powder.
Secondly, well-whipped foam is the key to an ideal pattern.
In general, drawing on coffee is a rather interesting, but complex science that requires special knowledge and skills of a master.
Each illustration is an individual manifestation of the imagination of a barista who is able to bring true artistic masterpieces to life.
Today, annual Latte Art championships are held, where coffee bartenders can fully demonstrate their skills. Such events are very interesting, because in addition to the skills of professionals, there you can get acquainted with new drawings and innovative technologies for applying images on the “drink of vivacity”. 
The beauty of Latte Art is difficult to overestimate. After all, with its help, an ordinary cup of espresso turns into a real compositional masterpiece of thoughts and fantasies.
It's no secret that coffee is one of the most popular drinks, and it attracts people not only with its invigorating taste, but also with its exquisite appearance. The art of latte art, or drawing on the surface of coffee, is not at all as difficult as it seems at first glance, because in order to create a stylish contrasting design on coffee foam, have long come up with special stencils for coffee.
Coffee stencils are used by both professional baristas and ordinary people who, having mastered this simple skill, can delight their loved ones not only with a tasty, but also a very beautiful coffee masterpiece every day. All you need for this truly unique morning surprise is a set of coffee stencils and a bulk product that contrasts with the main tone of the coffee (this could be cinnamon, cocoa or powdered sugar).
Did you know? The art of drawing on coffee has gained such widespread popularity that since 2004, special championships have even been held among those who master this skill.
Our useful tips on how to decorate coffee using pastry stencils will help you quickly master this simple but effective technique.
Typically, coffee stencils are used to decorate a cup of cappuccino, mocha or latte. In addition, using stencils you can decorate all kinds of sweets, pastries, desserts, mousses and cocktails. Usually snow-white foam is decorated with designs, on which cocoa or ground cinnamon look incredibly impressive.
How to decorate coffee using a stencil
There you are step-by-step instruction. You will need:
- Cup of coffee
- Milk
- Stencil for decorating coffee
- A small strainer (for example, for brewing tea)
- Cocoa powder
Stages of work:
- Brew coffee and pour a little milk into it
- Place cocoa powder in a strainer to make the pattern more uniform.
- Cover the cup with a stencil and sift the cocoa powder through a strainer onto the stencil. Remove the stencil and serve the coffee immediately.
The process of decorating finished coffee using stencils is demonstrated in detail in the following video clip:
The diameter of the stencil should be slightly larger than a cup. Disposable stencils for confectionery They are easy to do: just print out one of the pictures offered on the Internet and then cut out the light areas with scissors.
It is important that the stencil has a tail, by which it can be carefully pulled and removed from the cup. To make a reusable stencil, instead of paper, take cardboard and, after cutting, cover it with tape, or better yet, immediately take plastic, for example, a yogurt lid.
It is not easy to process thick cardboard, and especially plastic, with scissors and tape. Therefore, it is often much easier to buy coffee stencils than to make them yourself. Online stores today offer a wide variety stencils for drawing on coffee, including in sets. Their themes can be very diverse, and the drawings are specially designed to be easy to read and last a long time on the foam. You will find beautiful stencils in our catalog.
The main rule of aesthetic decoration is that under no circumstances should the stencil touch the coffee or its foam. If you have carefully prepared the coffee, observing all the proportions, then the stencil for decorating the coffee can simply be placed on the cup.
However, if the coffee foam is too voluminous, you will have to hold the stencil suspended with one hand while sifting the cocoa or cinnamon with the other. In general, the closer the stencil is to the foam, the clearer and more understandable the design will be.
Perhaps the hardest part about using a coffee stencil is learning how to carefully hold the design over the foam without touching it. If at first it seems to you that there is a danger of smearing the foam, when decorating the coffee, place the cup at eye level or try working together.
In general, designs on the surface of coffee are short-lived, which is why such coffee should be served immediately after decoration. However, there are some ways to extend the life of the jewelry, and the main thing here is the thickness of the foam. It is believed that the most durable designs are obtained with cappuccino to which cream has been added - the thicker the better (you can even use aerosols from a can).
Instead of cream, you can add ice cream to a cup intended for coffee and let it melt slightly. As you carefully pour coffee into this cup, you will notice that the ice cream rises and forms a foam that is quite suitable for drawing through a stencil. If you have a blender with a whisk attachment, thick foam can be easily obtained from full fat milk in just a minute in turbo mode. Having laid this foam on the surface of the coffee, it will not be difficult for you to draw any design on it.
Tip 5. For those who want to create their own design for a stencil
If you want to create your own coffee design, remember that not every design will look equally good on coffee foam. When developing a drawing, avoid small details, since when applying the bulk mass through a stencil, they can merge with each other.
It’s better if your drawing is somewhat sketchy, but easily understandable for the person you decide to treat. Also remember that a cup of coffee has a round diameter, which means that the design should be evenly inscribed in the circle: elongated and inharmonious subjects should be avoided.
