Real Coffee Paintings

Coffee art is a truly unique art form. It requires an extremely delicate touch. Capturing the depth of my images is only possible through a slow and sophisticated process of building layers upon layers of coffee.

I read in an art history book that in the old days the Chinese used tea and coffee to help create a brown background in their paintings. I tried to paint the whole painting with tea, but did not get pictures that I felt satisfied with. Tea can not be used to give you clear lines or create the depth-of-field in the painting. I experimented with coffee and, could create paintings that I felt satisfied with.

The technique takes a while to master, but once you know the process it allows you to create innovative creations. All you need is strong coffee mixed with water, a brush and watercolor paper. If too much coffee I used, the texture will be too elastic to paint with and cause unwanted flakes on the paper. If the coffee does not dry easily it can peel off from the paper or become molded. After extensive experimentation, I have found out that instant coffee bonds well to the watercolor paper.

I first sketch out an idea, then start brewing a really strong cup of instant coffee that is really dark and thick. I start with two small bowls of liquid coffee, one a watery consistency like a wash, and the other a much thicker consistency. Liquid coffee produces many shades of sepia. If the water evaporates from the liquid coffee over night, all you have to do is add a little water and stir to bring back your medium. If you don't like the results you obtain you can rinse your brush and then lift the coffee off your paper with your brush and a little clean water lifts off very easily. Highlights are handled the same way, by using a clean brush and a little water to remove the coffee . You can get really dark colors by using a coffee paste consistency. This will leave a shiny area where it is really dark. When you are finished with your painting, you need to spray it with a couple of thin coats of "Damar Varnish".

Coffee adds on a lot of inspiration, freshness, creation and mood. The pigment amazingly lends itself to be a perfect but unique art medium. My coffee paintings are made of 100 percent pure coffee. Painting in coffee is a refreshing break from our color pencils, water colors, and other mediums. Coffee is a fascinating medium to form art. It is all about using pure coffee, water, your brush and imagination.