The Bean Vagrant

I began to teach myself latte art in 2006 after first seeing it on the Internet. I was inspired by the beauty of the patterns, and the professionalism of the people who could do it, and it’s probably what I have to thank for initially drawing me further into the world of great coffee.

After researching latte art techniques, I came to understand that the freepour style was the ONLY way to go. Crucially, really great freepour latte art indicates skilled texturing of the milk and the expertise of the barista. It therefore promises a certain level of quality in the cup. For this reason freepour really is WORLDS AWAY from simply drawing (etching) or stenciling designs onto the surface of a drink. These other techniques also make patterns on top of drinks, but they require much less (or no) skill, and they do not indicate quality in the way that the freepour style does.

It is a challenging and often frustrating process. It requires dedication, impeccable timing, and diligence to good overall practice within the craft of espresso to really perfect. It takes years to achieve the highest level of ability  …but it’s SO worth it!

Below are examples of my own latte art. I’ll update this page occasionally when I get a picture of an especially good pour!

January 2012:

A standard tulip on a 6oz flat white.

And I just re-found this nice photo of a rosetta on one of my small cappuccinos in late 2011.

May 2011:

Some recent pours, including one of the dual tulip-rosettas I’ve been working on recently. I’ve made good progress with these, but need to refine them much further, ideally to the point where both parts of the pour are as good as they would be when poured as individual designs on separate drinks… No mean feat though!

January 2011:

I’ve been experiencing something of a Renaissance with my tulips and multiple hearts recently! No, really – I used to view these pours as the beautiful but poorer cousin of the rosetta, but they have been going up in my estimation. I think it’s still fair to say they are a little easier to accomplish than really great rosettas, but when you take them to a very high level of definition, precision, and intricacy, I think their technical and aesthetic features are certainly comparable to the mighty leaf! Some other recent tulips.

September 2010:

A rosetta and tulip taken on the same day, when I had my camera with me. Tulips can be poured much more elaborately, with many more sections than this, but I quite like the simplicity and neatness of these three-part ones, and this is how I’m tending to pour my tulips right now.

January 2010:

November 2009:

 

 

I know – I’m obsessed with creating (and capturing) the ‘perfect’ single rosetta! …And this is not it! There seems to be a gradual refinement compared with older pours though.

November 2009:

An apple! Being able to freepour the leaf/stalk properly is the tricky bit, and is what takes this design beyond a simple circle or a heart. But once you know how, it’s a (relatively) easy pour. Good for thicker milk too…

October 2009:

I’ve put Flat whites on the menu at the plan, which are a fantastic vehicle for rosettas - as well as being delicious! This one has its flaws (as always!), but is a reasonable example nevertheless. Better to follow hopefully, just a case of having the camera to hand when a great pour appears..!

April 2009:

…As the quest continues …new developments!

February 2009:

                                                  

                                                

These two recent 6oz cappuccino rosettas aren’t perfect (but then, when are they ever …and should they ever be?!), but are an exercise for me in the technique of retaining the crema around the edge of the cup. This is often considered better taste-wise, as you get a truer, less diluted taste of the coffee wherever you drink from, and hence, is quite rightly a rule for latte art in barista competitions. The chocolate atop the drinks, whilst not how I would drink them (and again, not allowed in competition), can be beneficial for latte art’s sake, especially if your blend’s crema is not the darkest or most resilient, as it can improve the contrast, elasticity and definition of your pours. My competition pours however, were not not as good as this, sadly!

November 2008:

                                                                                                      

When you become skilled in latte art, great hearts are generally pretty easy, but in a tiny 2oz espresso cup like this, it’s still quite a feat to pour a really nice one, so I was pleased with this macchiato. It sat for a minute or so before I took the shot, so it’s not as glossy as it was to begin with, but still photographed pretty nicely. 

June 2008:

A few recent rosettas of note:

  

                  

I feel that the presentation of a well-poured, 6oz, ‘traditional-pour’ cappuccino counts as a sort of latte art too - and is a thing of beauty in its own right - so I thought I’d sneak-in a few photos of one of these as well!

                     

                                   

November 2007:

Some tulip practice from November at the plan.

July 07:

Here are a few snaps of some more recent pours from my time at the plan. Since starting work here, I’ve had to adjust to pouring designs in smaller 2, 6, 7 and 9oz cups. It’s taken a while to hone my skills to the new sizes, and I still don’t feel they’re quite as impressive in the smaller sizes, but I’m glad to be using smaller cups from a taste point-of-view, and because I drink the smaller sizes myself anyway.

I’ve also had to get used to using semi-skimmed milk since starting at the plan - which I am not a huge fan of!  It’s OK; you can achieve perfect texture with any kind of milk – but I find it makes a big difference both in terms of taste, and visually in the cup; the drinks are noticeably lacking in richness, creaminess, body and sweetness compared to whole milk. I  find that even when perfectly steamed, the semi-skimmed milk will collapse and shrink more quickly in the cup – making even a mirror-smooth drink surface slightly pocked or bubbly after only a very short period of time. I guess the lower protein/fat content makes the micro-bubbles weaker, so they break-down more rapidly. Also, I feel that the milk is not so elastic in terms of the actual pour as far as latte art’s concerned as whole milk is. But, it’s not so bad …and I think I may even be getting used to it – the next time I try a full-fat latte, I may find it’s too heavy and sickly for me!

                             

                      

                               

                 

The double rosettas and the tulip are not too great, as I’m still practicing these designs (and doubles/triples are pretty tough!), and even the single rosetta leaves are perhaps not as nice as some of my previous ones – but like I said, because they’re done in smaller cups, it’s trickier - so I’m still quite happy with these.

My latte art from Nottingham at the end of 2006, after my first year of practice: