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Ένα ευχάριστο και πρωτότυπο χόμπι.
Coffee is an extremely popular beverage, an integral part of the daily lives of millions of people around the world. For many, it is almost a hobby, as there are many who are really passionate about different varieties, exploring new flavors, even different ways of extraction, different machines and many accessories. And there are some, fewer, who marry coffee with another favorite hobby: painting!
Surfing the internet, it is unlikely that one has not seen amazing paintings made with… coffee. Coffee Painting, as it is called internationally, is a hobby with thousands of believers and with very beautiful results. It mainly concerns people who are familiar with painting, but this does not mean that anyone who wants to can not try - its cost is relatively low anyway.
Let's get to know Coffee Painting a little better!
What do we need to paint with coffee?
Painting with coffee is quite similar, as a philosophy and as a technique, to watercolor, so the materials we will need will be proportional. Watercolor papers and related brushes are enough to start experimenting with this particular painting technique.
However, it is a fact that coffee is a little more difficult to manage than regular paints. For this reason, it is better to use good quality watercolor papers, while we should not be stingy when buying the relevant brushes, since good equipment will free our hands. In any case, the cost will be amortized, as we do not need paints, only coffee!
We can use whatever coffee we want - instant, filter or espresso, although those involved in this hobby advise that espresso has a better result, as it is more "concentrated".
How do we paint with coffee?
Once we have assembled our equipment, the steps we will follow are no different from the ones we would do if we did a "conventional" watercolor, with the main difference that we will have coffee.
It is a fun and interesting job, but extremely demanding, as we are called to give what we have in mind exclusively to the tones of coffee. For those for whom Coffee Painting is the first time they are engaged in painting, things will be more difficult, as they will have to face all the problems that every beginner in painting faces. The slightly more experienced ones just want some time to get used to their new material.
The different shades are given thanks to the use of more or less strong coffee. We can have four or five espresso in front of us, and dilute each one with a different amount of water, in order to achieve the right shades. Also, for very dark areas or for details, many use very well ground instant coffee, which with a fine brush can prove to be a great choice for lines and dark areas.
It is important to let our work dry, so that we can continue our painting safely, but knowing that in the dry work, things are more difficult to correct.
Additional equipment for those who want to take their projects one step further
While this is a painting technique that has minimalism as its main idea (since we are called to paint exclusively in shades of brown), for those of us who decide to take our hobby one step further and create even more beautiful "cafes", it is good to get the following, additional equipment:
- Drawing pencils: they help in the initial sketch of our drawing, the basis of our painting. We choose a soft pencil, not only because it makes softer lines, but also because it is easier to erase
- Erasers: for minor corrections in the original designs (we ask for erasers for watercolor paper)
- Napkins: Dry, "fix" the coffee before it dries, wet can correct (carefully) even dry coffee.
Water, for rinsing the brush - Hair dryer, for quick drying of the painting
- Spray water to soften the back of the paper
Coffee and creativity know no boundaries - especially when combined on a beautiful canvas!
To έργο είναι της Νοτιοαφρικανής καλλιτέχνιδας Daniella Jordan και διατίθεται προς πώληση από την σελίδα της.
