Australian Latte Art Champion Victor Vu shares his roar-some mighty lion latte art design.
A member of the tribe of jungle-inspired designs Victor presented at the World Latte Art Championships 2024, the mighty lion is an advanced design for baristas with time on their hands. An etching pen is required for the fine details on the animal’s face to add expression.
“The lion is the hero of my jungle designs thanks to its majestic nature,” says Victor.
“In the creation of this design, I wanted the lion to be as realistic as possible.”
Incorporating rosettas and etching, the fine details of the lion’s eyes, nose, and mane require a steady hand and patience. Once the rosettas are in place, Victor says the mane is the trickiest element to get right.
“Using the dragging technique for the mane is the most important part because it will bring out the look and the shape of the animal,” he says.
“It expresses how the lion is roaring, so getting it right is essential.”
For a final touch, black colouring can be used to highlight the eye and nose using a fine etching pen, as per Victor’s mighty lion pour at the World Championships in Copenhagen.
Victor Vu’s howling wolf
Step 1
Using a competition-size latte cup, start by mixing the coffee with steamed milk until just under halfway full.
Step 2
With the handle at three o’clock, pour a six-leaf rosetta at the top of the cup along the right-hand side. Turn the cup to one o’clock and from the bottom of the first rosetta pour a 10-leaf rosetta.
Step 3
Next to the second rosetta, pour another shorter rosetta in line with the second. Turn the cup back to three o’clock and pour a short rosetta to meet the third.
Step 4
With the handle at four o’clock, pour a small six-leaf rosetta along the top of the cup. From the end of the final rosetta, using a continuous pour drag the milk in a small circle to form the ear.
Step 5
At 10 o’clock, drag the milk towards the first rosettas to form the inner face. Then drag the milk in a zigzag pattern three times alongside the second rosetta to form the mane.
Step 6
From the bottom of the mane, drag a C shape upwards to form the mouth. Form another C shape next to the first to form the other side of the mouth.
Step 7
Using the dry foam, form an oval for the bottom of the jaw. Also using the dry foam, form the nose at the top of the jaw.
Step 8
With an etching pen, use the dry white foam to form four teeth. Inside the inner face, use the dry white foam to etch the eye and expression.
