Amy Zhang shares her take on a Native American tribal chieftain to inspire baristas to pay tribute to diverse cultures and appreciate their beauty.
Today’s coffee culture is increasingly focused on the visual experience, especially when it comes to creating latte art. More and more baristas see it as a way to explore their personal creativity and skills. In my opinion, coffee is a perfect vehicle for expression. Through latte art, I can convey my ideas and emotions to others.
In this edition’s column of Espresso Yourself, I’m going to demonstrate a pattern that’s been very popular over the last few years. When I started researching Native American art, I was surprised to find some similarities with Indigenous Australian art. Both cultures have a strong connection to land, nature, and the environment. For example, Indigenous Australian art uses dots and lines to represent environmental elements, while Native American art includes animal and human figures to represent cultural beliefs and values. In this case, for my latte art design, I chose to focus on the facial features of the Native American people and use dots and lines to create the intricate details.
I hope this design will allow more people to understand and appreciate Indigenous cultures.
I also hope that through artwork like this, more people will recognise the charm and endless possibilities of latte art.
This article appears in the June 2023 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
Amy Zhang’s Tribal Chief
Step 1
Build your base. Start with the cup handle at 12 o’clock and pour one curved 12-leaf rosetta. Pour another 10-leaf rosetta underneath it, one centimetre in from the start of the first rosetta.
Step 2
Pour a third rosetta with four leaves, starting at the halfway point of the first rosetta. Pull through underneath the rosetta as you prepare to turn the cup.
Step 3
Turn the cup 90 degrees. Directly opposite from the starting point of the second rosetta, keeping the cup handle towards 3 o’clock, pour the fourth rosetta with four leaves.
Step 4
Keep the cup handle at the same position. Directly above the fourth rosetta, draw part of the Tribal Chief’s headdress by dragging a spring-like shape with three to four lines and pull through underneath with a slight curve into the cup.
Step 5
Use the dragging foam technique to draw lines to complete the eagle beak and eyes of the headdress.
Step 6
Continue with this technique to draw the sides of the Tribal Chief’s face. Start by drawing the forehead and link to the top of the fourth rosetta. Then draw a nose, mouth, and chin.
Step 7
Drop a dot of milk to form the eyes, and earring. The earring needs to be larger and positioned in the centre of the cup. To get a perfect circle, slowly allow the textured milk foam to drip down from the jug. Lower you milk pitcher until it’s close to the cup surface.
Step 8
Finish your design by drawing line markings on the Tribal Chief’s face. And there you have it!
