Pig

I made this pig by using a tulip pour and pushing each layer far into the center of the previous one.  It gave me semi-concentric circles that I could use to etch the rest of the details.  Something's a bit off with the left hoof... almost looks like the pig is chewing on a straw or something.

Dragon

I've seen lots of people try to do little caffeinated dragons as latte art, but usually they use a rosetta pour as the body of the dragon.  The other day I saw someone use a rosetta as the actual fireball, and I dug it.  So here was my dragon, in a latte cup:

How-To Tuesdays: The Bear - Video

Here's a video of me pouring and etching The Bear design.  I already gave a step-by-step description of how to do the design in a previous post.

 

Update (2/8/2011):  I've started to put dark dots in the eyes of the bears I etch.  So much more personality now!  Here's the new video, with a slightly better angle to see the etching as well...

Baby Penguin

Today when I worked the coffee bar I poured and etched a bear for someone in a macchiato.  He turned it upside down and thought it looked like a penguin.  So for the next few drinks I made at the espresso machine, I tried to really make a penguin.  Here's the result:

 

Good enough to make it into my normal etching repertoire?

The Bear

This is an etching design I like to do a lot. It's pretty easy to pull off, it looks like it's got a ton of detail, and it's got maximum wow-factor. I have to admit, I dig it when I serve one of these at my current place and the customer goes "SHUT UP!!!"

It starts out as a half-finished tulip and then the etching:
1. With the etching tool, drag some brown up into the nose.
2. Pick up a lot of brown and dot the nose.
3. Pick up tiny bits of brown and make some bear freckles.
4. Pick up a lot of brown and make each eye.
5. Pick up some white to make the eyes and a little mouth.
6. Drag out the white to make the ears.

Don't forget to wipe the etching tool in between each step.

And this was for two customers who ordered cappuccinos - one decaf and one regular:


One day I served up a bear in a cortado, not knowing that the customer was a food critic for Creative Loafing magazine in Atlanta. She dug it so much she wrote a blog about it.