Coffee Painting while traveling

ASIDE FROM TAKING PHOTOS, and meeting old and new friends while traveling, or even reading my favourite books through my Kindle3G, I can proudly say that I could also do my hobby in painting. This time is painting using instant coffee.

Sketching/painting is only a past time to complement my interest in photography. With photography, I can now capture my artwork and share it online.Inspired by a Filipina artist/painter, few months ago I decided to try if it will work. An ordinary sketch pad, brush, a diluted instant coffee in a small cup, I transformed my favourite subject, Trees into shiny sepia looking images.

One of the challenges to make it work is to get the right blend between water and the powdered/granuled instant coffee. The shades and textures can be controlled by the amount of water added to the coffee granules. I just use a tap water or re-use water and even the left-over from your cup to dilute the pure coffee. I also tried to use warm/hot water and it seems easier to mix the coffee granules with water providing an "old-look" effect on paper.

It is also interesting to blend or mix with other medium. For example, I tried to blend (not mix) coffee with choco powder but the latter does not provide a strong shiny brown effect on paper. I did try the Hershey's choco flavour which is quite effective despite its stickiness, it provided an added volume and luster on the surface of the subject.

Coffee painting is easy and the materials are affordable. It does not require a studio or a special place to do it. Even while sipping your favourite latte o cappuccino inside a coffee shop, with your brush and paper, you can paint instantly. While traveling, you can also use recycled plastic or aluminum cups to contain the diluted mixed coffee which is easy to dispose after use or carry them inside a backpack. Chinese brushes are quite easy to find especially in artwork shops or school supplies stores.

For an 8X12 paper size, I can normally complete my painting between 20-30 minutes, depending on the details of my subject. If I wanted a densely landscape, then it would require additional details and shades of the background.

It smells good while doing it! Have a try the aromatic experience in painting while traveling...