Coffee Paint

Ingredients:

• Used coffee grounds
• Water (room temperature works)

Other Equipment:

• Paint brush
• Small cups or plates (anything to mix coffee and water in)
• Pencil or pen, as needed
• Watercolor paper
• Tablespoon or any smaller vessel/container
• Bowl or cup (at least two, depending on how many shades you want)

Recipe:

Disclaimer : This recipe will produce 3 shades of coffee “paint”. However, adding different proportions of coffee vs water will produce new shades. Experiment and have fun :) !!!
1. Take your 3 bowls, or cups, and place one tablespoon of used coffee grounds in one and two tablespoons of coffee grounds in the other two containers.
2. Place one tablespoon of water in a cup with 2 tablespoons of coffee, and place 2 tablespoons of water in the remaining cup.
3. The goal is to create a ratio of coffee to water. The ratios above will yield a 2:1, 1:1 and 1:2 ratio for different shades.
4. Mix the mixtures and make sure to mix them up once in a while.
5. Apply the “paint” from lightest shade to darkest shade. If using only coffee paint, keep in mind that it would be hard to make the tone brighter once you applied a darker shade. Wait for one layer to dry.
6. To create realistic depictions, use a pencil to map out your vision and plan ahead with your shades. Otherwise you can try out the more causal method below!!!
7. The more water in the coffee, the more paint like the substance is. For more dense concentrations, apply the mixture with the coffee grounds. Then either wait for the substance to dry or use a hairdryer and gently shake off the excess coffee grounds.
8. Once your forms are done, and your goal was not to draw a series of weird potatoes, use a sharpie over the shapes to create funky animals or cities or planets.
9. Apply a thin layer of varnish to guarantee that it does not rot, otherwise wait for it to completely dry and frame it, or tape it on to your fridge.