19 Coffee Drawing Step by Step Lessons From Iced Lattes to Cappuccino Foam Art

Table of Contents

1. Before You Start
2. Iced Latte
3. Cappuccino With Heart Foam
4. Starbucks Cup With Seasonal Sleeve
5. Matcha Latte in Ceramic Cup
6. Espresso on Marble Table
7. Caramel Frappe With Whipped Cream
8. Flat White in Glass Cup
9. Hot Chocolate With Marshmallows
10. Cafe Window Moment
11. Pour Over Coffee Setup
12. Cold Brew With Cream Swirl
13. Mocha With Chocolate Drizzle
14. Vanilla Latte With Art Heart
15. Americano on Wooden Table
16. Croissant and Latte Pair
17. Thermos on a Winter Walk
18. Macchiato Layers
19. Iced Matcha With Milk Pour
20. Coffee Beans in a Jar
21. Frequently Asked Questions

A coffee drawing is the kind of small project you can finish before your own cup goes cold, and that is exactly why I keep making more of them. There is something so satisfying about painting a cup, letting the steam curl, then watching foam and milk sit on top in smooth creamy layers.

Below you will find nineteen cafe drinks, from an iced latte with milk swirling into cold brew to a cappuccino with heart foam art beside a croissant. Each sheet walks you from the first pencil shape to the last soft shadow, so you can paint along today with whatever gouache you already own.

Before You Start

• Use a smooth heavyweight paper so flat gouache layers dry even and do not pill or streak under your brush.
• Keep your pencil sketch light and loose, since dark lines will show through pale cream and milk washes later.
• Mix gouache a little thicker than watercolor, like heavy cream, so each flat layer covers in one smooth pass.
• Test every new mix on a scrap corner first, since gouache dries slightly lighter or chalkier than it looks wet.
• Let each layer go fully matte before adding the next shape on top, or the colors will lift and smear together.
• Save your whites, like foam, steam or a highlight on glass, for a tiny flat brush at the very end.

Iced Latte

Start with a light pencil glass, straight sided and tall, with a few simple ice cube shapes stacked near the top and a straw leaning against the rim. Keep the lines loose, since the glass edge will mostly be defined by the paint blocks that follow rather than by a hard outline.

Lay a flat milky white wash first across the whole glass, this becomes your base milk layer everywhere coffee has not yet poured in. Once that is fully matte, paint the ice cubes in a pale blue grey, keeping each cube a clean flat shape rather than blending it into the milk.

Pour your coffee brown wash into the lower portion of the glass while the milk layer is dry, letting the top edge wave a little like it is swirling in. Beginners often make this line too straight, so curve it gently and let a few brown fingers reach up into the white.

Finish with darker brown accents low in the glass and inside the straw, then add white gel pen highlights along the ice and the glass rim. A soft gray shadow under the glass grounds the whole drink, so do not skip it even though it feels like the smallest step.

Cappuccino With Heart Foam

Sketch a simple round cup sitting on a saucer, with a croissant resting beside it on a small flat table. Keep the whole scene small and centered, a cozy little still life rather than a busy cafe counter.

Once the pencil feels right, trace it in fine black ink, letting the ink dry a minute before you touch gouache to it so nothing smears. The ink line stays visible under every flat color layer, which is what gives this cozy look its tidy, finished feel.

Wash the table and saucer in a flat pale cream first, then once dry, fill the cup with a warm coffee brown layer. Paint the croissant next in a golden brown flat layer, keeping the color even across the whole shape rather than shading it yet.

Finish with the milky white heart sitting right on top of the coffee, a simple curved teardrop shape is enough, you do not need a perfect rosette. Add soft shadows under the cup, saucer and croissant last, since this is what keeps everything feeling like it sits on a real table.

Starbucks Cup With Seasonal Sleeve

Draw a tall paper cup shape with a simple domed lid and a straight band for the sleeve wrapped around the middle. Keep the proportions generous, a slightly oversized cup reads cozier than a thin one.

Paint the cup body in a flat milky white wash above and below where the sleeve will sit, leaving that middle band untouched for now. Once dry, give the lid its own flat cream layer, a slightly warmer white than the cup body helps it read as a separate piece.

Fill the sleeve band with one confident flat accent color, this is the one bold note in an otherwise creamy drawing so let it be a little saturated. When that layer is fully matte, add a small simple pattern in milky white dots or thin lines, nothing fussy, just enough to suggest a seasonal design.

Finish with a white gel pen highlight along the curved top of the lid and a soft gray shadow under the whole cup. If your accent color looks too flat, a second thin pass once the first is dry will deepen it without muddying the sleeve.

Matcha Latte in Ceramic Cup

Sketch a simple rounded cup with a small handle on one side, sitting on a round saucer. A ceramic cup can be a bit chunkier and softer in silhouette than a glass one, so let the curves stay gentle.

Wash the outside of the cup and the saucer in a flat pale cream first, this becomes your ceramic base color under everything else. Once matte, paint a flat milky white band across the top portion of the liquid inside the cup, this is your foam layer.

Below the foam, fill the rest of the cup interior with a flat matcha green wash, keeping the edge where it meets the white foam fairly clean. A few thin darker green lines dragged upward where the two colors meet will suggest a gentle swirl without any blending needed.

Add a white gel pen highlight along the cup rim and a soft shadow under the whole cup and saucer to finish. If your matcha green feels too yellow, add one small touch of blue before the wash goes on rather than trying to fix it after.

Espresso on Marble Table

Draw a small espresso cup on its saucer with a tiny spoon resting beside it, placed near the bottom edge of a marble table that fills the rest of the scene. Keep the cup genuinely small, part of the charm here is how tiny the drink looks against the big flat table.

Ink the whole sketch in fine black line once the pencil feels settled, then wash the marble table in a flat pale grey. This is your biggest shape on the page so keep the brush loose and the edge of the puddle even.

Once the grey is matte, drag a few thin darker grey vein lines across the table in loose diagonal paths, real marble veining is never straight so let yours wander. Paint the cup and saucer in flat milky white and fill the espresso itself with a flat dark coffee brown, almost black.

Finish with white gel pen highlights on the cup rim and the spoon, plus a soft gray shadow under the cup to seat it on the marble. If your veins look too heavy, a thin dry brush of pale grey pulled back over them softens the line nicely.

Caramel Frappe With Whipped Cream

Sketch a tall glass with gently curved sides, a generous dome of whipped cream piled on top and a straw poking through it. Let the cream dome look a little lumpy and soft rather than a perfect half circle, that reads more natural.

Wash the lower blended drink area in a flat pale cream first, this is the base of the frappe before caramel mixes in. While that layer is still soft at the edges, swirl in a flat caramel brown so the two colors meet in a loose marbled pattern rather than a hard line.

Once that is matte, paint the whipped cream dome in a flat milky white, keeping the shape simple and rounded with a few small bumps along the top edge. Beginners often flatten the cream too much here, so let the top silhouette stay slightly uneven like it was actually piled on.

Drag a few thin caramel drizzle lines over the cream once it is dry, then finish with white gel pen highlights on the glass and the cream, plus a soft shadow under the whole glass. A straw drawn slightly off center makes the whole drink feel a little more candid.

Flat White in Glass Cup

Draw a short, wide glass cup rather than a tall one, flat whites are usually served smaller and squatter than lattes. A simple round saucer underneath finishes the shape.

Wash the saucer and the outside of the glass in a flat pale cream, letting this layer go fully matte before you touch the inside of the cup. Fill the lower half of the liquid with a flat coffee brown, keeping the edge where foam will sit fairly straight across.

Once dry, paint the upper half of the cup in a flat milky white for the microfoam, this layer should sit right against the brown without much blending since flat white foam is thin and smooth rather than thick and bubbly. A single thin brown spiral dragged through the white with a dry brush gives it a simple latte art touch.

Finish with a white gel pen highlight along the glass rim and a soft shadow under the whole cup. If the brown and white meet too bluntly, a tiny dry brush pass right on the seam softens it just enough.

Hot Chocolate With Marshmallows

Sketch a simple rounded mug with a thick handle, then add two or three small puffy marshmallow shapes floating on top of the cocoa. Keep the marshmallows a bit irregular in size so they feel scattered rather than stacked in a neat row.

Wash the mug exterior in a flat pale cream, a cozy mug deserves a slightly warmer white than a glass would. Once that is dry, fill the cocoa area inside the mug with a flat dark coffee brown, covering it in one even pass right up to the marshmallow edges.

Paint each marshmallow in a flat milky white once the cocoa layer is matte, leaving a thin sliver of brown visible between them so they read as separate pieces floating on the surface. A few soft accent color drizzle lines dragged over the marshmallows with a dry brush add a festive touch without much extra work.

Finish with white gel pen highlights on the marshmallows and the mug’s rim, plus a soft gray shadow underneath to ground the whole cup. If your marshmallows look too flat, one tiny shaded crease with pale grey on the underside of each gives them a bit of roundness.

Cafe Window Moment

Sketch a simple window frame taking up most of the page, with a small table in front holding a cup, and a potted plant resting on the windowsill. Keep the whole composition loose, this is a cozy corner glimpse, not an architectural drawing.

Trace the sketch in fine ink once you are happy with it, then wash the wall and window frame in a flat pale cream. This sets the warm, quiet backdrop the rest of the scene sits against.

Fill the window glass itself with one soft accent wash, a pale blue works nicely here to suggest daylight without competing with the cream everywhere else. Once dry, paint the cup in a flat coffee brown and the plant leaves in a flat pale green, keeping each shape clean and separate.

Finish with white gel pen highlights along the cup rim and across the window glass to suggest a bit of light, then add soft shadows under the table and the cup. This small scene pairs nicely with the quiet mood you will find in a cozy village scene drawing if you want to keep that same gentle feeling going.

Pour Over Coffee Setup

Draw a simple glass carafe with a paper filter cone balanced on top, keeping the proportions a bit tall and narrow like a real pour over setup. A small handle on the carafe side adds a nice detail if you want it.

Wash the carafe body in a flat pale grey to suggest glass, then once dry, paint the filter cone in a flat pale cream for the paper. Fill the liquid already collected in the carafe with a flat coffee brown, leaving the very top rim of the glass clear to read as glass rather than full to the brim.

A few thin dark brown drip lines falling from the bottom of the filter cone down into the carafe suggest the coffee mid pour, keep these thin and slightly curved rather than perfectly straight. This is the detail beginners tend to rush, so take your time with a small brush here.

Finish with white gel pen highlights along the glass edges and a soft shadow under the whole carafe. If your glass grey looks too flat, one thin vertical highlight stripe down the side reads instantly as reflected light on glass.

Cold Brew With Cream Swirl

Sketch a tall straight glass filled with ice cubes and a thick straw resting against one side. Cold brew glasses tend to be simple cylinders, so keep the outline clean and easy.

Fill most of the glass with a flat dark coffee brown wash first, this is the strongest color on the page so lay it down evenly in one confident pass. Once matte, paint the ice cubes in a flat pale grey, letting each cube keep its own clean edge against the dark brown around it.

Pour a flat milky white layer across the top third of the glass while the brown below is dry, letting the white dip down in soft uneven fingers rather than a straight line. While that white is still slightly soft, drag a few thin brown lines through it with a dry brush to suggest the cream marbling into the coffee.

Finish with white gel pen highlights on the ice cubes and the glass edge, then a soft shadow under the whole glass. If the swirl looks too neat, a second thin brown line dragged the opposite direction breaks it up nicely.

Mocha With Chocolate Drizzle

Draw a simple tall mug with a sturdy handle, this drink carries a lot of rich brown so a slightly bigger cup gives it room to breathe. Keep the rim line light since foam will sit right at the top.

Wash the mug exterior in a flat pale cream, then once dry fill the lower two thirds of the drink with a flat coffee brown for the mocha base. Paint the top third in a flat milky white for the foam, keeping the line between the two layers fairly even across.

Once the white foam layer is matte, drag several thin dark chocolate drizzle lines across it in loose zigzags, this is the signature detail of a mocha so give it a confident hand rather than a timid one. Let the drizzle lines vary a little in thickness for a more natural look.

Finish with a white gel pen highlight along the mug rim and a soft shadow underneath the cup. If you want extra richness, a second thin pass of coffee brown along the inside base of the mug deepens the shadow where the liquid is darkest.

Vanilla Latte With Art Heart

Sketch a wide shallow cup rather than a tall mug, latte art drinks are usually served in a broader cup so there is more surface to show the foam pattern. A simple round saucer sits underneath.

Wash the cup exterior and saucer in a flat pale cream, then once matte fill the latte itself in a flat golden tan, a touch lighter and warmer than plain coffee brown. This is your base before the foam art goes on top.

Once that layer is dry, paint a simple heart shape in flat milky white right in the center, keeping the edges soft and slightly rounded rather than a hard graphic heart. One thin golden tan line dragged down through the center of the heart with a dry brush gives it that classic latte art look.

Finish with a white gel pen highlight along the cup rim and soft shadows under both the cup and the saucer. If your heart shape wobbles, a little asymmetry actually makes it look more like real poured foam rather than a stamped pattern.

Americano on Wooden Table

Draw a simple plain mug sitting on a small section of wooden table, with a closed book resting nearby for a quiet reading corner feel. Keep the whole scene small and intimate, just a slice of a table rather than a full room.

Ink the sketch once it feels settled, then wash the wooden table in a flat warm brown, letting the color cover generously since wood is the biggest shape here. Once that layer is matte, drag a few thin darker brown grain lines across it with a dry brush, following the direction of the table edge.

Fill the mug with a flat dark coffee layer, an americano is simply black coffee so keep this color strong and even with no foam line needed. Paint the book cover in one flat accent color of your choosing, this gives the drawing its single pop of color against all the brown.

Finish with white gel pen highlights on the mug rim and the edge of the book, then a soft shadow under the mug to seat it on the table. If your wood grain looks too busy, fewer longer lines read calmer than many short ones.

Croissant and Latte Pair

Sketch a cup and saucer next to a croissant resting on its own small plate, arranged close together like a real cafe order. Keep the croissant’s curve simple, just a few soft folds rather than every flake.

Ink the whole sketch, then wash the plate, saucer and cup exterior in one flat pale cream pass, tying the whole still life together with the same base tone. Once dry, paint the croissant in a flat golden brown, covering the whole shape evenly for now.

Fill the latte inside the cup with a flat coffee brown for the lower portion, then once that is matte, add a flat milky white layer for the foam on top. Keep the line between coffee and foam fairly clean, you can always soften it with a touch more white dragged along the seam.

Finish with white gel pen highlights along the croissant’s ridges and the cup rim, then soft shadows under the cup, saucer and plate. If you enjoy pairing a drink with something to eat like this, the same cozy pairing idea shows up often in a picnic drawing lesson too.

Thermos on a Winter Walk

Draw a simple cylindrical thermos with its small cup lid sitting beside it, poured full, and a soft scarf draped nearby to suggest a cold walk outside. Keep the thermos shape very plain, a tall rounded cylinder reads instantly.

Ink the sketch, then wash the thermos body in a flat pale grey to suggest brushed metal. Once that is matte, paint the scarf in one flat accent color, letting a few loose folds in the pencil line show through rather than painting every wrinkle.

Fill the small cup lid with a flat coffee brown once poured, keeping the coffee level a little below the rim so it reads as freshly poured rather than overflowing. This tiny cup is the warmest, darkest shape in the whole scene so let it stand out.

Finish with white gel pen highlights along the metal thermos and a few light curling steam lines rising from the cup, plus a soft shadow underneath the whole group. If the scarf color feels too loud next to the grey thermos, mute it slightly by thinning the paint before it goes on.

Macchiato Layers

Sketch a small clear glass cup, a macchiato is served in a tiny glass so keep this one noticeably smaller than your latte or cappuccino drawings. A simple straight sided cylinder works perfectly.

Fill the bottom third of the glass with a flat milky white layer for the steamed milk base, then once dry, paint a flat dark coffee brown layer directly above it for the espresso shot. Keep each layer a clean flat band, this drink is really about showing distinct layers rather than any blending.

Add a small flat milky white dollop right on top where the espresso is marked with a touch of foam, this should be noticeably smaller than the bands below it. A few thin brown fleck lines dragged through that top dollop with a dry brush suggest the espresso bleeding slightly into the foam.

Finish with white gel pen highlights along the glass edges and a soft shadow underneath. If your three layers blur together, let each one dry completely matte before the next goes on, that is really the whole trick with this drink.

Iced Matcha With Milk Pour

Draw a tall straight glass with a few ice cubes near the bottom and a straw leaning against one side. This drink is almost a mirror of the iced latte, just with the colors reversed, green on the bottom instead of brown.

Wash the lower half of the glass in a flat matcha green first, then once dry, paint the ice cubes in a flat pale grey, keeping each cube a clean separate shape. Pour a flat milky white layer into the upper half while the green below is dry, letting the white edge dip unevenly downward.

While that white layer is still slightly soft, drag a few thin green swirl lines up into it with a dry brush, this suggests the milk and matcha just starting to mix. Keep the swirl gentle, a few lines say more than many.

Finish with white gel pen highlights on the ice cubes and glass rim, then a soft gray shadow under the whole glass. If your matcha green and milky white meet too abruptly, a thin dry brush stroke right along the seam blends it just enough.

Coffee Beans in a Jar

Sketch a small simple jar, then fill it with a loose scatter of oval bean shapes, varying their angles so they look poured in rather than lined up. You do not need to draw every bean perfectly, a mix of sizes reads naturally.

Wash the jar glass in a flat pale grey, keeping it thin enough to still suggest transparency. Once dry, paint a flat golden brown layer over every bean shape, covering the whole jar’s contents in one even pass.

Once that layer is matte, add a flat dark coffee brown shade over roughly half of each bean, always on the same side, to suggest a light source and give each one some roundness. A thin pale cream line dragged down the center crease of each bean with a dry brush is the detail that makes them instantly read as coffee beans rather than plain ovals.

Finish with white gel pen highlights on the glass jar and a few bean tips, then a soft shadow underneath the whole jar. If painting each bean individually feels slow, group a few together and shade them as one small cluster instead.

What to Do Next

Pick whichever drink sounds like your own order today, print that sheet, and paint along one cup at a time, there is no need to work through all nineteen in order.

Frequently Asked Questions

What paint works best for a coffee drawing in this cozy flat style?

Gouache works best, since its flat opaque layers give the smooth, almost illustrated look these coffee drinks need. It covers evenly in a single pass and dries matte, which keeps every cup, foam line and swirl looking clean and confident rather than streaky.

How do I keep my milk and foam looking white instead of muddy?

Always paint the pale milk or foam layer before the darker coffee layer sits right next to it, and let each one dry fully matte first. Mixing wet brown straight into wet white is what muddies the color, so patience between layers matters more than brush skill.

Do I need to draw every coffee cup the same size on the page?

No, vary the size naturally with the drink itself, a tiny espresso cup should look small and a tall iced latte glass should take up more of the page. Matching the scale to the real drink makes each sheet feel more believable and more fun to paint.

What is the easiest coffee drawing to start with as a beginner?

The espresso cup or the flat white are the simplest, since both use just one or two flat color layers with very little swirling or layering involved. Start there to get comfortable with flat gouache washes before moving on to iced drinks with swirls.

How do I fix a foam or steam line that came out too thick?

Let the layer dry completely, then paint a thin line of the surrounding background color right along the edge to narrow it down. Trying to fix it while the paint is still wet usually smears the whole area, so always wait for it to go matte first.