Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Coffee, Miami-Style



Cuban coffee, as you may guess, is a staple of Miami. My wife, for one, can't live without it. And one day she requested that I draw a cafetera, otherwise referred to online as the "Bialetti 3-cup Moka Express Original Stovetop Expresso Maker."

Now, we could all say "Bialetti 3-cup Moka Express Original Stovetop Expresso Maker", or we could call it by its acronym "B3MEOSEM", but I prefer cafetera, don't you?

To draw this cafetera was a wonderful suggestion, actually, because it has all sorts of interesting angles and shapes, a reflective surface, and a cute cartoon of a guy on the outside. Who could want more than that? Ours had broken long ago, though, so I had to look online.

I found loads of photos, but mostly from retailers at a boring straight-on side view. So I must have spent an hour looking for a photo reference at an interesting angle, and finally found a blogger who loved her new cafetera! Bless her. (Although I think she called it a "Bialetti 3-cup Moka Express Original Stovetop Expresso Maker", poor thing.) And she used it for expresso, of all things!

But she had only photographed the front half of it. So I had to search for another picture at a similar angle to get the handle-part of it. Then I grabbed other photos for detail references, so in the end I had four photos of cafeteras lined up in a row on my monitor to examine.

I decided against sketching in ink. The perspective was too funky. So I drew carefully first in pencil.

But the cafetera wasn't enough. The picture needed more. So I grabbed my wife's tacita, the tiny cup and saucer that she drinks her Cuban coffee in. I placed it where I could view it at the proper angle, and set the lighting in the proper spot. Now I had a combo virtual / real still life. A 21st century solution! And I drew that.

But there was still a gap in the composition so I grabbed my wife's miniature spoon with the long handle that she uses to stir the coffee, set it just so, and drew that.

Voila!

So much for pencil. Then I inked it in, adding crosshatching here and there. And finally colored it trying to use much of what I have learned about watercolor and painting, in general: no black or gray (using complementary colors instead), optical mixes, masking fluid, sgraffito.

All-in-all, this simple drawing of cafetera, tacita, and spoon (oh, all right - cuchara) took about 5-1/2 hours to do. Very uncharacteristic for Mr. Grab-a-moment-here-and-there-to-draw-and-ink-whenever-you can-dan. But I was off from work on Monday and had the time.

Paradise.

And in Paradise, where all you dream comes true, this project would satisfy an Everyday Matters challenge, right? And it does! Number 139 - "Draw something with a handle." No mention of coffee in the entire list - who'd have thought that?!

18 comments:

  1. I have one of these coffeepots and I think the shape is so charming! So's your sketch!! I like how the composition "evolved!" LOVELY!!

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  2. You're such a fun storyteller. Love the little man with his finger in the air. Wonderfully drawn and colored!

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  3. Perfect color blend at the background to compliment these those astounding and contrasting couple. I love the lines and the finer details, carefully pin-pointed strokes of ink... wonder-blast!
    I know I sounded a bit unsure in my blog, that's because I am. I can't seem to think of anything to draw lately, so I am trying to get a little bit more inspirational from watching movies(usually that helps) but lately it's been quite hard. But thank you so much Dan, you've always been supportive, and I know I shouldn't be complaining too often, so I'd be working on that as a start.

    @Raena, sketching in public?? O_____o Hmmmm... can I be invisible like wearing a ninja costume or a mask?

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  4. Dan, great still life.
    I like the shape of the "Bialetti 3-cup Moka Express Original Stovetop Expresso Maker" and its quirkiness.

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  5. This is a fun post and an enchanting little grouping.

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  6. Wow, you were really invested in this one. Good for you! Great drawing.

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  7. Lots of reference hunting and delightful result! This is great!

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  8. Great background and insight into your drawing process! I like when you referenced elsewhere that while everyone else in Miami drinks Cuban coffee, you drink Diet Coke, the nectar of the gods.

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  9. Great art. I love how you had to work at getting the picture you wanted and how it evolved. I love that for everyone each picture has a back story that without the telling we would never know.

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  10. Dan, you need to write a book. Honestly, your stories are just too good. And your coffee pot...I've seen those but never knew they were so special for the brew! Great job! And the little vignette is just perfect!

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  11. Wow Dan, you went all out for this! Wonderful results, worth that extra effort! I really like how you're progressing on the color theory. I have so far to go on that! Now, I'm off to find out what sgraffito means!

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  12. Oh, and Alex: It's not so bad when others are with you! Then you don't feel like you stand out so much...safety in numbers, right?

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  13. I always am tempted to buy one of those but I'm unsure of how they would work on a flat top electric stove. I love your stories and your painting is charming.

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  14. I second Ellen's comment. Your posts are so well written. Have you considered either a children's book or a how to do pen, ink and watercolor in an art journal? There doesn't seem to be much out there on the subject.

    And the still-life is very, very good. You really put a lot of effort into it, and it shows!

    Thanks for sharing.

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  15. But there is an EDM of "draw your cup" so that gives you two of them! For making all that effort to find the picture of the pot you ought to get at least two challenges! I think you should frame this and hang it in your kitchen or dining area. It turned out to be worth all 5.5 hours!

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  16. Thank you for your enthusiastic responses! Wow! I'm glad you all like the art and appreciate the effort. Ellen and Donna, thank you so much for the "writing a book" comment - I love to write - toyed with the children's book idea, as well as novels. Read several books on writing novels. I've written a few short stories. I decided to concentrate on art instead. But who knows? What I seem to be lacking is something to say. These small subjects are different, I think. Joyful - it works great on an electric stove! Freebird - it was a gift for my wife, so the picture is framed-thanks. And Raena - Sgraffito sounds better than "scratching off", don't you think? :)

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  17. Never had a cup of Cuban coffee...but I'm game! These kind of drawing/paintings I find especially inspiring! Very cool!

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