The heart’s well-known for being most people’s first latte art – but more advanced artists shouldn’t forget about it either. Getting inventive with this basic pour can lead to some beautiful designs.

So if you’re looking for a way to challenge yourself, here are four examples of heart-based latte art that take it to the next level.

SEE ALSO: Heart and Soul: A VIDEO Guide to Pouring Your First Latte Art

1. The Empty Heart

One of the most challenging things about first pouring the heart was learning how to control the height and speed of your pour. Now we’re using those exact same skills – but in reverse. Why do this? Because it’s a great way to hone your technical skills while also pouring a unique design.

2. The Wave Heart

This pretty piece of latte art can pose a challenge, mainly because it focuses on the edges of the cup rather than the middle. You’ll want to start pouring at the side and, as Ryan Soeder of Counter Culture Coffee says, get a current moving. This will allow you to bring the wave all around the cup, before ending with a heart.

3. The Bleeding Heart

This next one is far from easy, but it’s worth all the effort. The wave heart meets a triple heart in one complex design, requiring excellent control – and a lot of patience.

4. Etched Hearts

In our final video, we’re going to take a step away from free pouring to look at how to etch hearts. Etched patterns don’t always last as long as poured ones, since the design is shallower, but they allow for intricate, delicate art that can be a delight to view. As far as etched patterns go, hearts are relatively simple – but can be beautifully effective when the composition is good.

SEE ALSO: How to Etch Latte Art: A VIDEO Guide

Amazing latte art isn’t just about knowing the most difficult designs – although we’ve thrown some challenging ones at you here. It’s also about using the designs you already know to create imaginative new pieces. Technical skills combined with a pinch of creativity can turn even the simplest of pours into a breathtaking piece of latte art.

So get practising, get dreaming, and show us what you can do.

Poured some beautiful heart latte art? Created your own design? Share the photos with us in the comments or on Facebook.

Feature photo credit: Dreamerjnw

Please note: Perfect Daily Grind does not own the rights to these videos and cannot be held accountable for their content.