Artist Transforms Coffee Stains into Mischievous Little Monster Illustrations

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

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To most people, a coffee stain might not seem like much, but to German illustrator Stefan Kuhnigk, there’s hidden creatures inside every obscure, brown smudge. The self-confessed caffeine lover turns random coffee spillages into all sorts of weird and wonderful monster characters.

It all started in 2011, while at a meeting at the ad agency he works at, Kuhnigk accidentally spilled a cup of coffee on some paper. Rather than throw it in the trash, Kuhnigk started to doodle on top of the dried spillage, filling in the missing shapes and lines to create his first coffee monster. Since then, he’s been creating one every day, and now has a collection of over 500 coffee critters.

Kuhnigk’s monster drawings range from sweet and adorable to evil and mischievous. From strange blobs with eyes and teeth to multi-headed brown splats, each kooky character visualizes the artist’s playful imagination. “I really enjoy every single one because I love creation and the determination or coincidence of the coffee hitting paper,” he reveals. “I try to see a monster, character, or figure in it and when I find something, I draw it.”

You can see more of Kuhnigk’s coffee monsters on Instagram and shop his drawings as prints, t-shirts, tote bags, and more on Society6.

German illustrator Stefan Kuhnigk turns random coffee stains into all sorts of weird and wonderful monster characters.

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Now with over 500 monster drawings, they range from sweet and adorable to evil and mischievous.

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Coffee Art Monster Drawings by Stefan Kuhnigk

Watch how the artist creates them.

Stefan Kuhnigk: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Tumblr

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Stefan Kuhnigk.

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Emma Taggart

Emma Taggart is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. Originally from Northern Ireland, she is an artist now based in Berlin. After graduating with a BA in Fashion and Textile Design in 2013, Emma decided to combine her love of art with her passion for writing. Emma has contributed to various art and culture publications, with an aim to promote and share the work of inspiring modern creatives. While she writes every day, she’s also devoted to her own creative outlet—Emma hand-draws illustrations and is currently learning 2D animation.
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