I am almost there with latte art. I have been making espresso for over 20 years, but never worried much about latte art. With a new machine (Quick Mill Vetrano 2B), I have decided to make this work. I have read everything I can and watched every video I can. I am pretty sure I am able to reliably make microfoam milk. I start high with a thinner stream, and fill the cappuccino cup half way, then move down and get the first white foam on top. I then swing my wrist back and forth. Instead of those nice thin and even arcs, I am getting irregular ones. When I move closer to the side and swing across the cup, the result looks like a wilted rosetta or a rosetta on acid.

Can someone tell me how to get those smooth arcs that seem to move away from the pour so gracefully. Is it just "practice, practice, practice?"

While a lot of it is practice, there are certainly techniques that help.

If you haven't, check out this awesome video by ChefSteps that really focuses on positioning and proper pouring techniques.
I've been doing latte art for about a year (I didn't steam much milk until I got an HX last december) this is where I'm at now (Granted this photo is kind of old because I don't feel like taking one lol):



It certainly didn't start off that decent though, all the way to May of this year I was pouring rosettas like this (I prefer tulips now)



The trend for me has been slowly get ok at pouring hearts, then get better, and better within a shorter amount of time. Once you get the feel for it and it doesn't feel so strange it becomes a lot easier.

It's really important to be smooth and steady when pouring, especially with rosettas. I've been trying to make really good rosettas for years, and I still usually end up with something that looks a bit like a dried out Christmas tree in January. I think the problem is that I tend to get a bit nervous as the pour goes on, and even a slight tremor in my hands will cause those nice, even waves in the milk to turn into weirdly shaped lumps or ripples. I find it easier to pour hearts or tulips than rosettas because they don't require quite as much steadiness and rhythm in the pour as a rosetta.

I'd say the best advice is to just try to relax and keep a steady, slow rhythm as you pour. Don't try to force things, just let it happen naturally. And of course, practice, practice, practice.

I've found I do a much better job and have more control if I hold the milk pitcher with my thumb and index finger around the top like a 'C'. Holding the pitcher handle is awkward, cumbersome and uncomfortable.

After months of trying to make latte art in flat whites with a ~2 oz double topped with ~3 oz of milk in a small cup, I just tried a 1-1.5 oz shot in a 7-oz cup. A world of difference. I was able to make a reasonable fern on the first try whereas I only produced blobs before. The coffee-to-milk ratio, shape and size of the container seem to have a great importance.

keep at it!

when you lower the pitcher to mark the surface, keep a nice steady flow coming out of the spout and move the pitcher back and forth in what i like to call: "controlled sloshing" motion

Hey new to this forum and I'm not sure how to create my own post. Your latte art is looking good buddy keep it up. I've been doing latte art seriously for year and half now and I'm always wanting to improve and I want to get my definition better. If you tell me how to create my own post that would be great

Just a few of my recent pours

I've been improving sloooooooowly, and still have a long way to go. I've enjoyed watching Dritan Alsela on Facebook (& youtube). He usually pours several in a row, and the repetition is helpful to me to spot what he is doing, and/or differences between what he is doing and what I am doing

https://www.facebook.com/barista.dritan.alsela/

He does a lot of milk transferring to homogenize the micro foam.