Henna for the Back of the Hand from

It's always wonderful to henna the hands. This is a photo of a design from Saturday henna in Five Points. Once again, the "Sangeet" pattern book proves popular, and this pattern is a reduction of a more complex design.

I started working farthest from the tips of the fingers, and drew the defining lines for the cuff portion of the pattern first. I then drew the little leaf jewel at the top of the the cuff before filling in the band. To do this, I first made the bold semi-circles that define the look of the inner band, then went back to fill them in.

I finished filling in the band, went back & did the embellishments on the leaf, and then moved to draw the pattern on the back of the hand. I drew the spiral portion of the tattoo (farthest from the thumb)filled that is, and finally drew and finished the larger paisley.

My paste for the day was a bit wet, so very easy to work with, but slow to dry. This year, perhaps because of the addition of a bit more pomegranate concentrate when making the paste, the paste is very easy to work with, but will run if not completely dry before going out into the sun... particularly if the lines are bold, or if you choose to have several applications of the lemon sugar glaze.

Let your henna dry first.. then gild it.

Here is a photo of a gilded henna tattoo. This is also an example of the "Chef's Choice" option, which means you give me your hand, tell me how much you want to spend, and wait to see the result.

I realized again on Saturday that because I am familiar with henna and the process of gilding, that I may not always give a complete explanation to new customers. For that reason, I will now go over some basics. If this is old news to you.. please forgive.

The dark colored lines you see in the picture are of henna paste that has dried, been glazed with lemon sugar, and is "stuck" onto the skin. This dried paste is not the finished tattoo. Under the paste, henna is interacting with your skin to stain it some shade of red to reddish brown. The finished color of your tattoo will develop over the next two days. The initial color you see when the paste is removed will darken.

The other colors you see in the photo (click the photo for a larger image) are very temporary.. they will only last a day. The process of adding these temporary body paints is called gilding. If you want your henna tattoo gilded, there is no extra charge. There is extra drying time. It is very important that the henna paste (the darker lines) dries before the gilding is added. The gilding colors are made with cosmetic powders and glitters in a carrier base that is made of hair setting gel. This gel is a liquid, and can blur the henna tattoo if applied to early.

Now, if you are new to henna, it is important to remember that you must let your henna tattoo dry before becoming active. Failure to do so results is a smudged or running tattoo.. particularly if you spill a beverage on the design!!! Touch ups are sometimes possible, sometimes.. not so possible, but if you do need one during the henna party, you may have to wait until I have finished the tattoo I am working on.

Sometimes, hennas are smudged long after you've left the shop & a repair is not possible. Should this happen, no worries. Just remove all the henna paste from your skin, apply a vegetable oil.. and wait for the color to develop over the next few days. More information as well as FAQ are online at spiritvisionhenna.com

Shaded Henna Tattoo - Original Henna Pattern for the Leg

Here is a photo of an original "wrap-around" henna tattoo pattern for the leg.

I am experimenting with different ways to create a shaded effect with henna paste. For this design I used henna paste, thinned with lemon juice & sugar that I brushed onto the skin. I used a little water color brush to fill in finished design areas.

It is my hope that this gentle touch of henna stain will result in a lighter color in the finished henna tattoo for the shaded areas. Perhaps I will to be able to post a photo of the finished color next week. Notice that this is a pic of the henna paste ON the skin, not black henna and not the finished color. If you have a photo of henna we have created together, please feel welcome to email it to me & I will post it with your photo of paste on the skin.

For more photos of henna tattoo for the legs & ankles, please be sure to visit the updated gallery on line at Spirit Vision Henna. Henna Tattoo is available on Saturday afternoons from 1:00 until about 5:15 on Saturdays through out the summer. Of course we are available for out calls, parties & corporate events.. but the weekend party is good fun.

* If you are coming for your first henna experience, please be sure to read the informed consent carefully. I may not have made it clear that henna paste goes on the skin wet. It is important to be mindful of your tattoo for the first 15 minutes or so after the paste is applied. If you choose to have the lemon sugar glaze, then it may take a bit longer for the paste to dry.

Also, if you are going to have an active day, then it is best NOT to put henna on jointed areas! More complete information is available on my FAQ page... and of course all over the web!