Gilded Henna Tattoo - simple & elegant

Here is an example of the exotic beauty possible with just a bit of gilding added to your design. We started with a simple, flowing floral pattern, not too busy, not too bold, and then, once it was dry, added a bit of golden gilding to highlight the tattoo.

Notice how the golden color compliments the clients hand!! as well as her nails. This gilding paste was made with a stiff setting gel & some fine golden (jewel tone) cosmetic powder from a good costume shop.

You may want to click the photo to enlarge it for a better view. It is possible to see the tiny spots of gold added to the pattern at the tip of the finger. This was a "chef's choice" pattern, and I am sure you can see it is a popular floral motif, modified to fit the clients hand.

Gilding pastes come in a variety of colors... but it is important to know that they will only last for the day. When you take your henna paste off, the gilding comes away, and unlike the henna, there is no dye left after the paste is removed. For those of you new to henna tattoo, the dark paste you see is NOT black henna, but a photo of the tattoo with the paste still on the skin.

Jamial Henna Powder on Sale

Enjoy free shipping in the USA for the last of the 2007 henna powder I have on hand. Each 100 gram box provides enough henna powder for 5 or 6 cones of paste and they are on sale for $6.00 each.

i am still having good results with the 2007 harvest: super sifted powder, fine lines, dark color on palms, backs of hands and legs.

The next shipment will arrive sometime in July if all goes as planned. Click the title of this post to go to the shopping cart section of my henna site.

I also hope to be able to offer Yemeni henna this year. I will have a sample in the Studio mid June to test. Look for the 2008 crop of Jamila Henna to arrive mid July.

Bridal Henna for the Palm - A 35 Minute Design

Here is a photo of a traditional henna tattoo for the palm. The design is a synthesis of traditional India henna style and a touch of the bold Arabic fashion.

After viewing the work of many fine artists, and benefiting from some videos, I made a thinner paste than usual and used a mylar cone to create this tattoo.

With a thin paste (almost like tempra paint texture) and a very fine tip on the cone, I was able to do more intricate mehandi much faster than ever before.

I started at the top most portion of the wrist, marked out the primary design areas first, then filled those in with finer lines.

I followed the same process for the hand... which is how I achieved the reverse image paisley on the palm.

The dark centers of the flowers that surround the paisley help set it off. Each finger is different, which gives a spontaneous look to my eye. I will post the foot tattoo pattern tomorrow.

Bold Arabic Style Henna - Inner Arm Tattoo

Here is a new henna tattoo for one of my favorite clients. She loves bold decoration and chose to have an Arabic style design for her inner arm. This henna pattern uses dark, or thick lines to catch the eye, and just a few of the finer lines to give that wonderful intricate feeling.

This pattern took about 15 minutes to complete, and costs $15.00. It is a "Chef's Choice" design that is derived from the work of another very talented henna artist. It is often best to just point out the style of henna pattern you like & let your henna artist go from there. That way, you get a unique pattern that has the flavor you want, but fits your style and your budget.

It is important to know that this is a photo of the henna paste still on the arm. The final color will show up about 48 hours after the paste has been removed. Henna tattoo will always be some shade of red to reddish brown, depending in part on your skin type & how well you care for your design.

Women of color often get a wonderful black cherry red stain. I am hoping for a photo of the finished color... but you never know.

Inspiration! Arabic Henna Pattern for the Leg

I am so inspired by this fantastic (unknown) ARTIST on You Tube that I had to try a five minute design. To the left is the result.

Of course the advantage of free-style, anything I want to do henna - a.k.a. Chef's Choice - is that I can just draw. I used my regular plastic cone, but did tape the end to a finer, and more firm point. I like this improvement. I also notice that in many of the videos, the artists are working with a wetter paste than I bring to Midnight Sun. The advantage of the wet pastes is deeper penetration of color and finer lines. However, a wet paste makes for a longer dry time, and requires that a client be a bit more mindful of the artwork. Now always easy in our car culture.

I was inspired by some HOW TO ROLL HENNA CONES Videos from You Tube once again, and if you click the links, you can go get some inspiration as well.

Of course I also found more great art.. patterns I would really like to be able to do here in town. If you check out this VIDEO.. you will see that henna on the hands is a good thing! Of course you don't have to order the full bridal images you see, but I am looking for practice volunteers who have some free hours, and a driver, to polish up my bridal skills.

Henna Tattoo for the Lower Back

It's summer time here in Florida, and we are starting to tattoo the lower back. This bold pattern is taken once again from the "Sangeet" pattern book by Neeta Sharma available on line at Tap Dancing Lizard.

Her bold designs are very popular for henna parties. Her henna patterns offer the traditional feeling of henna in bold lines that are visually very compelling.

For lower back tattoo, be sure to wear a crop top and low rider pants so that there is plenty of room for your design. It is also important to let the design get good and dry before going out into the afternoon heat as too much sweating can cause a design to "melt" or to run if the paste is not sufficeintly dry.

I would love to see you all when I return to Midnight Sun on Saturday, May 24th. Please feel welcome to visit Spirit Vision Henna for henna tattoo photo galleries & more information.

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!