Henna Art

What do you think of when you think of the word “art”?

Chances are, you thought about paint, pencils, and canvasses. But art is so much more than that. Makeup, fashion, and more all fall under the category of art and creativity. Within that group is henna art.

Background

Henna is a form of body art in which henna paste is used to draw designs on the skin. It was originally used for its natural cooling properties. People who lived in the desert would coat the bottoms of their feet with the plant’s paste. When they noticed the dark red stain left behind after it was washed off, they thought of using it for decorative purposes.

It originated in Egypt, but is also a huge part of Indian culture. Before a wedding, the bride and her family gather at their home to enjoy music and dance performances. During this, the bride will decorate her hands and feet with intricate designs of flowers, peacocks, suns, and more. In Hindi, it’s called mehndi.

My Work

I’ve had henna done before, usually while on vacation in India. Recently, I became interested in trying it myself. I bought a henna cone from the local grocery store and began experimenting with different designs.

Here are a few examples of what I’ve made so far.

This simple sun design was one of my first tries, done with the help of my sister.

Next, this is a more intricate design. I browsed Pinterest for inspiration but ended up doing it from my imagination. Some of the images I saw influenced the shapes I made.

I did this one on my mom’s hand. Below it is my reference image.

Some Tips

Although I’m definitely not an expert, I do have some tips I think would be helpful if you’re interested in trying it yourself.

1. Steady your hand. This is crucial to avoid those shaky lines. Try to rest the side of your hand on a table or hold it steady with your other hand.

2. Use the right amount of pressure. Don’t squeeze too much or too little. This will take some experimenting. The lines should be thick enough to be visible, because once you wipe it off, overly thin lines won’t show up.

3. Wipe the tip frequently. If you don’t do this, the paste will collect on the tip of the cone and mess up any fine details you might be trying to get. Keep a napkin on hand and wipe off the excess often.

People to Follow

When I started out a couple weeks ago, I browsed through Instagram and Pinterest looking for inspiration. I found a few great henna artists that you should definitely follow if you’re interested!

• Gopihenna: a bridal mehndi artist based in San Diego

• Henna by Divya: a Toronto based henna artist

• Henna by Mayaa: a bridal mehndi artist based in Toronto

• Azra Khamissa: modern mehndi artist in Dubai

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this article. Remember, I release new ones every week. Before you go, don't forget to check out my shop!