White Henna Tattoo - Is not Henna Tattoo - It is Gilding.

I had a phone call today from someone asking me if I did "white" henna tattoo. I appreciate that many people do not understand what henna tattoo is, and so they can be misled.

Henna tattoo is made from the crushed leaves of the henna plant - you can refer to the Wikipedia notes on henna for a deeper understanding. True henna tattoo will always be a shade of reddish brown, red, brown, perhaps a pale orange if the powder is very old.

By definition, you cannot have "white henna." However you can have "gilding." Gilding is a process that uses a henna cone, usually a hair gel of some kind, and a glitter powder. The gilding can be any number of colors - white, blue, green, basically any color of body glitter can be used to make the paste. Again, here is a link to buy the ingredients you need to make a white tattoo.

The gel paste may be applied using a cone - which is a similar method to henna tattoo - however it is not henna tattoo, it is white gilding and will last as long as you do not wash the gilding off. Perhaps people are using a fixative to keep that gilding on a bit longer, or mixing some new ingredient into the paste to make it last longer.

It is traditional to gild a finished henna tattoo so that the bride can have her authentic henna tattoo embellished to match her outfits. There are photos of gilded henna  in a variety of colors, including white on my website. Just click the link above to see examples.

As a gilded design is a short lived design in general, and as there has not been much demand for gilding, I no longer offer it on a regular basis. If you would like white guiding, in a traditional henna pattern, I am happy to oblige.

Quick Henna Jewel for Everyday Wear

Here is a lovely example of a traditional henna pattern that works well for everyday wear in Western culture. The pattern is from the "Sangeet" pattern book.

This quick henna took about 10 minutes from start to finish, and fit perfectly on the wrist. It is a "tiny" tattoo, but a lovely example of the traditional art.

I am using a "wetter" paste this year, which means that the henna flows very quickly from the cone and is easier to work with. The wetter paste does take a bit longer to dry on the skin, so you may need to wait a bit longer for the henna to dry.

However, this extended drying time helps you get darker color in your finished henna tattoo. Stop by the Midnight Sun, 1055 Park Street, Jacksonville, Florida on Saturdays to get your henna art. Remember if you want to have henna on the lower back or belly, wear hip huggers & a crop top.

For tattoo on the feet, wear the tiniest sandals possible! More skin = more color.

Gilded Henna Tattoo - Simple Patterns with Jeweled Color

Here is an example of gilding. Notice the jeweled colors in the henna tattoo? This is not colored henna, rather it is gilding paste, a very temporary form of body art that lasts only as long as you don't wash your hands.

Gilding is a great way to embellish your henna design. And, while simple henna tattoos are very fashionable, and are created to accent the natural beauty of your hand, the gilding is just a bit of fancy for the day. Many times people will choose gilding colors to match the outfit they are wearing when they have their henna applied.

The gilding paste is made from glitters, jewel powders and sometimes cosmetic powders mixed with a neutral carrier gel. Gidling is applied with a cone, just like henna, so you can easily get the very same effect as a henna tattoo using only gilding paste. It is very important to wait for your henna paste to dry before adding the gilding, your artist will help you with that.

For examples of gilding, visit the gilded henna gallery at Spirit Vision Henna Tattoo.

Henna Tattoo - A simple pattern shines with gilding.

Here is a photo of a freehand henna tattoo with just a bit of gilding added to make Saturday a bit more glamorous. If you click the photo, you will be able to see a larger image of the turquoise & green glitter gel added to highlight the henna tattoo.

Gilding paste is made with cosmetic glitters, or cosmetic powders and a stiff hair gel as the carrier for the color. Sometimes fine glitter is hard to come by, but if you have a mortar & pestle, it only takes a few moments to grind economy glitter into a shimmering powder.

I apply the gilding using a clear henna cone. (Cellophane cones hold up very well & enable clients to see just what color they will get.) I have learned to wait until the henna has dried and at least one glaze of lemon sugar has been applied.

For more photos of gilded henna tattoo, visit the Henna Jewels gallery on my site. There are other photos of gilded henna tattoo in this blog.. check the labels to the right of this post for the complete list.

Gilded Henna Tattoo - The Peacock in Turquoise

I feel very happy with this tattoo design. I used the "sketching" technique I learned from the fabulous video previously posted to draw out the main components for this pattern.

I remembered to outline the primary design as soon as I drew it so that I would not be dazzled by the detail & forget to create the white space in process. You will see that the gilded nicely fills those "white space" areas in this photo.

If you want a closer look, just click the photo for more details. My client was very happy with her pattern, and enjoyed the process of watching the sketched outline be filled in with various traditional henna components.

I started the pattern fartest from the finger tips & worked my way down the hand. If you look, you can see that the paisley, floral component & peacock head stand out in this pattern as they are surrounded by space.

Now.. for all or you experienced artists, I am sure these tips are not news at all. I am however, spatially dyslexic & needed this kind of obvious "how to" to progress in the art form.

Well that's all for now! Namaste.

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.

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

Simple Henna Design - Gilded Back of Hand Pattern

Here is a henna pattern for the back of the hand. I like it very much because the design moves so gracefully over the hand, is interesting, simple and elegant. Click the title of this post to see more patterns.

This was the first design of the day on Saturday, 4/26 at the Midnight Sun, 1055 Park Street, Five Points, Jacksonville, Florida. We applied a bit of gilding, a spot of deep purple in the center of the flower & the outer drops. There are spots of gold int he pattern as well. I like the soft, elegant look this offers.

I waited until the henna had dried, been lemon sugared three times before adding the gilding. This method seems to work best for the liquidity of the paste I make.

My other "discovery" this year is to use a fine mist sprayer bottle to apply my lemon sugar mix. It's fast, covers all the henna in a spritz or two, doesn't usually run or drip and never disturbs the design.

I now strain fresh squeezed lemon juice three times, add almost equal volume of organic brown sugar, heat this in a little bowl over open flame until the sugar melts, then add a drop of essential oil (usually clove bud) and strain that mixture into the sprayer.

Shannon's Gilded Peacock - Henna Tattoo

I have started working with a more liquid paste mix. I use Jamila henna, the 2007 harvest now, which is very gummy and stringy and workable. I am very pleased with my quick color test results, and will have full hand color on line soon.

In the mean time, please enjoy a photo of Shannon's gilded peacock design. I am still inspired by Neeta's book "Sangeet" as you will see from this photo. The gilding colors are purple glitter & jade green matte gels.

The more liquid texture of the paste made it possible for me to work more quickly than I have in the past, as the paste just flows right out of the henna cone. I am still using my "plastic bag cone" with rubber band closure. It has a carrot bag look, but is soft & easy to use so my hand doesn't get tired at all.

I am convinced that the little bit of pomegranate juice concentrate I am adding at the start of the mix (lemon juice, spiced tea, henna powder, pomegranate juice) really helps keep the henna on the skin, and makes it easier to work.

Gilded Chrysanthemum Tattoo

Here is a gilded mum tattoo for a young woman who stopped into Midnight Sun last Saturday. She was very patient with me as I did my first ever chrysanthemum henna.

The design is gilded with a lovely pearly white paste touched with a bit of rose glitter to make the flower... the leaves are done in a peridot gilding paste.

Abstract Henna Lotus - Gilded for summer fun.

Don't you love gilding? I think it is great fun!

Here is an abstract lotus pattern that a favorite here in Jax.

If you know the author of this design, please send that info along so I may give credit where credit is due.

Henna by donation (folding money please) at Midnight Sun on most Saturday afternoons.

This design features glitter as gidling in ruby, turquoise & "diamond" (which is hard to see in the foto). The photo shows paste on the skin.

Gilded Wrist Tattoos

Here are just two of the many fotos from this henna this weekend at Midnight Sun. There are so many more to publish!

I have some tribal henna, some power hennas, a kanji in disguise, and a lovely piece for the foot coming soon.
. As always, the longer the paste remains on the skin, and the hotter you get, the darker the finished color.

It is also important to remember that henna on the palms of the hands gives the best color!

Henna Tattoo for Christine's New Baby

Here is a photo of a henna tattoo chosen by Christine to celebrate her new baby. She found the basic design on line at Henna Lounge drew it up adding her own embellishments, and brought it down to Midnight Sun today to get her henna. The design was ammended a bit by agreement so that the pattern best fit the contours of her stomach, and make sitting easy & comfortable.

For pregnancy tattoo I make a special, very gentle blend of lavender & tea tree essential oils to go with a pure henna powder, lemon juice & a touch of honey. This is very soothing paste, and still very effective. I also started working a bit with gilding & glitter pastes, so we were able to add some red & gold gilding to her tattoo. If you want a tattoo for your belly, please call ahead so that we can discuss your pattern in advance.

Some simple planning can make your experience more comfortable. For example, you will notice that Chris wore a midriff top & a wrap around skirt so that her clothing would not interfere with her new tattoo. As well, I knew to make her unique paste & to bring the gliding because she called ahead.

Gilding - Glitter Body Art - Gilded Tribal Design

It is exciting to be able to offer dazzling temporary body art for those who want the beauty of henna designs without the commitment to a one to three week experience.

In addition to gilding, there is cocktail body art & embroidary body art as alternatives to henna tattoo. What I like about these art forms is the fluid style of henna is recreated with other mediums.
Here's a gilded tribal henna tattoo for the fingers. (Sometimes it's hard for people to choose a full hand tattoo.) The henna is the reddish brown stain, the rest is gold body powder, crimson body powder, black body paint & silver gel glitter to make the little diamonds.

This design stays right on the skin! The henna is the temporary stain, but the rest of the products (gels, paints & powders) are theater quality, so they will last until you wash them off.

Be sure to click HERE for more information & a photo by a master! Namaste.. Ann