Brenda Abdoyan - Teach Yourself Henna Tattoo: Making Mehndi Art with Easy-to-Follow Instructions, Patterns, and Projects

Brenda Abdoyan, a San Francisco-based child of the 1960s who considers everything to be art, is principal artist and designer at Bajidoo, Inc., a jewelry and design studio. Inspired by things from everyday life, she begins her creations with realism and then sprinkles them with the spice of life. Recently, she won top honors for the Designer Press Kit Award at a Craft and Hobby Association show.

She holds a degree in business administration and project management from the University of Phoenix. After more than 20 years as a senior business analyst in corporate America, she left it all to pursue her passion. Henna art was the road that took her home. Her first YouTube video on henna tattoo design led to her work being included in the March 2009 cable channel series My Art by Ovation Television. From there, she has expanded her henna canvas to include leather, wood, and bangles. Follow her at www.bajidoo.com.

A prudent question is one-half of wisdom. Francis Bacon

My henna saga began with a trip to the Middle East in 2000. Unlike the henna tattoo artist you may find on the beach in summer or in your favorite theme parks, henna artists in the Middle East apply tattoos behind the blacked-out windows of a beauty salon. The windows are blacked out to preserve the modesty of the ladies inside; the henna application is a complete experience.

A friend (the sister of the man who would later become my husband) and I entered the salon and were led up a dark, steep, narrow stairway. When we reentered the light at the top of stairs, we were in another world. Aromas assaulted uscardamom spice in Arabic coffee (the essential oils used in henna paste) and burning incense.

The room, which comprised the entire upper floor, had no stations where a guest would sit in a specific chair for her henna application. Instead, the space was nearly empty in the center with banks of ornately decorated pillows along the sides. We simply sat on a mass of these overly soft pillows and the work began.

Since both my hands and feet were being done, four young girls worked through the designs, one on each hand and each foot. These four girls talked and giggled amongst themselves, only occasionally putting together a few words in English to ask me questions about my prior experience with henna tattoos (at that time, I had none). Something about those moments ignited a spark in me that continues to burn.

While the use of henna for tattoos is difficult to trace, evidence shows that it stretches back more than 5,000 years to the days of ancient Egypt when a henna dye was used to stain the fingers and toes of the pharaohs prior to their mummification. Henna tattooing has a long history among many Eastern cultures. The designs tend to fall into four styles based on the region. The Middle Eastern style in the Arab world features floral designs that do not follow a distinctive pattern. In North Africa, henna tattoos are geometrical and follow the shape of the wearers hands and feet. In India and Pakistan, the designs cover more of the body, extending up arms and legs to give the impression of gloves or stockings. Henna tattoos in Indonesia and southern Asia are often blocks of color on the tips of the fingers and toes.

Many of the historical styles of henna tattoos remain popular today, but their use has grown to include Celtic designs, Chinese characters, and American Indian symbols. Because of the temporary nature of henna tattoos, many people have begun experimenting with designs that express their individual styles and beliefs.

Culturally, the most common modern reference to henna tattooing is its use in traditional Hindu wedding ceremonies. Intricate designs, known as Mehndi, are applied to the brides hands and feet to symbolize her commitment to her husband-to-be. Since the henna paste must remain on the skin for a couple of days, it restricts the movements and tasks of the bride. Its application gives her time to reflect on her upcoming marriage.

Henna is like many things: What you get out of it is directly proportional to what you put into it. While I started learning about henna in 2000, I only began to work with henna paste at the beginning of 2008. Yes, you read that right. The first henna tattoo I made was on my right foot. I sat on my patio and drew on my foot.

I did a terrible job. I made the paste wrong; it was too thin. I had no coordination to create the images I had seen in books and online. I was completely frustrated. Even worse, after all my trouble, my ugly little tattoo image never even got dark! In no time at all I figured out that knowing the history and traditions of henna was fulfilling on one level, but tattoos wouldnt just spring forth from my hands because I had studied so diligently. To find fulfillment, I had to do more work in an entirely new direction.

This book is my way of helping you skip some or all of my frustration. Ive included an extensive section on making henna paste and applying it (). You will find information on the basic lines youll need to master before creating beautiful tattoos. Dont skip this section! The better control you have in making the basic lineswhich are the foundation of all henna tattoosthe better your finished tattoos will look.

) focuses on applying henna tattoos to the body. Work through the projects to develop your henna tattooing skills. There are tons of gallery photos here to inspire you.

The next section is filled with designs for use on hands, feet, lower back, and shoulders (). As you become more familiar with henna tattoos, you will be able to adapt these designs. Ive also included the templates I use to develop new designs. Just follow the shape of the hand or foot to create your own unique henna tattoos.

Finally, the stain left behind from the application of henna paste is not just ideal for skin, but it also works well on other mediums, including wood and leather. Henna designs applied to the latter may fade a bit, but they wont wear off like the henna tattoos applied to your skin! Check out some of my ideas for henna on objects on .