Yes, I’m still on my henna kick. I did this design on my hand today during my film class. I can totally draw and watch movies at the same time. So I would like to clarify, first of all that the henna in these photo graphs is not the color that it looks like once it falls off and only the stain remains. The stain is a much lighter orange color and is much more subtle. I choose to photograph and upload the henna in this still-semi-wet state because it is dark and easier to see. The red-orange color that the stain leaves on the skin is still very beautiful, and even smoother, blending in mistakes and unevenness, it does not show up super strikingly in a digital photo.
I like the way that once the henna falls off, the stain is so flat and translucent. While the henna is still wet it can be bumpy depending on how it came out of the tube and this can make it look messy. But all that goes away once the henna has fallen off.
This henna that I used to draw on my hand is the same henna that I mixed last weekend. It’s been 6 days since I mixed it and on the 4th day I put it in the refrigerator and took it out last night to use. I used it last night and today and though it still works, re-animating it takes some patience. The henna needs to be mixed after sitting for so long, and the instruments needed a thorough cleaning to get off any dried on henna that stuck from the last weekend. I used a pin to unclog the applicator tip and then ran it through under the faucet on high and then blew out all of the water.
This reanimated henna is clumpier than it was when first mixed and is more prone to clogging. But I still have so much left over in the bottle that I really still want to use it all up!! But it is more difficult to use. Occasionally it will clog, and the clog needs to be shaken out on a napkin until the stream is normal again because typically after the clog is released, the henna pours out in huge globs and could make a real mess on the skin. Having a scrap piece of paper or a napkin handy to get things going on before you touch the skin is very helpful.
