 Purchase a drum with an untreated goatskin head. Synthetic heads will not take henna stain, and treated drumheads will take henna poorly. You can tell if the drumhead is treated by touching it. If it feels smooth or oily, it has been treated. If it feels dry, like your heel after going barefoot on a summer day, it will probably take henna well. Gently clean the drumhead with a cloth dampened with ammonia or rubbing alcohol to strip off any dirt or oil residue. Mix henna powder into paste with lemon juice. Let the paste sit overnight. Don't add terps.  If you want to do a complex radial
pattern, start by lightly sketching lines onto the drumhead with an
aquarellable pencil. The aquarellable pencil will wipe off with a damp
cloth when you remove the finished henna. Brace your hand and
pencil against one side of the drum while rotating the drum with the
other. This will make a perfect circle. Move the pencil to
different positions to make concentric circles. (Don't do it as
dark as you see in the picture above!)
 When you have several concentric
circles, begin to make the radials.
 Divide the drum into as many
circles and radii as you need for your pattern.
 Sketch in the most basic elements
of your pattern.
 Refine the elements. If you
make mistakes with the aquarellabe pencil, you can wipe them away with
a damp cloth. All the pencil lines can be removed with a damp
cloth when you remove the henna.
 When you've got as much sketching as you need, begin to henna at the center.  Continue working outward from the
center.
 You can create a middle tone by applying henna, then quickly scraping it back with a pointed stick.  Continue the patterning outward.
 Fill in the details.
 All Done! All you have to do
now is let it rest a few days, and scrape off the henna.
 Use a blunt edge to scrape away
the henna, such as a dead credit card, or a butter knife. Sharp
edges can damage your drumhead. The stain will be light when you
first scrape off the henna, just as it is when you remove the henna
from your skin.
 The henna stain will begin to
darken. Rub the stain with a cloth dampened with ammonia, and the
stain will darken, and the aquarellable pencil lines will
disappear. In the picture above, you can see where the henna
paste has been scraped away. The darker red part of that area has
been cleaned with ammonia. The lighter area has not been rubbed
with ammonia.
 Keep the drumhead as dry as
possible when cleaning it with ammonia. Let the drumhead dry
naturally. The stain will darken over time.
Can't find what you're looking for? Try: The Henna Page Main Index http://www.hennapage.com/henna/mainindex.html *"Henna,
the
Joyous Body Art"
the Encyclopedia of Henna Catherine Cartwright-Jones c 2000 registered with the US Library of Congress TXu 952-968 |
