GOPI HENNA WORKSHOP

GUIDEBOOK

NATURAL HENNA
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

WWW.GOPI-HENNA.COM
 INTERMEDIATE HENNA

1
INTERMEDIATE DESIGN:
BORDERS, FLORALS, NETTING, AND FILLS

2
DESIGN COMPOSITION STRATEGY

3
TIPS ON POSITIONING YOURSELF AND
YOUR CLIENTS WHEN WORKING

4
BUILD YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA

5
GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR HENNA
PRACTICE

@GOPIHENNA
 INTERMEDIATE DESIGNS

Design Basics:

Borders

Fills &
"Fillers"

Netting

Floral

When you see a complex design, it may be difficult to

know where to even start. The key is to break up each
part of the design into it’s fundamental elements.
When discussing traditional henna designs, there are 4
main elements: Borders, Florals, Netting, and
fills/fillers.

Not every design incorporates all four, but for the

most part these are the basic constituent elements
which compose an intermediate henna design. For
each element, there are a multitude of variations, and
once you learn these you will be on your way to
creating your very own masterpieces!
 1.) BORDERS
These can be straight, curved, or even circular. They
can be thin or wide, symmetrical or asymmetrical.
Borders create the overall shape of a design. They can
create movement and a feeling of design flow. Borders
are key for the structure of any henna design.

Pro Tip: When creating any border, you want to make

sure to build your border using thin and thick lines as
this will make the design pop.
Try to Recreate!
 2.) "FILLS AND FILLERS"
Once you have your borders down, you will need to have a
variety of fills at your disposal to fill up the spaces which the
borders create. Additionally, borders by themselves tend to
be a bit plain, so there are a multitude of what I call “fillers”
which are accents which complete a design and allow for a
proper flow. Fillers such as chains, vines, swirls, “flames”
and beads make designs much more interesting and will
take the most basic beginner design and transform it into
what I consider an intermediate design.
Fill in the blanks using the
example fills below:
 3.) NETTING
Netting can be considered a type of fill, but since there are
so many types of nettings and what can also be considered
as “grids,” I believe they deserve their own category.
Netting, like many fills, tend to be encased within borders,
but the style of a grid or netting can give designs a more
advanced look. And if executed properly, netting can make
a design look like lace and it is quite beautiful!
Practice Netting Styles Below:
 4.) FLORALS
Beginners tend to start with floral designs, I know I did! But you can
transform any simple, beginner henna flower, and make it look
advanced in no time. You can use borders and fillers to create
beautiful mandalas and complex pieces. You can also take several
different styles of beginner flowers and cluster them together to
create a super detailed and unique design. Learning the proper
shading techniques will also help you turn a beginner flower into one
that looks more advanced. Additionally, you can create designs using
more realistic flowers like a peony, magnolia or rose. I have outlined
the steps to create these more realistic looking flowers as they are key
in any intermediate henna artist’s arsenal.
 Before you begin a floral design, think about
where you want it to flow first. Then you can
use your newly acquired filler elements to craft
a unique piece. Below are some examples of
different composition frameworks you can use:
 As you can see,
these designs
look fully
detailed and
complete.
Adding small
filler elements
bring your
designs to the
next level.

To the right I have

erased the "fillers" to
show you how plain a
design can look
without them. These
here are more
beginner level designs.
Although the
composition is good,
without fillers it looks
quite basic.
Design Composition
WHERE WOULD YOU GO FROM HERE?
 STRUCTURED
DESIGN
COMPOSITION
You can lightly sketch out
where the borders will go first
before you lay down the rest
of the design using netting
and fills. This can help you
get a grasp of the larger
composition structure first. It
can be challenging to
freestlye at first, so you can
sketch the overarching layout
first then it will be much
easier to go in a fill the space
up.
 Breaking Down
Intermediate Designs
Extended Learning
FLOWERS & PAISLEYS
Paisleys are just curved borders with a fill on
the inside. Then you can add florals and
fillers to spice it up and give it an
intermediate look and unique flair:
 HOW TO POSITION YOURSELF
WHEN WORKING ON CLIENTS

1.) Hands and forearms

I prefer to use two chairs and a small table. I sit directly

across from the client and have them face me. The table
can be the size and height of a TV tray table. On top of the
tape I prefer a firm, semi-flat pillow. You can work well on
the flat surface too, but I find having a firm pillow prop the
hand up a bit can help you avoid straining your neck.

2.) Upper arms

These are, in my opinion, the most difficult to apply henna

due to their more vertical nature. For this reason I try to
make the arm as horizontal as I can. I prefer the same set
up for hands and forearms, but this time I have the client
turn 90 degrees so that their forearm is facing me directly.
Then I have them bring their elbow in as close to me as
they can so the forearm is resting across the pillow. It
won’t be totally flush to the pillow, but it gives you a much
better angle. Have them try to gaze in one direction since
the forearm is much more sensitive to movement and this
can mess up your linework so I find having them stare in
one direction helps them keep steady.
 HOW TO POSITION YOURSELF
WHEN WORKING ON CLIENTS
3.) Back, shoulders and chest

I have the client sit in a chair and I will work behind

them or in front if its the chest. I use my non-working
hand to stabilize my working hand. This helps you
remain steady. You can also anchor yourself by resting
your elbow on their back and/or shoulder. If you are
much taller than your client in a chair, you can also sit
on a stool. I prefer to work from slightly above.

4.) Thighs, calves and feet

When working a design on the thigh I have the client sit

in a chair with their leg bent 90 degrees. I will sit on a
small stool or even the ground below and work from
there. Similar to the back and shoulders I lean on the
client and use my non-dominant hand to anchor my
working hand.

For calves and feet I will have the client sit in the chair
with their foot placed on a step stool. I prefer to sit cross
legged on the ground below and work from there. If that
is difficult, you can get a special chair for the client that
has them sitting much higher like a bar stool, or chair
with a pedal that lifts the person higher than a regular
sitting chair. Then you can sit in a lower chair and place
a pillow on your lap and have them put their foot on the
pillow.
 HOW TO POSITION YOURSELF
WHEN WORKING ON CLIENTS
5.) Sternum “underboob” area

This area is quite difficult and prone to smudging so

you have to caution your client and ideally have
them wait to move until the area is dry. There is two
ways to apply henna here, and it will depend on the
situation at hand. For outdoors, I have the client sit
in a chair and sitting as close to the front of the chair
as possible, I have them slightly lean back so that the
abdomen is at an angle rather than sitting straight
up. This creates a more horizontal surface and then I
sit in a stool slightly below the chair and work from
there.

The second option is to have them lay down, this is

the most ideal and is what I do when I work on
clients in their home. I have them lay on their bed,
which also makes it easy for them to relax while the
henna dries. I have them lay at the edge of one side
and I will work from there. Because I am right
handed I have them lay on the left hand side of the
bed. A massage table would also be ideal in this
situation as you can move from side to side easily.
When working with them laying on a bed I will
occasionally have to jump on to work on the right
hand side.
 HOW TO POSITION YOURSELF
WHEN WORKING ON CLIENTS

6.) Lower back

This area, similar to the sternum can be done in a

chair or laying down, depending on the situation.
However, you can also have the client standing
which is the best option since that area can fold
and distort when in different positions than
standing. The only difficulty is having the client
remain still. You will just have to anchor yourself
really well.

One tip is to work from the middle out to the

opposite of your working hand, and finish the side
of your working hand last. This will help you not
smudge the design yourself with your own hand.
For working the lower back in a chair you can
have the client straddle the chair at a slight angle,
or you can have them lay down on a bad and work
exactly like you would as described for the
sternum area.
 HOW TO POSITION YOURSELF
WHEN WORKING ON CLIENTS

7.) Pregnant bellies

Generally I do these at the homes of my client

which is a comfortable environment since they
will have to have their bellies exposed while the
henna dries, however I have also done them
outdoors at my booth.

When at their home I will have them sit in the

middle of their couch and I will work moving
from one side to the other. If outdoors I will have
them sit on a chair and I will sit on the ground or a
stool and work either side, back and forth since it’s
definitely a round surfaced so working from one
side only will be difficult.
 BUILD YOUR SOCIAL
MEDIA PRESENCE
We live in the digital world and social media is now a crucial part
of any small business. Social media can build your businesses’
credibility and helps showcase your work which will inspire
customers to book with you. Additionally there is a huge
community of artists, especially henna artists, and having social
media can connect you to so many inspirations around the world!
There are so many platforms to use, but I think for marketing
yourself as an artist, instagram and facebook are going to be the
best ones to focus on.

I know you have a million things going on in a day, but setting

aside a small amount of time to post on social media should
definitely be one of the things you add to your routine! Now you
may be wondering how will you be able to come up with posts
regularly, but I have some tips to get the most out of every session
which I will detail below. I would recommend to post at least 4
times a week. Personally I try to post at least once a day or every
other day minimum. The more regularly you post, the better you
will show up in other’s feeds.

Another HUGE thing I encourage all artists using social medial to

do is: VIDEOS, VIDEOS, VIDEOS! Because there is such an
onslaught of content when people are scrolling through instagram
or facebook, it can be very hard to stand out amongst the crowd.
That’s why videos are key because they are WAY more engaging
than a still photo. Videos posts show up better on the discovery
page for instagram especially. I would say I have gotten most of
my following by posting videos. Another reason this can help is
that there are pages on FB and IG which re-post content that’s
interesting, especially videos, and many of these pages have
hundreds if not millions of followers. Therefore, if they repost
your video and tag you in it you can gain a lot of exposure. These
pages post several times a day and are always in need of new and
exciting videos.
 BUILD YOUR SOCIAL
MEDIA PRESENCE
Now you may be wondering what kind of videos. For henna, I
find real time videos to be very interesting for people. If you work
more on the slow side you can always slightly speed up the video
so it flows a bit faster I would aim for 3 minutes if you can, with a
minimum of one minute. Timelapses of larger pieces are also
quite popular. You can use a tripod or many times I will hold my
iPhone in one hand and work with the other. This can be difficult,
so investing in a sturdy tripod like the Lamicall Gooseneck can be
very helpful.

So hopefully you will take my advice and practice consistency at

least every other day, so during that practice time you can take
videos and photos of your completed work on paper, skin, or on
your practice hand. By doing this, not only will you be improving
your skills, you ill also be accumulating content for social media.
Being active online and showing behind the scenes shows
potential clients you care about your craft and inspires other
artists who may have a desire to try their hand at henna. Often
times we may feel we’re not at the place we want to be, but we
should remember where we started because there are still so
many people out there who haven’t even begun their henna
journey and you could be an inspiration to them!

Now that you’ve gotten a grasp of video making, another thing

that will help you build your presence is using the right geotags
and hashtags. The geotag shows where you are when you post the
video or photo. When I post photos/videos of work I’ve done at
seaport village I will always geotag that on my posts. Even just
putting San Diego or the general city you’re in will help others
using the app find you much better. Even people who may not
even have known they wanted a henna will scroll the geotagged
location and see your page and become interested. It’s a simple
concept but you’d be surprised how many artists don’t use this
feature.
 BUILD YOUR SOCIAL
MEDIA PRESENCE
Now on to hashtags, which are more pertinent to
instagram use than facebook. However, there’s a way to
share the same post you’ve uploaded on Instagram
directly to facebook and even twitter simultaneously and
this helps tremendously when trying to save time but stay
active on multiple social media sites. I always include
hashtags at the very end of my posts and the limit is 30
and I would suggest, especially in the beginning of
building your page, to try and use all 30 if you can. Use a
lot that include your city and general area.

For example: #sandiego #sandiegoartist

#sandiegohenna #sandiegoart #hennasandiego

Hopefully you get the picture! But you can also use
similar but related type of hashtags as well as people who
are searching something related can pick up on your page
even though they may have not otherwise been looking
for you.

For example: #tattooart #sandiegoMUA (makeup artist)

#beautiful_mandalas (if your work features a mandala
design) #bohemianstyle (since henna art and the designs
tend to pair nicely with bohemian fashion)

I have a few different sets of hashtag groups. Ones for

bridal henna, seaport village henna, and videos. You can
save these sets on your phone, I use the “notes” section
and then you can copy and paste them according to what
you will be posting that day. This makes it oh so easy!
 BUILD YOUR SOCIAL
MEDIA PRESENCE
Now that you have a grasp on the more technical side,
now comes the fun but often overlooked part…
connecting to real people! I greatly discourage the
“follow for follow” mentality where you follow a bunch of
accounts and wait for them to follow you, and the ones
that don’t, you unfollow. Fortunately this isn’t as
prevalent as it used to be on IG and probably because it
doesn’t build a lasting audience. Since those people
haven’t really gotten to know you, why would they stick
around?

Rather, finding like-minded accounts and leaving

thoughtful and real comments can build a relationship
over time. It feels good to leave a nice comment. You can
also respond to their stories, I find this to be an even
more intimate way to connect with someone online. This
generally creates a sense of goodwill between you and the
other account who will then be more likely to engage
back with you as well!

Also take the time to respond to comments you receive.

There are actually a lot of accounts I see overlook this
which over time will make people less likely to engage
with your account. Yes, it can take quite a bit of time to do
all this, so you must think of it as an investment in your
business. These platforms are free so you can think of it
as trading time instead of money for free advertising. The
same way you should schedule a small amount of your
day to practice, you can schedule a small amount to
commenting, DMs and engaging with the online
community.
 HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF
YOUR HENNA PRACTICE
1.) Practice Consistently

I know it seems like a simple instruction but if

you go a week or two in between picking up a
henna cone, you will get rusty. Then, when you
do pick up a cone, it will seem like you’re back
to square one again. Your hand will feel shaky
and your muscle memory will be a lot slower.
Try to set at least 20-30 minutes everyday if
you can or every other day if possible. 3-5 days
a week is ideal!

2.) Practice on Anything and Anyone

With a goal to practice often, you will run out

of skin on yourself so there are several options
to keep the creative juices flowing.

You can purchase an acrylic practice hand

from henna suppliers such as
horizonhenna.com. There are also acrylic cut
outs of legs and also large boards to practice
large scale designs that would be good on backs
or thighs.

Another option is to just practice on plain old

paper. You can also laminate it and use
different color papers to add a fun twist to your
henna practice.
Friends and family are also fair game! Of course
there is less pressure practicing alone without
another set of eyes watching your every move.
But, if you’re looking to experiment and practice
new patters and designs, or practice your free-
styling skills, practicing on friends and family
has a special added bonus. The bonus is that
your work will be walking around as free
advertisement! I’ve gotten many clients from
people who’ve seen my work on someone just
walking around town. Make sure to have
business cards to give your friends and family so
they can hand them out to people who ask
where they got their henna from.

And as a last resort, you can always practice

using pen and paper if you don’t have any henna
made. It’s definitely different than using a cone,
but if you just want to get a feel for patterns or if
you have a burst of inspiration for a
composition, then getting it down on paper until
you have a cone available is very helpful as well.
I do this a lot when preparing for bridal henna
appointments or appointments which want a
style that I don’t do as often. Additionally, if you
have an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, you can
practice using these tools. If I am traveling, I
actually practice like this a lot! I even have
templates of hands and arms saved so I can whip
them out and draw designs as I get inspiration.
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF
YOUR HENNA PRACTICE

3.) Use a white gel pen first

One trick many henna artists use to do

complicated designs or designs they aren’t as
well versed in, is to use a white gel pen to
sketch it out first.

Holding a pen can be much more stable than a

cone, so if you sketch the layout first or sketch
out a more realistic design like a peony flower
first, this will make applying the henna after
more accurate and much easier.

If you do this for awhile you will develop a

muscle memory and then you’ll be able to
freehand much more naturally.
Take Notes:
Take Notes:
Hand Templates
YOU CAN TRACE THESE ONTO PLAIN
PAPER FOR PRACTICE