Free Mini Workshop on Using Henna Stencils in Your Art Journal

henna stencils

I like to use henna stencils in my art journal and other art work, and always get questions from people on them. Since I just started selling them, I decided to make a mini workshop video of how to use them in your art journal to answer some of those questions. In the mini-workshop, the first part covers preparing the henna stencils and how to use them with acrylic paint. In the second part, using the Copic Air brush system is covered. I use it not only to airbrush with the stencils, but also to create shadows. I hope you enjoy it!

Here is the finished journal page.
journal page 02.23.11

When I collaged down the self-portrait on the left, it covered parts of the henna stencil border. I re-stenciled the area at the top of my head and on the side to integrate the photo into the journal spread. I used the same techniques as before, but only re-stenciled the areas that were covered by the photo. The other images that I collaged also covered the stenciled henna designs, but I felt they worked like that and helped the images to come forward. The alphabet stamps that I used to stamp “I need Spring” are Lerku. You might recognize some of the other stamps from my 30 Days of Carving. The self-portrait on the bottom right is a Polaroid pogo double exposure. I used lots of different pens, but mainly Sakura Glaze & Souffle. I used a white Uni-ball Signo UM153 pen to write on top of what I had already written. It turned a little pinkish in places because I had already created several layers of writing with different pens. (I often write back on top of what I have already written. Just cuz.)

I’ve got lots of different variety packs of henna stencils for sale on my web site, and also in my etsy shop.

Posted in art journal, free mini-workshop, tutorial, video.

4 Comments

  1. Thanks iHanna. The Copic Airbrush system is really cool! My air compressor is small enough that I normally keep it at my feet, under my art table so that it's ready to go whenever I want to use it. I just snap in a copic marker and can spray away.

  2. Ever since I saw this video and your use of the stencils, I keep thinking about hands. Hands as symbols, as icons, as the tools artists have used since ancient cave paintings. I’ve started to use my own hands in some acrylic works on paper, too; thanks for the inspiration, Traci! Congratulations on your new book’s release, too!

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