Mehndi for the Inspired Artist

I thought this book was incredibly cool and design-inspiring. While it does give a brief history on henna and the cultures that use it, I went directly to an Indian friend of mine for her experience/opinion on "Indo-Western" henna. I originally thought it was specifically for marriages, but she mentions: "it's part and parcel of life we use it for all occasions" (she then offered to do a mehndi party which made me freak out in excitement). This book has beautiful photos and simple designs that one can build off of or use as beginners. I plan to use it for my own graphic design background, and I think it would make a great gift for designers/artists in general.

I love mehndi and have 5-6 books on mehndi art-for-hands that get opened before each Eid and wedding function! So it was great to get this ARC.

This is a lovely effort by 4 experts of mehndi art, and goes beyond the traditional use of mehndi (for hair and celebratory artwork on hands). It shows DIY projects for candles, jars, plates, shelves, wall or tree hangings, and even a tambourine!

It should have had more mehndi-for-hand designs and more motif 'how tos', and even the bridal mehndi motifs. The tribal motifs seem useless unless they have a composite sketch to finish the look. And it should also have some patterns at the end of the book that could be 'copied' for use in creative projects.

P.S. Mehndi was already an established art form in North Africa (Egypt, Morocco), 'Eastern Mediterranean' region (Arabs, Turks and Persians) before it ever landed in India courtesy the Muslims! Did its popularity grow more as a medicinal herb or tattoo? And it is popular in South Asia as a whole (which includes Pakistan), not just in India! Also, not mentioned is that it crosses religious barriers and is more of a cultural thing (it being used for celebrations across multiple faiths.) and sometimes even guys get them!

Despite being desi, I'm a beginner to trying Mehndi art myself. As a result, I found this book really helpful.
The beginning gives some helpful cultural and historical insights into the culture of Henna/Mehndi art. I was surprised at how much thought was given to how this was presented. Not only was there cultural and historical insights, but also some discussion on cultural appropriation, and how to appreciate Henna and Mehndi through engaging with the cultures they come from, and the people who belong to those cultures.

The how-tos were also very helpful. I liked that the book gave simple how-tos for the basic designs that most Mehndi/Henna art is built off of e.g. the flower, mandela, the peacock, etc. And how it provided extra, more intricate/alternative designs to branch off of once you've mastered the basic one. I think any beginner with find this book a helpful jump-off point.

This book was beautifully written and done. I became interested in henna during a trip overseas. I loved reading about the history of mehndi that the authors provided. The pictures are just beautiful! I specially liked how there were recipes to make your own henna and pictures that illustrated the intensity of the finished work. The authors went a step further to feature other mehndi works of art (aside from the hands and feet) that I never would have considered but now want to try: jars, charger plates, hair. Well done!

Indian designs have always intrigued me, this is such an inspiring book with lots of designs to tickle the creative juices. These designs and be used as a launching point for embroidery, printing, painting/colouring or just for body decoration. It isn't a big book but it packs quite lot in it.

This book is beautiful! It is full of design and project ideas that most everyone can do. The author includes the history of Mehndi and why it is sometimes called henna, the difference, and the historical significance of the art. Then we get a tutorial on how to make the most popular patterns. To sum things up, for those of us who do not want to practice henna on skin, there are some great projects to bring the mehndi style into your home. And even practice sheets at the end to start with before using real materials. Overall, a great book for any experienced or beginning crafter.

This book was excellent. It truly explained the history of henna and in simple layman terms how to do it.
I truly enjoyed reviewing this book

"Mehndi for the Inspired Artist" provides instruction on how to create basic mehndi patterns and how to use these designs on do-it-yourself projects (usually using acrylic paint instead of henna). The authors started by briefly explaining the history of using henna to create designs on the skin. They included a recipe on how to make your own henna paste and how to use it on skin.

The various artists then gave stroke-by-stroke pictures showing how to draw some basic mehndi designs (paisley, several flowers and vines, an arch, mandala, peacock, bands and borders, braids, etc.). Even a child could follow the directions and create the patterns.

Next were the step-by-step projects with pictures illustrating each step, and the end results looked beautiful. I expect a beginner's projects won't look quite so neat (as in, clean lines), but everything takes practice. The projects included decorating an envelope, candle, picture frame, wooden monogram letter, animal-skin tambourine, wooden jewelry box, wooden table coaster, charger plate, mason jar, and making pendants. They didn't explain where you might get some of the less-available supplies, which might have been useful, but I suppose you can find them online.

I've used henna to create temporary body art in the past, but I wasn't using traditional designs. I enjoyed learning more about how to create traditional designs and make up your own variations. Overall, I'd recommend this book to those interested in basic mehndi patterns and designs.

This is a fascinating book with lots of patterns to copy, and to improve one's techniques. Lots of photographs and drawings make it as visually appealing as the topic it describes, and also delves into regional or national variations. I can't wait to get my gold 3D paint to start decorating jars!

Mehndi For the Inspired Artist is a collaborative work from four author-artists and Quarto Group - Walter Foster.

The book is beautifully illustrated and lavishly photographed. It begins with a history and introduction to henna and mehndi. Since this book is more slanted toward mehndi inspired design and crafting, the 'Getting Started' chapter is less about how-to for temporary henna tattoos on skin and much more about tools and supplies for paper and crafting and paint based mehndi design. There is a very short section on blending henna paste to make a stain (especially for leather items), but that's not the main focus of the book. Only one of the projects, a stylish tambourine (p. 88 in the PDF version), actually uses mehndi henna paste. Most of the other projects use acrylic paint, glass markers, or other media. It's a relatively short book, 131 pages, but full of inspiration.

There are a number of beautiful projects which really appealed to me, including the beautiful mason jar on the cover. The other projects run the gamut from paper & stationery to picture frames, wall art, coasters and pendants. I certainly intend to modify some of the designs to textile art and intend to make placemats and a tablecloth at the very least.

This tutorial book has a step-by-step format. The design pages are all laid out in steps with each following part highlighted so the progress of the intricate designs follow naturally for the artist. The design pages comprise roughly 30% of the total content, followed by about the same amount of project tutorials.

There are also outline template pages to try out different layouts on hands, feet, legs, etc. There are inspiration pages with information about non-traditional designs as a further experimentation starting point for more 'tribal' looking art.

This is a wonderful resource for mixed media artists, doodlers/zentanglists, and creative souls of all types no matter what art form they prefer. It's a joyful book absolutely full of inspiration.

A lovely book teaching how to do different patterns.

This is a nice book for beginners. There are other books out there with the same information but if you buy this one you won't need to buy anything else. Nice illustrations and nicely formatted.

I am love to art journal so this book was great for anyone who wants to learn how to freehand draw Mehndi styles for any use in art or henna drawing the instructions are very easy to follow.  There are step by step examples of how to break down the really complicated styles so any one who can draw a line can do it.

Mehndi for the Inspired Artist: 50 contemporary patterns & projects inspired by traditional henna art by Morgan Alex, Iqra Qureshi, Alex Morgan, Sonia Sumaira, and Heather Caunt-Nulton is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. I have always wanted to try this delicate art work but I had no idea how to start. This is a great beginner's book. It not only tells you the the history of Mehndi, and henna, and what the differences are. It gives you so many step-by-step examples, tips and patterns. Lots of gorgeous pictures, up close so you can see! It tells you what you need, how, and different projects to start. Even that beautiful cover piece is in the book to make! It even gives you blank sheets to make your own patterns. How cool is that? This is so good, I think I could probably make some of these without a big mess, lol. Wonderful book! Thanks NetGalley for letting me read this gorgeous and informative art book!

This is practical photo study book with enough information for an individual to learn some Mehndi art basics and from there to create your own. I really liked the way book started giving an opinion for reader to browse for more information and opinions on the henna patterns and techniques, as the writers state - there are many varieties between different regions and culture variations.

If you enjoy doodling, zentangle or drawing mandalas and want to try something new, Mehndi art (also known as Henna) is a good choice. It is repetitive and based on basic patterns just like zentangle and mandala art, so as you might have guessed, it can be relaxing and meditative to create."Mehndi for the inspired artist" contains step by step instructions to create basic motifs for traditional and tribal designs as well as variations and even freestyle. It also introduces you briefly to the history and culture behind this ancient art.
Decoration for your hands or a pretty jar

Most of the book content will teach you how to create basic motifs that can be combined to create more intricate patterns and designs. It also shows you how to make an applicator cone plus a recipe for preparing henna paste. If you want to try the traditional approach and paint your arms or legs (temporary body art), there are several examples on how to arrange motifs on your hands and feet. Be mindful that this book has more of a design approach and doesn't discuss technical aspects of how to use the cone or have control of the paste flow.

If you rather keep these designs forever, there are several craft projects to choose from in this book, but the possibilities are endless. I think that the jar project from the cover is my favorite. Can't stop thinking how pretty it would look with a tea candle inside. Great for artists and crafters alike that would like to try new patterns and get fresh ideas.

This book has a little of everything. From the history of henna to modern craft projects you can make using the designs. There's step-by-step instructions on making all of the more common modern designs. Don't know how to draw a paisley design that feels appropriate? Yup, step-by-step instructions here. There's even a step-by-step peacock design. So pretty!

A few of the projects feel a little weak for such a strong book. A few feel repetitive, but I suppose there is only so many paint a design on an object projects in a row you can see before they have to feel that way.

Overall, a pretty decent add to an arts and crafts book collection.

Wonderful book for mehendi lovers. A best book to own.......

Stunning visuals and the tutorials are pretty easy to follow.

Lovely designs for crafters of all skill levels. I appreciated the different mediums you can use and instructions for using them, as well as the history of the art. A great idea for crafters looking to branch out, and an excellent addition to library craft collections.

My apologies - I was unable to properly read this book before the epub expired. Thank you for the opportunity to read it - I'm sorry I missed it, and I'll look for it on Amazon. (Star rating is not reflective of any opinion, but only of the fact that Netgalley will not allow submission without)