It has become clear to me over the years that every henna artist has their own way of applying henna. The aim of this video series is to document the different approaches of a variety of artists. First up is Catherine Cartwright Jones, demonstrating how she uses a watercolour pencil to lay out the framework of the design. This video comes in two parts.

1) Drawing the framework

Catherine wets the skin first, then dips the pencil tip in water frequently as she sketches out the design. For the knotwork, she draws the basis of the actual pattern. This makes it much easier to visualise the over-and-under structure of the knots. For the rest of the pattern she lays down a framework within which the pattern will sit. This method highlights the pattern repeat, ensuring that each element is a consistent size.

2) Applying the henna

Catherine demonstrates the use of the carrot bag, the creation of which is documented in the previous article. More examples of Catherine's knotwork application technique can be found in the next article.

Who did what

Jeremy Rowntree : Camera, video production and sound production
Catherine Cartwright Jones : Henna application
Fiona Jefferson : Commentary