Traditional Mehndi Designs by Dorine Van den Beukel is a veritable treasure trove of henna designs featuring page, after page, after page of the most intricate and ornate patters for hands and feet. A must have book for skilled beauticians and henna artists everywhere.

The author explains over the first 30 pages the origins of henna painting: how to apply the designs and the preparation of henna cones that have can scupper many a would-be artist. The cone diagram is particularly useful as you can practice for hours to devise this perfect henna application tool.

The remaining 178 pages are blissfully uncluttered, featuring pattern after pattern in simple black & white diagrammatic format. The design is the "star of the show" on each page. The author must know that this is precisely what aspiring henna artists need - designs that they can copy, practice with and enjoy for themselves. The initial 50 pages show simple motifs like leaves, flowers, grasses, shapes and peacocks, graduating to full patterns for fingers, thence to palms etc. The book doesn't really cover henna application on the body - focussing entirely on hands and feet. Tattooing is also not mentioned, although it is not difficult to imagine some of these designs being transformed into tasteful tattoos.

The drawback of this book is that the author does not explain how to achieve each pattern. For novices this would prove a stumbling black. Does one start at the edge and work inwards or vice versa for example? For a full palm do you start in the middle or at the fingertips? None of these issues are really explained which left me with a very interesting hour browsing through designs I would love to have and can never hope to achieve.

Reasonably skilled artists could trace over the patterns and then emulate them onto a real hand, but I think the book is very much aimed at very skilled practioners. Of course, there is nothing to say that you can't go along to the henna painter with a pre-selected design! The sheer variety means that for a wedding party, everyone can have a totally different look to the bride.

This book is henna inspiration at its best. Pity then, that it has been unlisted from the Amazon bookstore, but you can purchase it directly from the Publisher at http://www.shambhala.com .

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