A few weeks ago, we did a post on how perfect practice makes perfect. You would have noticed that after some diligent practice, and repeated application, and of course time, a design can be significantly improved.
Here is a design from March 2011, done for a client celebrating a religious holiday.
Note how the fillers are done in a messy way. The design is not coherent, and lacks volume and depth. The separation of the elements could be improved by a variation of thick and thin lines and some white space. Unfortunately, many times, beginner artists are too excited to try complicated and intricate patterns, and forget the simplicity of space, depth, and motif placement. This design was actually a pattern inspired by Asha Savla's design book. While the designs in her book are done with paper (and nearly impossible to replicate the intricacitpes with henna), the translation onto henna is low quality. If you are a potential bride seeking an artist, be sure to check the line quality, design placement, and line variations of your artist.
Let's fast forward to 2015.
This shows the clarity of the line work and the cleanliness of the lines. This is what good quality, intricate work should look like.
The concept in this bridal design is the same as the one done in 2015. However, you will notice the use of line variation--using thick and thin lines to make the design pop. You will also see the use of geometric elements (lines and boxes) to separate the elements. There is also use of white space within the design. White space, or negative space, allows a design to "breathe" and gives the elements and motifs some space to stand out. Instead of looking like a hodgepodge of different things, the design pops out, and looks coherent.
Practice of bridal designs is not an easy task, but you can begin with a few things.
First, get your basics down perfectly. I know it's exciting to want to do huge, bridal and bold pieces, but get your basics down perfectly.
Then, try to get your motifs down perfectly. If you have a paisley that just doesn't look right, or a mandala that still isn't perfectly round, then go back and practice these. Perfect practice makes perfection, so just keep doing it!
Refer to some of our DIY tutorials, freebies on our website, and videos on YouTube to get practice.
Practice everyday, for at least 20 minutes. Focus on one thing per day, and just do that exercise for the day.
Get some bridal ebooks and replicate the designs. It's just fine to replicate a design when you practice. This will give you an idea of design placement, motifs commonly used in bridal designs, and the space needed for a particular layout.
And ALWAYS, have fun while you are doing henna.