BODY ART The craft of Tattoo and Body Painting Part 2

BODY ART MEHNDI part 1

The art of Mehndi Mehndi is the ancient art of using a pigment called Henna to temporarily stain the skin (creating a temporary tattoo). It is an art form that is found in parts of northern Africa, parts of northern Asia and primarily in India. It is considered a “Mediterranean” art form.

Henna powder is mixed into a paste and painted on the body. The longer the paste remains on the skin, the darker the resulting mark.

!! SAFETY !! Please be advised! Henna is brown or green. It DOES NOT come in assorted colors. Colored henna (red, blue etc.) comes from very caustic chemicals that have been added to the henna. These chemicals have been know to cause permanent scarring and in some cases liver damage and other organ failure. NEVER USE COLORED HENNA

This example shows the paste being removed from the body, and the resulting orange stain (which will darken with time).

While Mehndi is used as a general body decoration, it is primarily used for special occasions. Specifically for weddings (and is used on both men and women).

Indian bridal couples hand design.

North African design is based on floral motifs, and very geometric and edgy in nature. Emphasis is placed on solid areas and border design.

Design based on Australian Aboriginal art.

Middle Eastern design is typically open, sparse and lacy. It is also often based on floral design motifs.

The Middle Eastern style is primarily used to decorate and emphasize the length and elegance of hands and feet.

Design work from India and Pakistan is much more detailed and highly intricate.

The work is based on paisley designs, swirls and teardrop type shapes.

This style focuses on the hands, but also includes the feet.

Indonesian design appears to have the complex and intricate design motifs of their Indian counterparts, but are more open and involve the use of more negative space. These designs may also be more organic in nature.

Celtic torc motif.

STYLE Skin Art part 3

What is “Tribal Style” ? Tribal Style is actually a style of imagery based on the artwork of “primitive” or aboriginal cultures. The style is based on the work of several main cultures, that include… –Pacific Island culture –Native North American –Celtic Australian Aboriginal Asian (Japanese and Chinese letterforms)

Tribal style uses the design quality of the native tattoo as a basis for inspiration. Artists look at things like line quality, shape, use of solid areas and the use of motifs or symbols.

Tribal style is not only based on the look and aesthetic of the primitive tattoo, but on placement on the body and size (area covered) as well.

some contemporary tribal...

Traditional Celtic design motif.

Celtic motif combined with contemporary design.

“Barbs” or “thorns” are based on Polynesian geometric motifs.

Contemporary tribal based on primitive design

“Animal Style”is a derivative of Tribal which uses animal forms and patterns to create the subject matter for the design.

Japanese style crane design

Northwest coast design.

The Japanese form of tattoo (Irezume).

Japan has one of the oldest traditions of tattoo (dating to 10,00 BC) and is considered one of the most important culture in the world to tattoo as an art form.

It was the Edo period that Japanese decorative tattooing began to develop into the advanced art form it is known as today. The inspiration for tattoo was the art of woodblock printing and the release of the popular Chinese novel Suikoden, illustrated with lavish woodblock prints showing men in heroic scenes… with their bodies decorated with dragons and other mythical beasts, flowers, ferocious tigers and religious images.

The novel was an immediate success, and demand for the type of tattoos seen in its illustrations was simultaneous.

Woodblock artists began tattooing. They used many of the same tools for imprinting designs in human flesh… as they did to create their woodblock prints, including chisels, and gouges.

Most importantly, they used their unique ink known as Nara ink, or Nara black, the ink that famously turns blue- green under the skin. This is where the massive areas of green seen in traditional Japanese tattoo come from.

There is much debate over who wore these elaborate tattoos. Some scholars say that it was the lower classes who wore -- and flaunted -- such tattoos. Others claim that wealthy merchants, who were barred by law from flaunting their wealth, wore expensive irezumi under their clothes. It is known for certain that irezumi (or the full body suit) became associated with firemen, (considered the bravest of the brave) who wore them as a form of spiritual protection.

UV tattoo ink (glows under black light)

The design problem 10 sketches - different ideas or variations on a single theme. –Can design for different body areas. 5 created in the Tribal style - using a culture of your choice as inspiration, 5 open design. Finished product to be - a Mehndi design on someone (does not need to be you). –Grade will be on design and finished product. Design for anywhere on the body - final, however must be in an area not commonly covered by clothes (socially accessible).

Tribal style is... The use of large solid areas. Simplified/stylized and very geometric forms. Use of sharp edges and points (thorns). Limited use of color (esp. blue and black). The placement of the design on the body. The overall size of the mark.