TIPS ON NAIL ART
When You are Designing...
- Draw simple designs or objects. Use a brush with a very thin tip to paint an outline of the object or design you're painting. A nail art pen will work well for this too. You could also use items around your home, such as a toothpick.
- Fill it in your outline. You can use the same brush or a slightly thicker one to fill in your outline, either with the same color or with a new one. Apply one color at a time, and if your outline is a different color than the fill, allow the outline to dry first. Reapply paint to the brush as needed, and let each color dry before adding a new one. Add other colors to make new designs or add good highlights. Once your first color is dry, you can add other colors either on top of the first or in other places on the nail.
- Go easy on yourself and do simple dots. Never underestimate the power of a simple dot of nail polish. The most gorgeous designs are sometimes made with a multitude of dots varying in colours and sizes. Dip a striper brush, toothpick, or pin into the desired color. You can create dots of varying sizes by using thinner or thicker-tipped implements. Lightly touch the implement to the nail.
- Manipulate dots as desired. You can use dots to make abstract designs or any pictures you would like to add. To make trailing dots, dip the implement in the paint once and apply several dots with it without reapplying paint. The dots will get smaller with each dot since less paint will remain on the implement. To make a simple flower, arrange five dots of one color in a circle with a dot of another color in the center. You can add a stem by painting a thin, curved, green line leading to the flower. You can also use your fine-tipped implement to drag the paint out from the wet dot to create rays, swirls, and other designs. You can also create your own designs to your fashion. All designs look great!
Making Floral Designs
To make leaves or flowers, take a tiny 'square' tipped brush and dip one corner into -for example- dark green, and the other corner of the brush into a lighter green.
- Make a Nike swish-like stroke onto the nail. You will see that it makes what resembles leaves, depending on how you angle the brush.
- Practice it on a piece of paper. If you use other colors, it will make what looks like flower petals. Practice so you know how to do it.
- Try changing the angle you hold the brush. You can get the 'feel' for it this way. Just make a small quick stroke with the two colors loaded onto the brush. Then you can use a tiny pointy-tipped brush to add the division between leaves or outline of a flower.
Blend Colors on the Nail
- Apply a dot of one colour.
- Use a clean toothpick to apply a dot of another colour on top of the first dot while the first dot is still wet.
- Use a clean toothpick, striper brush, or other implement to drag the colors outward together, or to swirl the dots together. You can also create a marble effect by randomly placing several dots of one colour on the nail, then placing several dots of another colour around and on top of the first set of dots, and finally swirling the dots around and together by moving your implement in a criss-cross, S-shaped, or figure 8 pattern.
