Art Gallery

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"Art Gallery" showcases the nail art of some of the best artists in the industry. Every month, the column features four to six nail art designs created by one or more of our readers with easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions. The nail art usually follows a theme for an upcoming holiday or season and depicts that theme in creative, easy-to-replicate designs. The column also provides promotional tips to help readers make the most of their nail art businesses.

Nailpro is actively seeking nail art submissions, so send in your best examples today. If your art is chosen, we'll pay you $25 per nail and you'll be featured in an upcoming issue. Package nails securely, using bubble wrap, a padded box or cotton, and send by snail mail to: Nailpro, 7628 Densmore Ave., Van Nuys, CA 91406, Attn.: "Art Gallery". Don't forget to include your name, address and phone number!
 

Asian Inspiration

Treat your clients to Eastern elegance.

By Pam Minch

The Far East, mysterious and alluring, boasts natural beauty and an intriguing culture unique to that part of the world. To celebrate the Year of the Rooster, ease your clients into the spirit with one—or all—of the five Asian-inspired nail art designs that nail tech Audrey Watabe created just for Nailpro. The tranquil scene of bamboo, depicted in Watabe’s perfect choice of colors, makes this natural Asian beauty shine on nails.

Chinese characters not only possess meaning but also add elegance to your artwork. Watabe incorporates the character meaning happiness into one of her nail art designs. Follow her lead or search the Internet or a book of Chinese characters to customize the perfect message for your client.

Encompass the four elements by painting Watabe’s four-panel design featuring the characters for fire, water, wind and earth. Add gold glitter paint to evoke the intricate embroidery of a silk cheong-sam, or apply a supershiny top coat to lend a silk-like effect.

Be clever when promoting and displaying your Oriental nail art ideas. Learn the Chinese characters that spell out your clients’ names. Add an origami bird to your nail art display or glue nail tips onto bamboo stalks and display them at your table.

Fan French

Step 1. Polish the entire nail shimmering orange-red. Allow it to dry. Create a French tip using glitter gold polish.

Step 2. Using gold paint and a striper, paint a fan shape that extends from the middle of the nail to the smile line.

Step 3. Glue gold and orange-red rhinestones along the smile line, alternating the two colors.

Step 4. Paint tiny half-circles with white paint near the cuticle area. Allow the design to dry and apply top coat.

Average Time: 5 minutes per nail.
Suggested Price: $5 per nail.

Paper Crane

Step 1. Polish the entire nail shimmering pink-gold. Using pink paint, draw an origami bird at the nail’s free edge. Allow the design to dry.

Step 2. Outline the bird’s features with black paint. Allow the paint to dry. Add white highlights to the bird. Allow the design to dry.

Step 3. Accent the bird with dark magenta paint. With black paint or a black felt-tip pen, draw the Chinese character for “bird” near the cuticle area.

Step 4. Using gold paint, create wisps around the character. Add four gold rhinestones, one at each corner of the character. Apply top coat.

Average Time: 5 minutes per nail.
Suggested Price: $5 per nail.

Bamboo Forest

Step 1. Apply frosty green polish over the entire nail. Allow it to dry. Using brown paint, draw in stems and leaves.

Step 2. With dark brown, paint two thick bamboo stalks. Allow the paint to dry.

Step 3. Outline the stalks with black. Add light gray for highlights. Allow the design to dry.

Step 4. Add an S-shaped swirl of gold glitter top coat over the artwork. Allow the design to dry and apply top coat over the entire nail.

Average Time: 5 minutes per nail.
Suggested Price: $5 per nail.

Earth, Water, Wind and Fire

Step 1. Polish the entire nail pearly beige. While the polish is still wet, divide the nail into four sections and quickly marbleize each section with red, blue, green or brown paint.

Step 2. Apply gold nail tape to the nail to divide the four sections. (Apply one strip of tape horizontally and one vertically.)

Step 3. Using black paint, write the Chinese symbol for “fire” on the red section, “water” on the blue, “wind” on the green and “earth” on the brown.

Step 4. Using red, blue, silver and gold glitter paint, apply a thin line in each panel to form a diamond shape around the sections’ intersection.

Step 5. Polish both edges of the nail roughly using black. Allow the design to dry and apply top coat.

Average Time: 7 to 10 minutes per nail.
Suggested Price: $5 to 7 per nail.

Sheer Hapiness

Step 1. Polish the entire nail opaque white. Allow the polish to dry. Paint the perimeter of the nail tan. Allow to dry.

Step 2. Add small black squares in each corner.

Step 3. Using a felt-tip marker or thinned black paint, write the Chinese character for “happiness” in the center of the nail bed.

Step 4. Add thin brown lines on the tan sections near the cuticle and free edge. Allow the design to dry and apply top coat.

Average Time: 3 to 5 minutes per nail.
Suggested Price: $5 per nail.

Brush Up

When decorating nails with Chinese characters, you can use either thinned black paint and a tiny brush with a sharp point, or a permanent marker, such as a felt-tip pen with a very fine point. These matierials will allow you to be more precise. Be certain to allow the marker to dry completely before applying top coat.

Celebrating her 25th year as a nail tech this year, Pam Minch specializes in nail art at Elysium Day Spa in Parker, Colorado. Her art has been featured in Sports Illustrated and several other publications. She has been a top nail art competitor, a competition judge and an educator for a major manufacturer.