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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!

 

Ooh, Spooky!

 

Scare up some fun with these Halloween-themed nail designs.

 

By Pam Minch

 

 

Light up your jack-o’-lantern and feast your eyes on nail art that will have your clients screaming with delight. This month, offer a variety of frightening designs that are sure to be a big hit at all of your clients’ Halloween parties.

Tami Bice-Hobson from Manning, South Carolina, treats us to four ghoulish ideas, including a spooky graveyard and a haunted skyline. If you want to offer elegantly boo-tiful nails for the occasion, try her black-and-orange twists on the classic French look.

Two more designs are sure to bring out monster creativity in all of us: Clients will be captivated by the 3-D spider sent in by Robin Lee-Simmons from Earthling Day Spa in Charleston, South Carolina. Or, you can create a creepy nighttime effect by adding some glow-in-the-dark paint to a scary cat’s eye design, courtesy of Sarah Jowdy from the Academy of Cosmetology in Charleston, South Carolina.

These three talented nail techs have conjured up fabulous Halloween designs for your clients to wear whether they are celebrating All Hallows’ Eve in costume or simply handing out treats at home.

 

Brush Up

When creating 3-D nail art, consider making the 3-D pieces ahead of time. Not only will you be able to save time in the salon, but you can also sell the pieces as add-ons that clients can wear over and over again.
   
Grave Danger
1 Polish the nail shimmering copper.
2 Using black paint, add a graveyard, tombstones and the silhouette of a tree.
3 Paint “RIP” on a tombstone with white paint and add a ghost.
4 Using copper polish, paint accent lines on the ground. Add two black dots for the ghost’s eyes. Finish with top coat.

Nail Design: Pam Minch

 

Average Time: 5 minutes per nail
Suggested Price: $5 per nail
 
Scarily Simple
1 Polish the nail shimmering orange. Paint the nail tip black.
2 Using gold glitter paint or gold striping tape, add a tiny line above the black tip.
3 Glue several small black rhinestones to the nail. Finish with top coat.

Nail Design: Pam Minch

 

Average Time: 10 minutes per set
Suggested Price: $10 to $15 per set

     
Boo-tiful French
1 Polish the nail orange. Add a black diagonal French tip.
2 Paint feather-like black designs on each side of the nail.
3 Add a yellow center to the flower shape. Dot the center of the flower with gold glitter.
4 Using white paint and gold glitter paint, finish the feathered designs by adding wispy lines. Add a similar center to the flower.
5 Add black, white and orange accent dots. Finish with top coat.

Nail Design: Pam Minch

 

Average Time: 3 minutes per nail
Suggested Price: $3 to $5 per nail
 
 
Creepy Cat's Eye
1 Polish the nail peach.
2 Using a striping brush, paint two long, black lines on the nail.
3 Add a slightly darker green to the center of the eye.
4 Paint a pupil with black. Add several white accent lines. Finish with top coat.

Nail Design: Pam Minch

 

Average Time: 3 minutes per nail
Suggested Price: $3 per nail
 
Haunted City
  
Tangled Web
1 Polish the nail shimmering orange. Add thin layers of shimmering copper and brown polishes near the top of the sky.   1 Polish the nail shimmering orange.
2 Using black acrylic, sculpt a spider body. (See Brush Up for notes on 3-D nail art.) 2 Using black acrylic, sculpt a spider body. (See Brush Up for notes on 3-D nail art.)
3 Using white paint, add tiny windows, ghosts and a moon. 3 With the aid of a metal form, sculpt each of the eight legs separately, then glue them to the body. For a more finished look and added strength, apply additional black acrylic over the seams between the legs and the body.
4 Add the ghosts’ eyes and a bat with black paint. Finish with top coat. 4 Using black and silver glitter paints, create a web on the nail. Glue the spider to the nail.

Nail Design: Pam Minch

 

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

   5 Add the spider’s eyes with white and green paints. Paint a small red mouth and white fangs. Apply top coat over the entire nail.
   

Nail Design: Pam Minch

 

Average Time: 30 minutes per nail
Suggested Price: $10 to $15 per nail

   

Pam Minch specializes in nail art at Elysium Day Spa in Parker, CO. 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.