How-To: 3 Back to School Nail Designs

Katherina Robinson (@karskouturenails) shares three nail art tutorials for back to school season or anyone wanting to show some school spirit. 

Hello, my name is Katherina Robinson. I was born in Jamaica but journeyed to the United States in search of brighter horizons, a testament to my unwavering ambition. My love of nail art propelled me from offering mobile services to finding my place at Trachouse Beauty Salon three years ago. The guidance there transformed me into a skilled nail technician. My immigrant odyssey and unwavering determination and passion is a portrait of success. Juggling studies, a 9-to-5 job and artistic flair, I’ve not only carved a life but painted a tapestry of boundless prospects. Amidst this back-to-school season, the inspiration for this set is drawn from supplying my Jamaican family with school essentials.    

How-To: Pencil Nail Design 

1. Begin with nail prep by buffing the nail. Apply a base coat, then cure. Apply a yellow gel color.
2. Use pink gel color to draw a semi-circle at the base of the nail and cure.
3. Use silver gel to draw a horizontal line between the pink and yellow gel, then cure. Use black gel to draw vertical lines, connecting the lines at the tip of the nail to form triangles.
4. Use brown gel to fill in the tip between the yellow and black gel. Use black gel to fill in at the tip of the nail to form a pencil point, then cure. Apply matte top coat and cure to finish.

How-To: Loose Leaf French Tip 

1. Begin with nail prep by buffing the nail. Apply a base coat, then cure. Apply the first layer of pink polish, then cure. Apply a second coat of polish only if needed.
2. Draw white French tip, and cure. Apply a top coat, and cure. Draw blue horizontal lines across the white French tip, and cure. Add matte top coat, and cure.
3. Draw a red vertical line towards the end of the French tip to mimic a loose leaf sheet of paper. Cure.
4. Draw an A+ using black gel in the bottom right of the French tip. Apply matte top coat, and cure to finish.

How-To: Chalkboard Nail Art 

1. Begin with nail prep by buffing the nail. Apply a base coat, then cure. Apply black gel polish, and cure. Write letters "ABC" and numbers "123" using white non-wipe gel, and cure. Draw a semi-circle on the left or right side to your preference.
2. Fill in the semi-circle with numbers and digits to create a clock/stopwatch. 
3. Draw two horizontal lines to represent a ruler. In-between the horizontal lines, draw long and short horizontal lines for inch and millimeter marks.
4. Apply matte top coat and cure to finish.