Orange & Pink French w/ Brown Flowers

 Nail art can be so much fun and, like anything else, it gets easier the more you practice.

First, you have to buy your tools. Ive learned that the best polishes for nail art are the ones that have a quick dry element. The most difficult part of doing nail art, I have found, is playing the waiting game. You MUST wait for your paint to completely dry before painting another color over it. Otherwise, it will turn into a muddy mess, which actually can look cool sometimes depending on the colors you are using. ;) The best brands for this kind of polish are China Glaze and Opi. Also, using a hair-dryer works well to dry them in between colors. Additionally, acrylic paints are great to have when doing detailed nail art, like flowers, hearts, etc. You can find acrylic paints just about anywhere, even super cheap at Wal-Mart. They are great to use when you're first learning.

You will also need a base coat and top coat clear polish. Sally Hanson has a two-in-one 'tough as nails' polish that works well for both purposes and you only have to purchase one bottle, rather than two.  It's also great for strengthening your nails if you have a hard time growing them.

Finally, you will need your brushes. You can purchase nail art brushes online at Amazon.com / nail art brushes for all the brushes you will need and at a very cheap price. I found mine for $10.00! To learn how to use each brush, find tutorials on YouTube, like this one here: How to Use Nail Art Brushes.

The above are the basic tools for nail art. You can also purchase dotting tools, however, you can find things around the house to use as a dotting tool, rather than spending the $5. I've used the back side of my nail art brushes, toothpicks and pen tops. Be creative! You may also want to purchase rhinestones, beads, or other 3d nail art accessories to add to your 'art work.'

What I used for what I am going to show you today are the following:

1. China Glaze: Sun Worshiper (Orange)
2. China Glaze: Pool Party (Hot Pink)
3. Sally Hanson: Double-Duty base and top coat
4. Brown and Off-White Acrylic Paints
5. Fine Nail Brush

First, apply your base coat, allow to dry, then paint your nails with the Sun Worshiper Orange. I used three coats.

After allowing time for that to dry, paint your french-like hot pink over the Orange. I used the brush that comes w/ the polish, but if you are still trying to figure out how to stop those shaky hands, try practicing w/ one of your finer-tipped nail art brushes.

Next, using a dotting tool, add one dot to each nail of the off-white acrylic paint.  Practice dotting on a piece of paper before trying it on your nail. It will help you to figure out how big you want the dot. The dot will serve as the flower's 'stigma' or center.

Then, apply the petals of the flower using the same off-white color and dotting tool. You want the dots for the petals to be a little larger than the dot for the stigma. I use 4 and 5 petals for each. It's completely up to you.

Using the brown acrylic paint, add one small dot in the middle of your flower. Look how cool..and easy!

Finally, don't forget to apply your top coat. I apply at least two coats to make the paint last longer. When painting on natural nails, paint can chip easier, so don't forget your base and top coats! The top coat will also give it that shine you want. And...Wah-la! You have beautiful, professional-looking nails that you can show off. ;)

Hope this helps! If you want to learn more techniques, subscribe to this blog. 

I will be posting new designs weekly!  

Thank you! :)