Getting Started With Nail Art

Via Nail Crack

I did a nail art post some weeks back and decided to do another one. Decorating your fingernails is a quick way to spice up your wardrobe and your mood.
Step 1:

What you will need:

• Colored nail polish.
• Clear topcoat and basecoat.
• Nail art glitter pen.
• Nail glue.
• Decals, stickers, confetti – whatever decorative pieces you want to use
• Manicure sticks

Step 2:

Plan your design. I've made this mistake more times then I'd like to admit: you don't want to get stuck with glue on your nails before you realize that you hate your design or it doesn't fit. Assemble the decorative pieces you want on a flat surface, then lay them out for the look you want. Also, decide if you're going to decorate one nail to make a statement or if you want your entire set of nails to match.

Step 3:

Test design for fit. Fingernails vary in size (by individual and by finger): your pinky nail is smaller than your thumb nail. If you're doing a full set with the same design, test the design by holding it against your smallest and largest nails to determine if you like the look on each.

Step 4:
Prepare the surface. You can apply nail art to a nail already painted the color of your choice or a clear coat. Make sure that your nails are clean and dry before applying decorative items.

Step 5:

Adhere decals, stickers and/or confetti. Stickers, decals and confetti are available with or without sticky backing. The stickers are the easiest to use because they will stick directly to the nail without glue. If you need to use glue, use as little as possible. Put the decal onto the end of a manicure stick; apply a tiny dab of glue to the back, and then position the decal onto your nail. Press lightly with the stick and hold for a few seconds to set the glue.

Step 6:

Draw lines, outlines or shapes. Using a glitter pen or fine line polish, draw any additional design elements you want to add. Remember that your nail is a small canvas and you want to avoid cluttering the design with too much extra embellishment. I even like to plan this design ahead.

Step 7:

Apply top coat. Top coat should be applied once the decorative elements, glitter pen or glue have dried so they don't smudge and make all your hard work go to heck. Apply a layer of topcoat to seal in the design and create level surface. If you used rhinestones or thick decals you may need a second layer of topcoat to make sure it's properly sealed.

Step 8:

Sit back and let your nails to dry. Allowing nails to dry properly when you're done is important, but so is letting the polish dry between coats. If one coat isn't dry, the whole look will be ruined and won't dry at all.