I can’t speak for all brushes so I will use Creative Nail Design brushes in my examples.


You may think all brushes are the same, but they are not. Many students and amateurs try to save money by buying brushes for doing nails at an art store! Brushes for doing nails differ from art store brushes in several respects. Most art store brushes are made of squirrel hair, which is way too soft to work with the materials we use in our business. The weight of the bead alone would make the hairs bend and no ‘snap’ or pressure can be created with a squirrel brush. Even if you find a brush made of firmer material, art store brushes use ‘glue’ for holding the hairs in the brush, which is often dissolved by the monomer liquid used in making nail enhancements. There is nothing more irritating than hairs coming out of your brush and getting into your work. The handles of art store brushes are not finished in a material that can withstand exposure to monomer liquid and they become sticky and unsightly. So use the correct tools for the job you are doing. Good brushes cost money; there is no cheap option for your most important tool.


Pure Kolinsky red sable is the preferred hair chosen for nail brushes because it has the perfect amount of snap and resilience to work a bead of acrylic into place. Plus the fact that Creative brushes are all hand-tied and not ‘glued’ into the ferrule of the brush so there is no chance of contamination of your monomer liquid or the brush falling apart if it is cared for correctly. A good quality brush that is looked after properly will last a good year even in a busy business.


The pure kolinsky red sable brushes have a characteristic dark portion at the end of each hair and this dark portion is known as the ‘flags’ of the brush. It is only the flags that we use to pat, push, press or smooth the acrylic beads. ( Note: If you use Gel products, the brushes are completely different and will be explained in a later tutorial along with different techniques).


The belly portion of the brush (located behind the flags) is the part of the hairs that hold and dispense the liquid into the bead. It is not necessary to ever use the belly to press the acrylic bead. Using the belly portion of the brush is unwieldy, unnecessary, and can cause liquid monomer to slop onto the skin, which can lead to overexposure and eventual allergy. I know that some educators teach to use the belly of the brush. If you have been taught that way, try to unlearn this habit. You can produce much finer quality work by using a brush in the correct way.

The shaft is the base of the hairs of the brush and provides the firmness and 'snap' needed for sculpting.


The ferrule or metal portion of the brush houses the hairs.


A brush can be used with the hairs flattened, like a paddle or rounded and to a fine point depending on what you want to achieve with it.


Pressing or patting – is done with the brush hairs flattened like a paddle
Smoothing or stroking- is done with the brush hairs flattened like a paddle
Pushing or pulling - is done with the brush hairs flattened like a paddle
Nudging - is done with the side of a flattened brush, or with the fine point of the brush.
Detailing or perfecting – is done with the fine point of the brush.