Hi i am unsure where to do a basic nail art course, all i want to learn is a couple of designs in which i can offer my clients after a pedicure or manicure. I saw a course with my local sally's and the price is £70 plus vat then i will have to buy their kit at an extra £50 or so. I do feel i need to do a course just to start me off as i have seen pictures and sometimes i just think to my self 'where do i start' learning the technique is what i need. Can anybody recommend a course and a good kit? Thank you in advance.

I think the course is too expensive. Just buy a few brushes, maybe craft paint, a dotting tool. Use the polish you already have. In my 7 year career as a nail tech, I have spent MAYBE $20 USD on nail art.

Just start with flowers, there so simple. Find pictures you like, and study them for inspiration. The important thing is a light pressure and fine lines. Nothing is uglier than broad, heavy stripes shooting from the corner of a nail!

Trust me, this kit will sit collecting dust!

JMHO of course!

P.S. I think I've heard of some things called... now what was it?....Minx?? LOL

hehe!!
i can see it's not just me that can't sleep at night, but then again your not in the uk are you?? lol. I don't feel confident in just starting by my self a little guide will though!! lol. tools!! don't know which ones are best, i am new to this and i have never done nail art before 'just self teaching' WITH NO LUCK! , so maybe a beginners course may help me to get to know the best tools to use and some small designs to get me started off. I have tried looking at pictures and some i think yeah i can do them but some i think 'NO CHANCE' thank you for your help

No, It's about quarter to 8 pm here. Gosh, it must be 1 am in the UK.

Anyway, just some fine brushes, the dotting tool just has two small metal spheres, of different sizes and it makes small dots. A craft store will have everything.

If you're dead set on paying for a course, then just keep nail art in perspective. It will be a small part of your business. I know reading trade magazines you would think otherwise!

Vanish has put some cool tutorials on here, and there are alot of videos on YouTube!

Save your money!!

Hi there, I am buying a starter kit, with all bits and bobs to get me going, and away I go with the help of my nail trainer and my friends hands I am going to practise all diffrent designs, there are lots of tutorials on here or as previous poster said on you tube.

I would certainly just try having a mess around first, use your imagination, I am sure your friends would love you to practise on them.

HTH, Kate xxx

CND L&P SPA MANI & PEDI

Jesse is right, nail art will be a small part of your income. About 30% of Iryna's customers wear nail art now after two years that she's worked in Sweden. Although some of these came because she is the only fully trained nail artist in Stockholm.

I tend to disagree regarding training. The vast majority of nail art on the internet has obviously been created by people with no training and I'm sorry to say is of low quality. There are naturally talented artists who can do this by themselves - but they are rare.

From what I understand, all you want is to offer simple decoration (personally I don't call that nail art). £120 for some training and a kit seems fair to me and at least you won't put off getting started and it will give you a first start. Plus you will probably have a very nice day out and enjoy meeting other nail techs.

There are side benefits to real nail art. It impresses your customers and helps you stand out against your local competition. Also, it allows you to promote your work to a wider audience through websites and magazines.

You can also put some nice nail art photo's with your standard natural and french photo's on your website and it will help you to stand out to potential customers looking for a salon.

Of course there are some people who learn to make nails by themselves, or choose education based on low price - but we know the quality of their work

hi thank you all for your replies. I know it will be a small part of my income and to be honest i am not doing it for making money but because like you have mentioned before it may help me stand out to clients also if any clients ever ask me for it 'which they do all the time' then i know what i am doing. I will offer it free of charge with mani's and pedi's as i would like to do more of them and hopefully this may help. I think i will go with sally's as i would rather train and learn that way 'at least the basics' once i know the basics then ill try learning the harder ones by my self.
Thank you all for your help

If you type 'nail art tutorial' into google you'll get some really good hits. Here's a couple of them...

Free Nail Art Tutorials
Step by Step Nail Art Tutorials with Liberty Nail Design

£120 may seem a fair bit of money that'll take you a long time to get back, but personally I'd rather pay it and get the basics under my belt if I was going to be asking money from people for it. You can go away and practise and let your imagination run wild once you know how to do the basic stuff. JMO!

In my opinion you do not need a course, it all comes from your imagination, just buy yourself the basics and save yourself alot of money x

I'm sorry - your company sells nail art products and you say education is a waste of time?

How are you qualified to make this statement? Are you a nail artist who taught themself?

When I look at the Gallery on your website, it seems to show designs by other people and all of these are using stickers! If it "all comes from your imagination" why don't you have your own designs?

You have the right attitude. Continuous education is the only way to be successful as a nail tech and be different from competitors. And if you charge customers, you have a moral duty to do it professionally - which means getting education which will also build your confidence.

Good for you and good luck!

Bob

thank you all once again for your help,

Hi, I bought craft acrylic paint from The Range and only 99p each they do all the coulours of the rainbow and some in metallic these are £1.99.
I bought a striper brush & one with tiny bristles from Sallys they were about £6.00 for both.
You can buy nail art pens which have a striper brush in the pot & a nib on the top, this help with your dots!

I only do it as a hobby but am getting better as I just do my own thing!

I started out doing it without training, but as I have always done painting, drawing etc. I wasn't totally clueless, and I got by very well ( was employed in a salon where simple nailart was a big hit)

Then I decided to take it a bit further and went to Liliya Liliya - nail designer to really educate myself, and boy was it worth it!

Now I'm saving to hopefully attend a few classes in sweden (Iryna and mieke), just to learn more....
I took the a more expensive road but havn't regretted, it's my hobby and I love it!

What I'm trying to say is, if you are creative you can achieve a certain degree of succes without training, but if you really want to be confident attend a class.

The one you mentioned doesn't sound expensive to me....