How did you learn to sculpt?

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I currently only offer gelish but am dying to get into acrylic as its super popular in my area. I was hoping to do the acrylic fusion course through nail harmony which is sculpting. I don't know a lot about acrylic as Iv never had them done myself but was hoping could just do sculpting? But from a few things I have read would you recommend that I also learn tips?! So confused please help! Xxx

When I trained with harmony they taught both sculpting and tips, so you should be fine. If they've changed to just sculpting I'm sure the educator will show you tips if you ask. x
 
A few months after I completed my L&P foundation with CND, I went back for a 121 skills builder with my educator to learn sculpting. It was great doing it on a 121 as you have their sole attention and can really perfect your knack. I now only sculpt, and never use tips, which now for me has its downsides as I need to refresh myself with my training notes on tipping and practise ready for my masters.

It's like learning to drive a car, the first few times you sit in the drivers seat, you can't imagine ever remember how to do everything in the right order, but after plenty of experience it's second nature. I love sculpting repairs for shellac clients who have lost one of two nails when the rest are long, its so quick and natural looking xxx
 
When I trained with harmony they taught both sculpting and tips, so you should be fine. If they've changed to just sculpting I'm sure the educator will show you tips if you ask. x

Amazing I didn't know it was both! Worries over lol can't wait to do the course just need to save up lol xxx
 
So how do you all go about getting models to practice on? As i haven't sculpted on anyone else i don't feel comfortable doing a full set so maybe just going down the route of repairs will be better for me. I was thinking of just asking a friend if i can use her as a guinea pig but im also worried it will take me ages and end up being a mess :( ladybird i hope my first set look as good as that. Does anyone else have pictures of there first set?
 
So how do you all go about getting models to practice on? As i haven't sculpted on anyone else i don't feel comfortable doing a full set so maybe just going down the route of repairs will be better for me. I was thinking of just asking a friend if i can use her as a guinea pig but im also worried it will take me ages and end up being a mess :( ladybird i hope my first set look as good as that. Does anyone else have pictures of there first set?

Personally I would go down the repair route. Everytime you need to replace a nail sculpt it. A full set can be quite daunting and time consuming. Afterall you are doing something new. Small steps to me builds confidence. Good luck xxxx
 
So how do you all go about getting models to practice on? As i haven't sculpted on anyone else i don't feel comfortable doing a full set so maybe just going down the route of repairs will be better for me. I was thinking of just asking a friend if i can use her as a guinea pig but im also worried it will take me ages and end up being a mess :( ladybird i hope my first set look as good as that. Does anyone else have pictures of there first set?


I had great guidance ;-)
 
Sculpting is definately something you can't teach yourself.

It has been covered on courses I have done. It's not my favourite method to use in all honesty (as much as I appreciate the advantages of it)...I use tips more than anything.

If you do NVQ3 it should be covered in that.
 
I'm so disheartened 😔

I've been sculpting again for the past 6 weeks and getting great results... Until recently!! A couple of clients nails are breaking off where the sculpted tip is, and I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

I know one client in particular is VERY rough on her nails, so it didn't surprise me when she contacted me to say she has broken one.

But I had 2 girls in last Wednesday for sculpted extensions, and one of them has contacted me tonight to say 4 of hers have broken, and 3 of her friends. What am I doing wrong???

I've got a set in in the morning (new client) and now I'm petrified. I could actually cry right now, I feel like I'm no good at my job and I love it so much 😭
 
I'm so disheartened 😔

I've been sculpting again for the past 6 weeks and getting great results... Until recently!! A couple of clients nails are breaking off where the sculpted tip is, and I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

I know one client in particular is VERY rough on her nails, so it didn't surprise me when she contacted me to say she has broken one.

But I had 2 girls in last Wednesday for sculpted extensions, and one of them has contacted me tonight to say 4 of hers have broken, and 3 of her friends. What am I doing wrong???

I've got a set in in the morning (new client) and now I'm petrified. I could actually cry right now, I feel like I'm no good at my job and I love it so much 😭
Sculpting like tip & overlay just provides the platform for you to build your gel or L&P on.

If they are broken it is because you are not building your enhancement properly , make sure your strength is on the apex.

Sure some clients are very heavy handed and would suit L&P better but if you are having a couple of clients in a row calling you with breakages I'd say it's in your structure.
Go back to the drawing board and make sure your placement is correct.

You know what you are doing , don't loose your confidence, you are trained for this, apply your training.
 
Sculpting like tip & overlay just provides the platform for you to build your gel or L&P on.

If they are broken it is because you are not building your enhancement properly , make sure your strength is on the apex.

Sure some clients are very heavy handed and would suit L&P better but if you are having a couple of clients in a row calling you with breakages I'd say it's in your structure.
Go back to the drawing board and make sure your placement is correct.

You know what you are doing , don't loose your confidence, you are trained for this, apply your training.

Thank you Rinn.

My forms are unsticking once the clients hand goes into the lamp, and it won't stick back together afterwards. Aside from me not building a strong enough apex, do you think part of the problem is because the sculpture itself is not as c curved as it should be due to the form unsticking back into an almost rectangular shape again? It's slightly curved, but not as curved as it should be?
 
Thank you Rinn.

My forms are unsticking once the clients hand goes into the lamp, and it won't stick back together afterwards. Aside from me not building a strong enough apex, do you think part of the problem is because the sculpture itself is not as c curved as it should be due to the form unsticking back into an almost rectangular shape again? It's slightly curved, but not as curved as it should be?

Forms unstick for me too sometimes. I just stick them again and pinch slightly. They seldom break though so I still think it's your structure.
What product are you using and are your bulbs good/fresh?
Also what forms are you using?
 
Forms unstick for me too sometimes. I just stick them again and pinch slightly. They seldom break though so I still think it's your structure.
What product are you using and are your bulbs good/fresh?
Also what forms are you using?

Mine don't stick back together again though 😔 I've just been continuing the application with them unstuck, and slightly curved.

I'm using Bio Sculpture products and forms. My bulbs were changed last month.

I think you're right, I need to work on my apex. I bought Gigi's book over the weekend and it arrived this morning. I've read through it and her explanation of building the apex completely made sense compared to how my trainer explained it.

I just hope I can do it properly, I love doing nails!!
 
Don't you DARE think of giving up Sarah!! I love seeing your nails you post, you are amazing at your work :) I've also had a bit of trouble with forms but I recently watched fingernail fixers video on how to perfectly apply them, and I found that helped me a lot. The form needs to be on flush and clients will pick at the gel if there's anything to pick at from underneath! Don't give up!! Xx
 
I only ever sculpt, I love sculpting and I don't even use tips anymore. I have never had a set that I couldn't use forms with.
 
But Sculpting on every person's nails does not always give the best looking result nor is it always the easiest option. Some people sculpt all the time, and their work looks shocking, when using tips would have been the better and easier option.

I'm sort of hearing the old 'sculpting snobbery' coming out in some posts. :) As if using tips is a second class service ... And that is not true.

Sculpting does not make anyone a better technician than another ... After all, it is only the same process done differently ... One over a tip and the other on a form. Not all nail types and conditions look better done on forms.

A person recently did the fastest set of sculpted nails in the world (in 7 minutes or so). Big deal ... They looked horrible. Speed is not 'everything' and sculpting is not 'everything' either ..... It is the beautiful result that should be 'everything'.
 
Mine don't stick back together again though 😔 I've just been continuing the application with them unstuck, and slightly curved.

I'm using Bio Sculpture products and forms. My bulbs were changed last month.

I think you're right, I need to work on my apex. I bought Gigi's book over the weekend and it arrived this morning. I've read through it and her explanation of building the apex completely made sense compared to how my trainer explained it.

I just hope I can do it properly, I love doing nails!!

Hi Sarah
I've started using CND clear forms and they don't budge !! I can drop a few into you to try them out if you want :)

Elaine
 
But Sculpting on every person's nails does not always give the best looking result nor is it always the easiest option. Some people sculpt all the time, and their work looks shocking, when using tips would have been the better and easier option.

I'm sort of hearing the old 'sculpting snobbery' coming out in some posts. :) As if using tips is a second class service ... And that is not true.

Sculpting does not make anyone a better technician than another ... After all, it is only the same process done differently ... One over a tip and the other on a form. Not all nail types and conditions look better done on forms.

A person recently did the fastest set of sculpted nails in the world (in 7 minutes or so). Big deal ... They looked horrible. Speed is not 'everything' and sculpting is not 'everything' either ..... It is the beautiful result that should be 'everything'.

Obviously you know what you're talking about and doing Geeg but around where I am everyone does tip and over lay.................... badly.

They whack on a tip and file the bejaysus out of the nail when blending in .
I am then hearing back 'O ,the nails you do don't hurt when being done and the nails aren't sore for days afterwards.

I prefare to sculpt and one of the reasons is that when I used tips I couldn't blend without damaging the clients nail. So now I sculpt nearly always and only use tips if I have too but for me it takes much longer.
Clients remark that the scuplted enhancement feels so light in comparison to tips .

I do intend to do a conversion course with S2 in Dublin soon and I'm sure CND have a tip that only needs a rub to be perfect so I'm loooking forward to that . Hopefully I'll get over my 'tip' aversion then.
 
Obviously you know what you're talking about and doing Geeg but around where I am everyone does tip and over lay.................... badly.

They whack on a tip and file the bejaysus out of the nail when blending in .
I am then hearing back 'O ,the nails you do don't hurt when being done and the nails aren't sore for days afterwards.

I prefare to sculpt and one of the reasons is that when I used tips I couldn't blend without damaging the clients nail. So now I sculpt nearly always and only use tips if I have too but for me it takes much longer.
Clients remark that the scuplted enhancement feels so light in comparison to tips .

I do intend to do a conversion course with S2 in Dublin soon and I'm sure CND have a tip that only needs a rub to be perfect so I'm loooking forward to that . Hopefully I'll get over my 'tip' aversion then.

Lol.

I hear what you are saying.

What gets to me sometimes is the sculpting snobbery where people bleat on about how they ONLY sculpt yet when I see their work, it sucks! I know your work is good and that you are conscientious but the boastful ones never show photos of their work.

The other thing that annoys me is the way some say sculpting is better than tips .. Stronger, lasts longer etc. That simply is not true. A good job done with tips lasts just as long and looks just as beautiful as a good job done by sculpting. A BAD job done with anything or by any method cannot be compared to a good job done with anything or by any method.

I understand you are fighting bad workmanship done by others and the prejudice of the victims of their abuse ... You have your niche which is excellent in business. My niche was to be great at everything ... Every system, every method ... Whatever the clients wanted or needed they got and they got it better than anyone else could offer. It is that philosophy that has kept me in business for 30 years and kept me always current with education and new technology.
 
I did chuckle at Sculpting Snobbery as I didn't realise there was a divide between "Tippers" and "Sculpters" :). Apologies if my post was one that came across that way, as it wasn't written to sound like that. In honesty, when I trained, I liked the idea of sculpting as I wouldn't have to apply and blend tips, so it would be quicker but I do feel I should definitely have continued doing both as now I feel a little apprehensive using tips as it has been a long time since I last applied them. I also liked the fact there weren't any techs local to me sculpting so it made me different to the competition. I still have my tips and gelbond, but they torment me from their drawer!

I have shot myself in the foot and now need to get confident with tips again as like Geeg says, there are times when tips would be better suited to the client than sculpting on a form. If you can do both then you are covering all bases and keeping your competency with both methods. Learn from me, find a method you are comfortable with for the majority of clients be it tips or sculpts, but keep your hand in with both methods as tips have their place but also sculpts are great for natural nail repairs. X
 
Hello again.
Well i had my first go on my other half they were shocking lol I only did 2 fingers to be fair they turned out better than i thought for a 1st attempt but i was unsure whether the product was meant to touch the skin when making the smile line. I didnt touch the skin so i think they look weird. Maybe i had the form on wrong. Any advice would be great.
 

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