What do you use to do nail art?

[sarah1992]

I sometimes use the 'kiss' very thin nail varnish bottles, but they go gloopy very very quickly and it gets very hard to do a detailed design.

I have now bought thin brushes from the art & hobby shop & salon direct and use acrylic paint with them. However , I find when I make a stroke with the brush it kind of erases itself in the middle, even though I am going as light as I can, also the acrylic paint can look very dry after a few minutes on, still trying to find a brush even tinier than what I have!

Thought it would be interesting to see what everyone else uses & maybe we can get some tips off each other?

 

[lizzieish]

I just started using acrylic paint on my course at college. I think the trick is to not put too much water with it, otherwise it erases (kind of shrinks) like you said. Make it a little thicker.

As for brushes, I haven't bought one but I've found this website:

Brushes - Crystalnails Nail Products | Technician Courses | Acrylic Course | Gel Course | Nail Art Course | Airbrush Course | Crystal Nails UK

Their #0 looks like a thin brush, I think I'm going to buy it soon

 

[RubyNails]

Once a top coat is on the acrylic doesn't look dry. Instead of watering paint down when applying, have a damp brush, get pure acrylic paint and apply small bit on brush. Then work the small bit of paint through bristles by rubbing on your non working hand/thumb. That way lumps are smoothed out and bristles are coated with good consistency of workable acrylic. I hope that makes sense!! And helps!

 

[dizzymiss]

I always use acrylic paint because i am hardly ever happy with the look of nail polish on some nail art designs especially when doing flowers/leaves etc with white nail polish! I have cut bristles off of most of my nail art brushes to make them super thin, not sure if thats something that a lot of people do or if its just me but i find i get perfect strokes when i alter the brushes in the way that i like them, i just cant be dealing with trail and error on millions of different nail polishes lol

 

[Annabel12]

I always use acrylic paint because i am hardly ever happy with the look of nail polish on some nail art designs especially when doing flowers/leaves etc with white nail polish! I have cut bristles off of most of my nail art brushes to make them super thin, not sure if thats something that a lot of people do or if its just me but i find i get perfect strokes when i alter the brushes in the way that i like them, i just cant be dealing with trail and error on millions of different nail polishes lol

I also cut my brushes for very detailed work as those you can buy as still too thick - my thinnest brush has like 5 hairs on it
I do dilute acrylic paints with water as I find them a bit too thick but it probably depends on brand - paint has to have creamy consistency for a nice flow. Also I use damp brush - I put it in the water, do one stroke on paper towel and then dip in paint but not too much of it. Now and again I clean the brush as once the paint dries on it it's ruined. I would say the amount of paint on my brush is enough to do 2 flower petals, not more. Hth

 

[nailednails]

I'm gunna sound so stupid now,so I'm just confirming that I KNOW how stupid it sounds...but I'm NEW, and I need to know....

Sooooo...are we talking about ACTUAL acrylic paints for nail art? That are then presumably sealed and cured?

Orrrrr do we mean acrylic based polish (I don't even know if that exist.....)

I just thought we used whatever's/type of polish we used, or are trained in and just picked out colours from their....am I wrong?

Thanks girls! xx

 

[TheRealMrsGrey]

I'm gunna sound so stupid now,so I'm just confirming that I KNOW how stupid amnesiac it sounds...but I'm NEW, and I need to know....

Sooooo...are we talking about ACTUAL acrylic paints for nail art? That are then presumably sealed and cured?

Orrrrr do we mean acrylic based polish (I don't even know if that exist.....)

I just thought we used whatever's/type of polish we used, or are trained in and just picked out colours from their....am I wrong?

Thanks girls! xx

Hi! I use art Acrylic Paint - water based and perfectly fine to use on nails. I find acrylic paints are the only thing that has a good colour pigment to them and not wishy washy. And then yes you're right, wait till totally dry, seal and cure xx

And no you don't sound stupid, lol!

 

[nailednails]

Thank you!! I thought as most polishes need two coats that it would be difficult to achieve really bold designs, and get fine shadow ......it all makes sense now!!! Yay!!

Off on eBay to get me some more paints x

 

[TheRealMrsGrey]

Thank you!! I thought as most polishes need two coats that it would be difficult to achieve really bold designs, and get fine shadow ......it all makes sense now!!! Yay!!

Off on eBay to get me some more paints x

I bought these paints from "The Works" - fantastic colours and they were only £2.99! Bargain!

 

[nailednails]

Ooo there's one of those shops on the way to college tomorrow--no waiting for postage! Excellent thank you!! Can't believe what you achieved with a cheap set of acrylic paints! Amazing!!

Thank you!!

Xx

 

[JemmaB]

View attachment 44843

I bought these paints from "The Works" - fantastic colours and they were only £2.99! Bargain!

Im so glad you posted this! !!
I use these paints for one stroke, I did my own, sealed with shellac topcoat and the white faded.
Have you had this?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[TheRealMrsGrey]

Im so glad you posted this! !!
I use these paints for one stroke, I did my own, sealed with shellac topcoat and the white faded.
Have you had this?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using SalonGeek mobile app

Your nail art is beautiful!!

Ooh yeah it has faded - not had this (yet!) I often seal with 2 thin coats of topcoat (the ones in my pic were Gelish) whether Gelish or Shellac - don't know if this makes a difference? xx

 

[Annabel12]

Your nail art is beautiful!!

Ooh yeah it has faded - not had this (yet!) I often seal with 2 thin coats of topcoat (the ones in my pic were Gelish) whether Gelish or Shellac - don't know if this makes a difference? xx

It doesn't.
Also to save branded top coat I cover the nail art with cheap salon professional clear soak off gel and then top coat - works perfectly and makes nails even stronger