How to Do French Manicure Using Art Paint

Getting Started

Many women spend a lot of money getting their manicures done at a salon because they don’t realize how simple it is to get a similar look at home. Once you begin to trust your own ability to design great nail art, you will find it is less expensive and much more fun to create your own looks from the comfort of your own bathroom.

While many manicurists use top of the line chip-proof polish and a variety of soaks and scrubs that allow them to hike up their service price, you really don’t need anything fancy to achieve fun nails.

Try a few different brands of polishes to find one you like. This will keep you within your own reasonable budget. You’ll find that many lower-end polishes work just as well as the expensive stuff. Next, start to explore items at your local craft store, namely acrylic art paint. Learning how to do French manicures using art paint can be a great resource if you need cute nails in a jiffy.

If you want to go beyond a basic French manicure, there are professional art kits available that will give you all of the materials you need. If you’re looking for just a basic look, investing in adhesive strips and white acrylic art paint is enough to get you started.

Learning How to Do French Manicures Using Art Paint

Start by trimming and filing your nails into the length and shape you desire. French manicures are known for their squared tips and not being excessively long. After this is done, make sure your hands are clean and moisturized. Next, provide a base coat of clear or pale pink polish over your nails. Here you can use art paint if you’d like. Consider a transparent light pink or a clear finish that is available for purchase at your local craft or drug store. Art paint can work the same as nail polish, and since it is designed to be durable, you may experience less chipping or flaking than you would with typical polish.

After you have let your base coat dry, apply adhesive cut into curves following your nails’ natural shape. Stick the adhesives beneath the section of fingernail you wish to paint as the tips. You can buy the adhesives at a beauty store, or use pieces of masking or scotch tape if you are on a tight budget.

Once all adhesives are applied, take your white art paint and use it on the isolated tips. Remember art paint can turn out brighter than nail polish, so opt for a slightly off white or pearl colored paint if you don’t want a particularly vibrant end result. Use the paint sparingly, as it can also be thicker or thinner than nail polish, depending upon the brand and style.

After the tips have dried, apply a second coat if needed. If your nails look how you want them, gently remove adhesives and run a clear paint or polish over the entire nail to set the tips. You can use a blowdryer to speed up the final setting process.

Outside of French manicures

You can also use art paint for a variety of nail looks outside of the typical French manicure. Investing in a variety of colors can give you endless options, and using household items such as a toothpick for polka-dots or a thin artist brush for swirls can help you to get cute and funky nails for any occasion.

Art paint can be a great resource, however it can be tricky to apply and stubborn to remove. If you make a mistake with your manicure, dip an eyeshadow brush (the kind with the sponged tip) into a bottle of acetone polish remover and run along the unsightly errors. This will help you to efficiently shape your tips into perfection.

Art paint can make for a fun beauty weekend with girlfriends or some spontaneous self-pampering when you have an evening in to stay at home.