The Digit-al Dozen Does Nature, Day Two: Floral Watercolour

Hi everyone! I'm back with another nature-themed design for Digit-al Dozen week. I decided to do another floral design, perhaps because it's a safe choice, but also because I enjoy them the most. I also wanted to work on my watercolour technique and do something more complex than previous looks I've done. There was a point while painting this, that I thought it was going to turn out awful, but in the end, I'm happy with the final design.

Springtime floral watercolour nail art

The Digit-al Dozen Does Floral: Day Two, Minimalist Watercolour Daisies

Hi everyone! I'm absolutely in love with the look I created today. If you enjoy subtlety and watercolours, I think you'll be able to appreciate this one. I also did another variation, with a short video, so I'll be posting that later this week.

Minimalist watercolour daisies nail art

31 Day Challenge: Day Thirty, Inspired by a Tutorial: Shearling Darling Nimbus

Hi everyone! Can you believe this nail challenge is almost over!? I just keep telling myself "deep breath, you can do it!" I don't know how people do this in one month.

A few weeks ago I bought the new Essie winter collection from Nail Polish Canada. Normally I swatch these as soon as they arrive, but I have so many reviews that I owe, I've had to push it back. But today's challenge is perfect for using some of these polishes. I find that Essie's Shearling Darling collection is perfect for nail art, the colours complement each other so well!

Shearling Darling Nimbus

Black and White Abstract With Studs

Hi everyone! Well it's 3am here, and definitely past the time when I should be in bed sleeping, especially since I have to get up early in the morning for work. You might be wondering then, "well why are you sitting there typing away at your computer ninny!" Or you might not care (a better option). But the answer is definitely blog related. I just completed my first striping tape mani, ever. It might also be my last. It was definitely *interesting*. You'll see the results tomorrow though (spoiler alert: don't expect anything complicated).

Black and white abstract nail art

Black and white abstract nail art

Now that I have you on the edge of your seat, lol, a bit about this design - I did this for a contest on Instagram hosted by Jessie (@nailsofjessiek) who also blogs at Nails of Jessie K. The theme was black and white. Following my paisley/gradient nails I wanted to explore some other possibilities with black and white. I used only Cult Nails Tempest (white) and Fetish (black) for this mani.

Black and white abstract nail art

For the background I started with two coats of Tempest. Then I built up a layered surface using a watercolour technique (where you thin the polish with nail polish remover or thinner), and a bit of splattering. When I had a surface that I thought was interesting, I did some freehand gestural doodles using both black and white. Then finished with some studs, and Ta Da!

Black and white abstract nail art

I don't think this will be my most popular mani, but I rather like the results and want to explore this look further. For me it reminds me of the qualities I'm drawn to in abstract painting. When I see a painting that piques my interest, it's usually the textures and layers that captivate me. I really enjoyed having this design on my nails, because every so often I'd just stop and look at it and stare at a particular area.

Black and white abstract nail art

But I'm curious, what do you think of this? Do you ever do abstract nails? And if so, are you a hard-edge abstractionist (clean lines, like a Mondrian)? Or a messy, drips and splatters, kind of abstractionist?

Essie Winter 2012 Collection Part 3: Watercolour

Hi everyone! Technically Valentine's Day is over here, but I'm going to get in one more heart design. I'm sure most people don't remember, but a while back I decided to do a short series of posts on simple nail art designs using the polishes from the Essie Winter 2012 collection. Then I did two posts and got sidetracked with other things. I'm not always the most focused person. You can see those posts here and here. So I'm trying to do a few more posts until I have gone through all the polishes.

Hearts watercolour manicure

Watercolour manicures are extremely simple, and don't require any special equipment besides a tiny brush. But I've only ever done abstract watercolour manis, so I wanted to break out of that and try my hand at some sort of image. Hearts are extremely simple, hence today's design!

Hearts watercolour manicure

I started with two coats of Sally Hansen White On as my base and topped it with a coat of Seche Vite. When that was dry I painted the hearts with Essie Snap Happy, and the background with Essie Where's My Chauffeur? and Butler Please. I tried to splatter some of the colours on but that didn't work so well. I need to work on my splatter technique. :P

Hearts watercolour manicure

To do a watercolour manicure you put a drop of polish on a piece of plastic and then thin it with either nail polish remover or nail polish thinner. Then you just paint it on, trying to work fast. You have to make sure not to overwork it too much because you will lift the bottom layers off. It's one of those techniques where you just need to play around with it for awhile to get the hang of it. As much as I like how this turned out, I still need to practice more with this technique before I feel comfortable with it. But it appeals to me because I really like to do actual watercolour painting.

What do you think of this design? Have you tried a watercolour manicure?