Images of airy flowers, wonderful tropical plants, butterflies, landscapes - these motifs include Chinese nail painting. This art cannot be called the simplest. If you want to learn how to personally create masterpieces, diligence and hard training will do the trick, you will be able to draw the basic elements yourself. And to develop skills, there are special courses in which many interesting things are practiced.
What it is
This nail art, based on its name, is not at all associated with the image of hieroglyphs, as it might initially seem. This is a festive riot of flowers, blooming buds and bouquets shrouded in haze. So why did this trend receive a separate category, since the floral trend in the art of nail design is far from new?
It's all about the special application technology and motives. It is also called the double stroke technique.
The idea is that the brush is dipped in 2-3 colors, which are then shaded at the point of contact with the surface. The result is unique color transitions, smooth and beautiful, which is what makes the drawings so realistic.
In appearance, these images are very reminiscent of traditional painting on silk with multi-colored paints, which appeared hundreds of years ago in ancient China.
Compositions in this style can be bright and contrasting, or translucent, made in pastel colors. The main thing is that they are voluminous, alive and airy, which is achieved through special skill. They replaced bulky modeling and abundant use of decoration, which often looks provocative and artificial.
Features of the technology are:
- Professionalism of the manicurist. He must be able to combine halftones, quickly and correctly apply strokes.
- 3D effect, which is achieved by the play of color and smooth tints. This is precisely the difference with flowers drawn in other ways.
Design Features
The most popular motifs in Chinese painting are roses, peonies, daisies, lilies, cornflowers and many others. This technique is a wonderful alternative to sculpting; when you look at a decorated nail, it seems that you can touch a luxurious bouquet with your hands, and an unblown rose is about to open its magical petals.
The work is done with a flat brush; it applies two shades at the same time. To do this, its ends are alternately dipped in two paints. Most often, related tones are chosen - pink and white, blue and cyan, yellow and green.
Each element is drawn with just one stroke. Its appearance is influenced by the degree of pressure of the brush, the angle of inclination, scrolling in one direction or another, for example:
- smooth surface - involves one direct movement of the brush without leaving the nail plate;
- openwork - a brushstroke with an uneven edge, which can be obtained by moving up and down;
- semi-openwork - obtained from small loops, moving upwards, then to the sides and downwards;
- feather technique - moving the brush up and down in intermittent movements;
- wave - scrolling the brush without lifting it from the base;
- aqua is a special element that allows you to achieve a transparent effect for individual parts of the decor.
Current palettes
First, the background is applied. In principle, it can be any color you like, but calm pastel colors showed themselves to be the best.
Next you need to think about the composition. As mentioned earlier, similar pigments are collected on the brush - yellow and orange, deep blue and clear blue, green and light green, pink and red. White goes with anything. Usually no more than three colors are taken.
Acrylic paints are best suited for work. They should be moderately thick, not runny and mix well.
Advantages compared to other materials:
- dry quickly;
- interact well with each other;
- adheres well to varnish and guarantees high adhesion;
- have a wide range of colors.
Modern sophisticated and romantically inclined girls prefer delicate pinkish-peach motifs on a jacket.
A classic oval or almond shape paired with a white smile line and delicate flowers on the ring and middle fingers is a wonderful subject for a date. This manicure is filled with a special charm.
More daring natures like rich colors, while a dark background is applied to the accent nail for further application of contrasting images.
When is a manicure with hieroglyphs appropriate?
As with any manicure, it all depends on the color scheme.
© kozhukhovskaianadezhda
If you choose neutral shades (for example, beige, coffee or white), and paint the hieroglyphs with black or dark brown varnish, you will get a manicure that will be appropriate for a date or a business meeting.
© miroshkina_nails
But if you prefer a brighter color scheme, for example, a burgundy or wine background, then in combination with hieroglyphs, such a manicure will resemble Japanese shoji partitions, decorated with traditional painting.
© studiobeautytime
© manikur_neftekamsk
© manikur_neftekamsk
This option is good for an Asian themed party.
©Getty
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What they do: necessary tools
First, a base is applied to the nails. Gel polish requires a base coat and a color coat. In a regular manicure, only traditional varnish is enough.
When starting to draw, make sure you have on hand:
- water-based acrylic paints;
- special brushes;
- a jar of water;
- palette for mixing pigments;
- lint-free napkin;
- fixative
Brushes made from natural materials are preferable; they last longer, do not deteriorate from sunlight, and are easily washed off from paints. Although some craftswomen prefer artificial ones.
For this technique you will need the following brushes:
- flat – have soft bristles, suitable for applying most types of strokes;
- beveled - they are convenient for forming leaves, buds and angular petals;
- brush-brush – characterized by coarse bristles, designed to complement patterns and give them a certain texture;
- liner brush – for drawing contours and various fine details;
- fan brush – great for creating backgrounds, gradients, shading and filling.
After selecting the tools, you can begin the creative process itself.
Paints for Chinese painting
Acrylic is usually used as the main material for painting in Chinese style. Such dyes are the most convenient and non-toxic, and are made on an oil basis. These paints are ideal: they have a thick consistency that allows you to create bright colored paintings.
Among acrylic paints, the master should choose high-quality materials that will not crack or chip when worn. You can choose artistic acrylic - it is suitable for home use and training, and its characteristics are not very different from materials for nail art professionals.
Design options 2022
Chinese painting in a modern style involves manually drawing individual details with a thin brush, overlaying the pattern on a smooth gradient background, using “Cat’s Eye” gel polish for the base, etc.
Many masters strive to stand out from the boring monotony, so they add unique flavors to their work: they highlight the centers with rhinestones, add pearlescent shine to individual details, focus attention on the hole, and combine ornaments with other techniques.
In principle, this technique is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance. You will need persistence and a lot of training, so over time you will be able to hone your skills and create more complex compositions.
By combining various elements of painting and playing with colors, you can create seasonal compositions. In spring, barely blossomed buds of peonies, roses, and cornflowers are relevant. In summer, succulent leaves and incredible tropical plants will perfectly complement the plot.
For winter manicure, use a cool color palette. White-blue, gray-blue, silver-snow-white fantasies will imitate a frosted coating. And in the fall, choose yellow-red leaves or chrysanthemums - a symbol of happiness and longevity in China.
other methods
For those who do not have artistic abilities or are simply not confident in their abilities, alternative methods of creating a design with roses on their nails are suitable.
Using a stencil
This method is easier to create such a manicure. To make this design step by step, you only need the necessary stencil. Before starting the procedure, you need to prepare your nails, then apply a base, a double layer of gel polish and dry.
After your nails are dry, you need to put a stencil on them and outline it with a thin brush. To make the flower look more natural, you don’t need to paint over the lines too much. This will make the manicure look more delicate and unusual.
Modeling
To create a voluminous rose, you can use the sculpting technique. It is often used in manicures for special events. This method helps to achieve a 3D effect and splendor of the picture. To implement this technique, you should first practice creating the required flower shape.
Acrylic coating will help create raised images. It is best to use white. To make roses, you need to place an acrylic ball on your nail and carefully shape it into a petal. You need to repeat this procedure several times to create a full-fledged flower.
The use of special plasticine will emphasize the originality of the idea.
With a needle
To create a design, use a needle to apply a base, apply the main color and dry. Then cover with a second layer, and after drying you can create a pattern using a needle.
To make the design beautiful, you need to make a couple of drops of varnish and use a needle to create petals in the shape of 8. This technique of making a pattern is suitable for manicure on long nails.
Is it possible to do it yourself? Let’s create beauty step by step
If you were not previously familiar with this technology, then first you should practice on paper.
There are a huge number of photo tutorials available on the Internet on how to draw the basic elements step by step. Having mastered the basics, you can move on to nails.
Luxurious rose
- Prepare the paints you will work with. For flowers, pink and white, purple and soft pink will do; for leaves, mix rich green with yellow and snow-white; to highlight individual details, squeeze a drop of black onto the palette.
- Using a flat brush, pick up the selected tones for the flower and move across the palette several times to blend the colors together.
- Shape the petals with an up-and-down movement in one motion - you will get a two-color wavy arc. The next one should be a little larger, slightly aligned with the previous one, but not overlap it.
- Thus, draw several petals in a circle, you will get a half-bloomed rose.
Delicate cornflower
- Dip one tip of the instrument into sky blue enamel, and the other into light blue or white.
- Each petal consists of three abrupt lines.
- Having decorated the cornflower, use a thin liner to additionally draw the petals, core and stem.
Brushes for Chinese painting
When buying brushes, it is better to choose natural bristles. The artist's kit should include flat brushes (both with a beveled edge and a straight one) - they are used to paint flower petals, leaves and buds. Round brushes are needed for painting small details, and fan brushes are indispensable for applying grass. It’s also good to have a sponge brush in your arsenal - this is a new thing in the artistic world, but it’s convenient for making a smooth transition from one color to another (tutorials on creating amber can be found in the form of photos or videos on the Internet separately).
On short nails
Naturalness is in fashion today, so a small nail plate is more relevant than ever. Drawing with one stroke is also possible on short nails; there are no contraindications.
But still, when choosing a design, you should adhere to some recommendations:
- Monitor the quality of the manicure - carefully remove the cuticle, give the nails the same shape, carefully polish the surface.
- Apply the top coat carefully, there should be no bald spots, bumps, unevenness or runs under the side bed. All these flaws will be visible to the naked eye.
- To prevent nail art from looking vulgar, instead of decorating all 10 nails, it is better to choose one or two accent fingers.
- Keep an eye on the scale - small details look better on a short plate.
Daisies look great on a blue background, burgundy roses on a dark background, and purple orchids on a pastel base. It also looks interesting when one flower stretches across two fingers.
Relevance
The latest fashion trends include the application of specific symbols – hieroglyphs – to the nails. These signs are used in the writing of eastern countries - Japan, China, Egypt, Korea, etc. Fans of this design are adherents of eastern culture.
Manicure with Chinese symbols is used by women not only for themed parties and events, but also in everyday life. Many people believe that mysterious eastern signs can bring love, luck, success and prosperity into life.
