Chinese painting is one of the increasingly popular styles in nail art. It is distinguished by its particular lightness, airiness and femininity, as well as a rather complex drawing technique, which is why it is so valued among the female half of the population. Unique designs are applied to the nail surface with acrylic, creating a three-dimensional three-dimensional image. The most popular are floral and plant motifs, but they are diluted with figures of birds or animals.
The style of Chinese nail painting became famous relatively recently, at the end of the 20th century. This followed the patented discovery of the "one stroke" technique by artist Donna Dewbury in the 1970s. Before her, a similar design had been done with Gzhel-style painting, and after Donna’s patent it received a new round of development. Now manicure specialists can use the Chinese style to paint entire pictures that amaze with their beauty.
Chinese nail painting for beginners
The technique of drawing on the nail plate in the Asian style is usually used on long or extended nails, because... To create a three-dimensional drawing you need space.
On short ones, small elements are often drawn. Beginners need to consider a few tips before drawing:
- The most convenient way to master design is by practicing on paper or using tips.
- Watch a video on the Internet with lessons on how to create a step-by-step manicure with Chinese painting.
- Prepare the necessary materials: paints, brushes, water, etc.
- Draw a sketch after practicing on a piece of paper.
- Clean and degrease the surface of the nail, cover with base. If you plan to paint extended nails, apply gel and the main color of the polish.
- To perfect the design, first choose simple flowers, for example, a rose or others.
To do this, follow these steps:
1. From the color palette, select any two shades that, in your opinion, combine harmoniously with each other. Squeeze a small amount of acrylic paint from each tube onto a previously prepared material, cardboard will do. 2. Take a flat brush in your hand, grab one color of paint with one edge, and the second shade with the other edge. You should have two shades on the tip of your brush. 3. Using a brush, brush over the surface of the nail, forming a petal. If you do not have the skills and experience in creating a painted manicure, it is better to first outline the boundaries of the element with special devices. This way you will get neat and beautiful elements. 4. Repeat these steps for each petal, you will get a delicate manicure that will complete the feminine romantic look. 5. Coat the top of each nail with clear varnish. Varied, simple and original, and
How to Draw Chinese Painting
The main secret of Chinese manicure on nails lies in the special brush strokes that the master uses. In each image you can see the standard elements for this style:
- Wave. It is drawn with small swirls sliding along the surface of the nail plate.
- Feathers. Sharp brush strokes up and down.
- Watercolor. Blurred, translucent decorative elements.
- Openwork. It occurs when paint is applied unevenly using vertical movements.
- Semi-open. Small loops, for which the tassel is drawn first upward, then sideways and downwards.
- Smooth surface. Apply with one touch, without lifting off the surface.
Pastel-colored varnish is most often used as a background shade, and darker shades are used less often. Brush strokes are applied with two shades of paint, which are applied side by side on the palette in advance (can be in two stripes or in two drops). Using a flat brush with both shades, the pattern is applied to the background in one motion, with a few strokes forming an interesting and memorable nail design with Chinese painting.
Types of strokes
To create a harmonious composition in the Chinese style, different types of strokes are used.
Below are the most common types:
- Smooth stroke - performed in one smooth and continuous line.
- An openwork stroke is a continuous vertical movement of the brush with a wavy trajectory reminiscent of the letter Z.
- A semi-open stroke is a continuous looping movement of the brush along a complex trajectory: the stroke starts from top to bottom, to the side, up and down again.
- Feather stroke – short, abrupt strokes (usually with a liner brush).
- A wave stroke is a continuous wave movement with the brush turning over.
Required tools and materials
Before you start painting on your nails, you should prepare the necessary materials. To create pictures you will need: acrylic paints, brushes, paper napkins or towels, a jar of water, a palette for mixing colors, base and top coat, the main background shade, and, if necessary, extension gel. All these components are necessary for the painting itself; before it, the nails need to be processed, removing the cuticle and filing it in shape.
With voluminous design
A special nail design technique with which masters can create real masterpieces.
Volume manicure is performed using:
- polymer clay – “sculpting” technique;
- drawing a picture with acrylic matte powder - sugar, velvet sand;
- finishing coating without a sticky layer - drops, blots, caviar technique;
- thick varnish "plasticine".
3D design is short-lived, unlike manicure with a smooth pattern, and can sometimes be quite pretentious, so masters advise using it as an addition only to holiday outfits.
A wedding manicure with voluminous flowers deserves special attention. The master applies a base gel coating, and then begins painstaking work on the decoration.
The flower petals are sculpted with extreme precision, almost resembling the original flowers. The individual elements are either attached immediately, or first everything is assembled into one design on the palette, and then the latter is placed on the nail. If you want to make such a design for everyday wear, then you can decorate 1-2 fingers on each hand with small flowers and enjoy the blooming daisies or sunflowers as much as possible.
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).
Drawing with dots
Dip a brush, toothpick or paper clip into the desired paint. You can create dots of different sizes using thinner or thicker tools. Lightly touch the tool to your nail. Adjust the size of the dots.
You can use dots to make abstract paintings or even photographs. To make a "movement" of a dot over a design, dip the brush into the paint once and apply several dots without dipping the brush into the paint before each application. The size of the dots will decrease, since each subsequent dot will receive less paint than the previous one. To make a simple flower, place five dots of one color in a circle with a dot of a different color in the center. You can add a stem by drawing a thin, curved green line leading to the flowers. You can also use a thin brush on wet paint to create rays, swirls, etc.
How to draw: step by step
As a sample, prepare a sketch on paper or type. This way, or based on the photo, it will be much easier for beginners to do Chinese nail painting.
- Stage I. We process the nails by doing a trim or hardware manicure: trim the cuticle, straighten the shape, get rid of unevenness using a nail file and buff. We clean our hands with an antiseptic, degrease the surface of the nail plate and apply a base: varnish, gel or other.
- Stage II. Cover the nails with a background shade. It is better for a novice master to choose neutral pastel options.
- Stage III. We apply two colors to the palette: dark and light. Dip the brush into both colors at the same time, so that one shade is on one side and the other is on the opposite side.
- Stage IV. Transferring the outlines of the image onto the nail, marking the boundaries of the composition, its location. We draw flowers, focusing on the sketch, with smooth brush movements. After drawing the main elements with a thin brush, add small details: stems, leaves, etc.
- V stage. We cover the finished painting with a finishing coat.
Camellias drawing
To make your manicure beautiful, use flower images as a basis. This way you can draw in more detail:
- For the background, use a dark red color.
- Paint the camellia bud with white varnish. Highlight its base in red, slightly lighter than the background. Using a thin brush, add shadows to the petals of the bud using this shade.
- Use black varnish to draw thin ornate lines.
- Apply top coat on top.
This design on the nails looks luxurious and impressive.
The pattern is rich, drawing attention to your claws. Therefore, such a painting is chosen by confident ladies who want to emphasize the temperament and sensuality of their nature.
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.
Execution of complex designs
To perform drawings of increased complexity, experienced craftsmen combine several techniques on one element. Make sure you have brushes with different edges.
To create a background, you can use different brushes; sponges will be popular. Round brushes are recommended to be used exclusively for adding images of lilies to the overall composition.
As for paints, any acrylic paints that can be diluted with water with the addition of silicone are suitable.
With their help, the colors in the drawing will transition more smoothly from one shade to another, and you can achieve a certain texture.
Such paints can be glossy or matte. The appearance of the leaves in the drawings can also be very different.
Chinese rose on nails
Roses are considered one of the main floral elements of style. Her image can be found in almost every photo of Chinese nail painting. To practice drawing it, it is better to use paper media, which will help in choosing colors and applying strokes. When drawing already on the nail plate, you will first need to carry out the standard preparation procedure: trimming the cuticle, giving the desired shape, filing and applying a base with a background. After all the preparatory procedures, paints of pink and white shades are applied to the palette, the border between them is slightly shaded. Using a flat brush, dip in both colors at the same time and, using a twisting semicircular motion, make a stroke shaped like the English letter U. Similarly, make an inverted convex stroke over it. If desired, the flower can be left as is, or you can add a few more petals using the same principle. After the flowers are drawn, use a thin brush to add the stems, bud cup and leaves. When the image dries, it must be secured with a finishing transparent coating.
After practicing drawing roses, you can begin to more complex elements and new items in Chinese style painting: sakura, lilac, lilies, peonies, etc. Pay special attention to details: the veins on the petals, the centers of flowers. This will make the image more interesting and realistic.
Bamboo drawing
One of the options for a laconic design is bamboo. Mix green and brown paints on the palette, use white varnish for the background coating:
- Get a hygienic manicure. Apply two layers of white varnish, allowing each layer to dry first.
- Using a thin brush, paint a few bamboo stems.
- Arrange the leaves in a chaotic manner with jerky movements, without drawing them in detail. There is no need to try to make them all the same - this way you can create a natural effect.
- Apply top coat.
You have created a beautiful Chinese pattern. This option allows you to get used to working with a thin brush.
Hieroglyphs - stylish, fashionable, sophisticated
In addition to beautiful designs and patterns, you can apply hieroglyphs to your nails. This is very unusual and original, you definitely won’t meet every second girl on the street with a similar design! It is very important to remember that each icon has its own specific meaning, so think carefully and choose the one that suits you. It wouldn’t hurt to practice drawing, because even one wrong line can change the meaning.
Chinese culture is close to many girls: hair dryer shui, remodeling furniture and adding aura-positive elements to the interior are becoming more and more popular. To get closer to the East, you don’t have to radically change anything in your life - just visit a nail salon. One of the most popular symbols among girls is sakura - a symbol of youth, flowering, beauty and tenderness. Let's look at how the design is applied to the nail:
- prepare the nail plate, degrease it;
- use a special pen or brush to apply a design;
- polymerize in a lamp;
- apply finishing topcoat.
Try not to smear the lines - apply the fixative carefully, simply applying the brush to the image. If you want to add brightness and a festive mood, dilute the design with rhinestones and sparkles. Even on short nails it looks very impressive. The ideal background for this pattern is beige, pastel, white, cream. The color of the main lines is blue or yellow. A manicure made in a similar color will look equally beneficial for both everyday wear and a holiday party.
