Manicure with cats is one of the few options for decorating nails, which, in addition to purely aesthetic appeal, carries a deep psychological meaning.
The cat is a rather ambiguous animal. For many centuries, the cat has symbolized comfort and well-being, independence and self-control. Today, a cat is, first of all, a cute pet that protects the comfort of the house and fills it with an indescribable feeling of serenity and tranquility.
Manicure with a cat on nails: the psychological meaning of the design
The cartoon “The Cat Who Walks by itself” perfectly describes the essence of a cat’s nature. It doesn’t matter whether we are talking about a cat or a male cat, they all have the same qualities: a sharp mind, observation, a calm and balanced character, the ability to wait for prey for several hours and, of course, an affectionate disposition.
Egyptian priests and commoners treated cats with great respect and considered them sacred animals. Their death was punishable by murder. The Slavic Goddess Makosh could also be incarnated as a cat. Makosh was considered the patroness of the feminine principle and was considered a powerful source of energy and well-being.
Cats are always associated with prosperity, a kind of indicator of status. In Japan, the emperor presented distinguished subjects with a cat, which was considered a great honor. The significance of the cat in the modern world has been lost, however, this animal still remains a strong energetic assistant and patroness of all women.
Features of manicure with a cat pattern
Manicure with cats, like any other design, has its own characteristics and nuances. Among them are the following:
- A manicure with cats is not suitable for every woman. For a young girl, a design with a cat is still forgivable, but for a business lady or a woman 50+, such a manicure is completely inappropriate in terms of status and age.
- design with cats cannot be called universal. It looks great on a date, a romantic walk or on vacation. For the office, you need to choose a manicure that is more laconic in terms of color and decor.
- A manicure with cats, depending on the method of execution, may look too provocative, even childishly naive. Undoubtedly, a manicure with cats looks original, but before creating it you need to carefully choose the pattern and color.
Stylish manicure ideas with a cat
The phrase “manicure with a cat” implies dozens of interesting and unusual nail art. Design with a cat is several varieties of nail decoration, which are selected depending on the length of the nails, age, color and other parameters. Among the favorites of design with the cat family are:
- manicure with paws
- with a cat face
- with a cat's eye
- cat silhouette, etc.
Types of varnish
Of course, the best manicure today is considered to be the one made from hybrid varnish. In terms of its texture, this substance has the properties of both a gel and a varnish at the same time. However, unlike traditional nail polish materials, gel polish requires polymerization of any applied layer under a specialized (ultraviolet or LED) device.
Glossy and matte gel polishes can be called an excellent basis for a “cat” manicure. Matted ones can have different textures, and this feature of the coating allows you to add a special status to the design, due to which the coating will look expensive and noble. Matte varnishes today can have 4 types of textile effect: velvety, velor, satin and corduroy. Each type of coating is different in appearance and helps improve the aesthetics of the manicure.
To make the design expressive, you need to choose coatings with good pigmentation. Therefore, varieties such as mother-of-pearl and jelly can only be used here as a coating for main nails, but not for accent nails with a pattern. The same can be said for cat eye, chameleon and metallic effect products.
Stylish manicure with cat paws
A design with cat paws is the simplest and most interesting option for decorating nails. Manicure is very popular among girls and nail artists. This is primarily due to the ease of execution and decent appearance on the nails.
The pattern itself is usually made in a dark color, so the best background for such a design will be light colors: pastel, pink, white, transparent. A pair of cat paws on your ring finger will be enough to give your plain manicure a new pop of color.
In addition to cat paws, you can complement the design with an image of the cat itself, its face. It is not recommended to depict a floral or geometric design with cat paws.
Cheerful manicure 2019-2020: what you need to know about bright and cheerful nail art
How to create a manicure that will lift a girl’s spirits when she first looks at it? There are many options, as well as techniques for creating such a life-affirming design.
The best assistant in creating a fun manicure is a manicure brush. Using a thin brush, you can draw animal faces, write inscriptions, or draw a complex pattern. As for shades, the bright color palette is considered the undoubted leader. It's not just yellow and orange. Use bright pastel colors, purple and even black.
The main emphasis in a fun manicure is on the drawing. It is he who sets the tone for the entire design and gives it meaning. We'll talk about what patterns you can place on your nails below.
Minimalistic design with cat silhouette
Designs with a cat silhouette look incredibly stylish and even mysterious. The pattern is applied to the nails using a manicure brush or sliders. The cat silhouette is usually done in black. Visually, such a manicure looks very laconic and stylish, especially if it is not complemented by any other elements.
It is recommended to depict the silhouette of a cat against a plain light background. Nail art with a cat looks great on medium and long nails. For short nails, a design with paws and cat faces is suitable.
Shape selection
The cat theme on nails is one of the trends of the new season. However, a nail is not always enough to place a beautiful design on it. In addition, on short nails there is too little space for the design to look expressive.
Therefore, we have to play with this nuance with a smaller image, which does not always look organic against the general background of the manicure.
However, short nails are not always taboo for such a design. If the natural shape of the nail plates is elongated, there will be enough space on the nail for both a cute cat and an open background, which is also very important, otherwise the design threatens to lose expressiveness. Cats will look very beautiful on medium-length nails with a rounded or straight edge.
No less successful would be such a manicure on almond-shaped nails, which are triumphantly returning to fashion in the new season.
It is not advisable to intimidate a cat-themed manicure with long and sharp nails. In this case, the design idea may be perceived differently. For example, the same silhouette of a cat against the background of long claws will seem like an element of a witch’s costume. And large eyes on accent fingernails can be perceived as demonic signs.
Manicure with a cat's eye: several ideas for a chic design
If you look closely at a cat's eyes, you can see hundreds of interesting tints of color, amazing tones and shine. You can easily convey all this beauty on your nails.
There are 2 ways to decorate your nails with a cat's eye:
- depict the cat's eyes, whiskers and nose
- cover your nails with gel polish with a “cat’s eye” effect
To convey all the beauty of cat eyes, it is better to place the design on long nails. This will help not only to place eyes on them, but also to complement the nail art with mustaches, abstraction or other decor.
Beginners should use sliders to make the drawing clear and beautiful. Professional masters can create real masterpieces using watercolor paints and a manicure brush, and depict magnificent cat eyes and other decor on the nails.
Gel polish with a “cat’s eye” effect is designed in such a way that under the influence of a magnet it transforms into a deep and original color, similar to a cat’s eyes. Hence the name of gel polish and manicure in general.
Cat eye gel polishes are sold complete with magnets. It is thanks to the magnet that an original ornate pattern is created.
How to draw a cat's face in a realistic style
YouTube channel “The ABC of Drawing”
How to draw a cat
1. Draw a vertical line at a slight angle. Divide it in half with another line.
YouTube channel “The ABC of Drawing”
2. Place the eyes on a horizontal line - circles with slight extensions towards the center. Below them draw a triangular nose and mouth.
YouTube channel “The ABC of Drawing”
3. Measure the gap between the centers of the eyes and mark points on the horizontal line at the same distance from them. In the same way, place points at the top and bottom of the intersection of the lines. Just below the top point, make marks from the center of each eye.
YouTube channel “The ABC of Drawing”
4. Using these auxiliary points, outline the cat's face. If desired, you can draw on the bottom of the paws. Finally, erase the extra lines.
YouTube channel “The ABC of Drawing”
5. Boldly outline the contours of the eyes, mark the highlights and draw the pupils. Paint over the droplets without affecting the highlights. Lightly shade the inside of the eyes along the edges to make them look more voluminous. Use the same technique to draw the nose. Select the animal's mouth.
YouTube channel “The ABC of Drawing”
6. Outline the contours of the stripes above the eyes and along the edges of the muzzle.
YouTube channel “The ABC of Drawing”
7. Then shade the stripes with thick lines according to the growth of the coat. There is a hint in the small picture in which direction to make the lines. Draw the paws and fur on the chest.
YouTube channel “The ABC of Drawing”
8. Shade the rest of the space with lighter lines, using less pressure on the pencil. Don't forget about the direction of hair growth. To make the cat look fluffy, go slightly beyond the contours of the drawing.
YouTube channel “The ABC of Drawing”
9
Using a cloth, lightly blend the light areas, paying special attention to the ears, cheeks, the space between the eyes, chin and chest.
YouTube channel “The ABC of Drawing”
10. Using an eraser, highlight the areas around the eyes, on the sides of the nose and under the mouth, as well as the upper contours of the ears. Then use a pencil to accentuate the dark fur stripes and eyes to make them more visible.
YouTube channel “The ABC of Drawing”
11. At the end, draw individual hairs with a finely sharpened pencil. This will make them more realistic. Draw a mustache for the cat.
What other options are there?
Here is another similar master class:
And here the author shows how to draw the face of an adult cat:
A realistic cat can also be drawn with colored pencils. Here is one amazing, but incredibly painstaking work:
Manicure with cats for short nails
Short nails are not a reason to give up stylish designs with cats. To make your manicure more expressive, make some changes to it. Instead of a cat, draw paws, faces or silhouettes on your nails.
This will help create an interesting manicure, where the pattern will not merge into one incomprehensible spot. Use light background colors and contrasting patterns. This way the design will look more expressive and noticeable.
Manicure with a cat is an ambiguous and original option for decorating nails. The image itself carries a deep psychological meaning and charges its owner with calm and regularity. Try a cat manicure on your nails and you will see how cute and attractive it looks.
How to Draw a Stretching Cat in a Realistic Style
YouTube channel How2DrawAnimals
How to draw a cat
1. Draw a circle. Draw a slightly curved horizontal line in the middle. On the outside on the left, mark something like a trapezoid - this will be the cat’s face. Draw the outlines of the ears on top.
YouTube channel How2DrawAnimals
2. On the right, just below the head, draw another circle of larger diameter. At the top right, also draw a circle even larger than the previous one. Don't draw it too high, otherwise the animal's body will turn out to be too elongated.
YouTube channel How2DrawAnimals
3. Use smooth lines to connect the circles, outlining the cat’s neck, back and belly.
YouTube channel How2DrawAnimals
4. From the neck, draw two angular parallel lines - the future front legs. Mark the places where the hind legs and curved tail will be drawn.
YouTube channel How2DrawAnimals
5. Draw closed eyes, nose, mouth and chin as shown in the picture. Outline the ears, indicating folds and fur. Use short broken lines to outline the head and upper part of the neck.
YouTube channel How2DrawAnimals
6. Draw the front legs along the outlined lines, using intermittent strokes to depict the hairs below. Draw the hind legs in a similar way.
YouTube channel How2DrawAnimals
7. Draw fur along the back and tummy of the cat. Draw in the tail.
YouTube channel How2DrawAnimals
8. Carefully erase the lines that served as sketches.
YouTube channel How2DrawAnimals
9. Shade the lower part of the head, front legs and belly, ears, upper back, hind legs and tail.
YouTube channel How2DrawAnimals
10. Designate the gender. Use shading to draw the cat's fur. A visual process is shown in the video: