NAIL ART

NAIL ART - Step-By-Step	The Tiger-Print Nail
Begin with freshly filled or manicured, sanitized nail. Do not to use cuticle oil prior to applying airbrush art. Apply a thin coat of airbrush base coat on fingernails, making sure all edges are covered. Let it completely dry before you begin to spray. Approx 2-3 minutes under a fan or similar drying device will do.
The design begins with putting a few drops of orange in your airbrush and randomly spraying a few dots. (approximately 4) Flush out your airbrush and run cleaner and or water through it. This will keep colors true. Repeat this procedure with every color change.

Following the same procedure as defined in the paragraph above, randomly airbrush approximately 4 dots of green on your nail.

Finish the background by spraying dots of magenta so your nail is completely covered with airbrush paint. If the length of the nail does not allow for this many colors or dots, omit one.

Stencil application: This step is completed by, spraying black paint and using stencil #864 or a similar animal print stencil. When using a stencil that is much larger than the nail, as this one is, concentrate on spraying half (either the bottom or the top) of the nail, then gently rocking the stencil and finish spraying the other half. Hold your stencil firmly and spray black directly down onto it. If you direct your spray at an angle you may inadvertently spray paint under the edges of the stencil, creating a fuzzy edge. The paint is fragile and can scratch, so don’t slide your stencil around on the nail to relocate it.

When you are finished, gently lift the stencil off the nail. Spray a light coat of varnish, (See instructions) followed by 2 coats of recommended topcoat. (See instructions)

Varnish is a water base product that is sprayed over the completed application of airbrush paint, before the topcoat is added. It forms a clear layer of protection over the paint so that you are more easily able to apply the topcoat with out leaving brush strokes. To apply it correctly, spray on in a light mist through the airbrush. Because it is clear it is difficult to see when you apply it. The trick is to first direct your spray on the top of your own hand. Against your skin it will be easy to see. Now with out moving your finger position, move directly to the nails and go over them lightly. If you see any wet, shiny looking varnish on the nails, you are applying too much. Stop immediately and move on to the next nail. Retest on your hand to get started again if necessary. Wet shiny varnish, just like wet shiny paint, may cause the paint to crackle or smear when top coated. Less is better. Varnish is an optional step if the manufacturer of your paint does not recommend it. Regardless of whether the paint manufacturer recommends varnish or not, it will assist by protecting the paint during the topcoat application. Medea recommends that Varnish be used with Medea Nail-Art Paint. Clean it out of your airbrush using Medea Airbrush Cleaner.

As with traditional nail polish, topcoat is an important step that heightens the look of the finished product. More importantly though is that, like the base coat, it profoundly effects how long the nail art will wear on the nails and how good it will look for that duration of time. When the topcoat is worn off the ends of the nails, the paint will begin to wear. Because we know that the paint is water based, it is pretty easy to see how important topcoat really is. A generous amount of quality topcoat will be needed after the actual Airbrush paint is applied. By now the base coat should be completely dry and the airbrush paint dries almost instantly. This means that the only part left to dry will be the topcoats that we apply at the end.

Always begin with a coat of Medea Wet Glaze Topcoat. Airbrush topcoats are formulated in such a way that they will not easily melt or move the water base paint. Dip your brush and leave a generous amount on it. Begin at the cuticle and gently brush it on using, preferably the three-stroke method. The idea here is to apply it as gently yet quickly as possible without using excessive strokes. Repeatedly stroking the airbrush design with the topcoat brush may cause you to leave brush strokes in the paint. Also when you stroke it on, hold your brush somewhat more parallel to the nail than you usually would, so that you do not dig the brush bristles into the paint when you first start your stroke at the cuticle. Be sure to apply it as close to the cuticle as possible and wrap the topcoat around the sides and free edge. If you try to go back over it on the first wet coat you may risk leaving brush strokes. If you think that you didn’t quite get it close enough in a spot or two get it on the second coat.

For your second topcoat you may use another coat of the airbrush coat, or it is now safe to use a specialty topcoat such as an ultra violet (UV) or gel coat. These specialty coats are hard to beat for long lasting shine and unbeatable protection. When a client is paying extra for specialty art, it is wise to use the best topcoat you can buy, as her expectations will be higher. Also, make sure that she has a clear coat to put on at home in between appointments. This will make her nails last longer no matter what you have put on them and will increase her overall satisfaction with her nails.

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