Nail of the Week: Roses are red

One stroke roses: Click on photo to enlarge

click on photo to enlarge

Right Hand

This week I got  a set of 6 new paintbrushes at Ross for $3.99 so I decided to do another one stroke nail design using these brushes.  If you follow my blog you know I have been trying to teach myself the one stroke painting technique so I could achieve more realistic looking flowers. For those of you who don't know one stroke painting is a technique that involves using a flat or angle tipped brush and two different colors. You dip one side of the brush in one color and the other side in the other color. Then you swirl the brush up and down in a wave pattern to produce something like a leaf. This is a great video tutorial for those interested to see this technique in action.

I'm not claiming to be an expert at this, nor do I think my one stroke is fabulous but I am learning. It is actually alot harder (I think so at least) then it looks. But I have never taken any art classes and have just tried to teach myself, and practice this technique at home. I have noticed that the brush does make a huge difference, some of my one stroke efforts have been more successful then others depending on the brush I use. I used two different sizes of flat top shader brushes to achieve the roses and I used water based acrylic paint that I purchase at Joann's Craft Store for $0.59 each.

Sinful Colors "black on black, Pure Ice "oh baby"

Sinful Colors "black on black" Pure Ice "oh baby"

1)I started off by painting my nails two coats of black. I used Sinful Colors "Black on black"
I purchased this at Rite Aid for $1.99
2) I added two coats of a shimmer (not glitter)  topcoat to give the background some dimension. I used Pure Ice "Oh baby". Layered over black it gives the nails a shimmery bluish sheen almost like an oil slick. I purchased this at Walmart for $2.99
3) I added one coat of my favorite topcoat. I use NYC in a New York Minute in "Grand Central Station"
4) Using my larger flat top shader brush I loaded up each side with white and red acrylic paint to paint the one stroke rose on my thumb. I used the smallest size dotting tool for the dots on the side.
5) Using my small size dotting tool and light green acrylic paint I create a vine pattern on the rest of my nails in whatever way I like. No nail looks exactly the same.
6) Using the smallest size flat top shader brush I load up my brush with dark green and light green acrylic paint to create the leaves coming off the vine. Again no nail is exactly the same.
7) Using my smallest size dotting tool I lightly outline each leaf with light green acrylic paint then add a tiny line in the middle
8) Using white acrylic paint and my smallest size dotting tool I add some small white dots in scrolling patterns.
9) With my small size flat top brush I go back to my red and white acrylic paint and load up each side of that brush to create the tiny rose buds using the same one stroke technique I used in the big roses
10) I go back to my white acrylic paint and small size dotting tool and go over the white part of the rosebuds so they stand out even more.
11) I add two thick coats of topcoat making sure to seal off the free edge of my nail and the design in complete.

I hope you enjoy this week's nail art design, Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day :)