What is Gradient Manicure? Materials and tools, especially the preparation of nails. How to make a gradient manicure, the best nail art ideas.
Gradient manicure is a special technique for decorating nails, involving the use of several colors and creating a smooth transition between them. This is a very fashionable design that does not lose popularity over time, but only changes, acquiring new features. To make the perfect ombre nail art, we will take a closer look at the technique, learn the secrets of experienced craftsmen, and select a set of tools and materials for work.
What is Gradient Manicure?
Pictured is a horizontal gradient manicure
Gradient manicure is nail art, the key feature of which is the color change. But they achieve this effect in various ways and with the help of different tools, which determines the complexity of staining and the result.
Most often, a sponge or brushes are used to make a gradient manicure, but pigments, acrylic powder and an airbrush are also possible. As a result, the design of nail art can be very different - delicate, pastel or bright, bold, saturated.
Gradient manicure can be done vertically or horizontally. Accordingly, one has to move along the plate from one edge to the other - either from left to right (or vice versa), or from the cuticle to the tip of the nail. Vertical and horizontal gradients can be done in the same color or with a transition from finger to finger.
To make a gradient manicure, use 2 or more colors. Theoretically, the number of colors is unlimited. And yet, masters do not recommend combining more than 4 shades on one finger. In this case, it is very difficult to maintain harmony, to choose colors in an optimal way.
The technique does not lose its relevance for several reasons:
- You can bring vivid fantasies to life.
- This is a real find for girls who find it difficult to stop at the choice of a certain color for a manicure.
- With skillfully selected shades, the design visually lengthens the nail plate.
- Having found the "golden mean" when combining colors, you can "wear" such a manicure with any outfit, it will be appropriate with a business suit, and with an evening or cocktail dress.
Pictured is a vertical gradient manicure
The disadvantages of gradient manicure include the complexity of execution. Especially if you wield an ordinary varnish, without experience and skills. The coloring agent can dry out too quickly while a self-taught craftswoman is trying to bring out the desired shade. You also have to paint very quickly, combining several colors on the nail. As a result, defects are possible.
Therefore, it is more advisable to do a gradient manicure with gel polish. True, in this case, you cannot do without a special lamp. And for an interesting result, you will have to buy a whole set of gels.
Note! As you explore this interesting topic, it is important to know that the technique is sometimes called differently. For example, a fashionable gradient manicure is meant by terms such as "ombre", "degrade", "stretch".
Materials and tools for gradient manicure
Since the effect can be achieved in different ways, then the tools for gradient manicure are used differently. But in any case, you need a basic set in order to put your nails in order:
- Shaping file;
- Tweezers (nippers) for cuticle removal;
- Scissors for the free edge of the nail, for the cuticle (or universal);
- Buff for polishing plates;
- Trimmer (cuticle fork);
- Pusher (scraper) - a spatula to push back the cuticle.
Many ladies prefer a more forgiving option. In this case, a nail file and orange sticks, pumice stone and a buff for polishing will be enough to put the nails in order.
A coating is required - regular or gel polish. Under them you will need a base, and on top - a top. Naturally, coatings take several colors or shades of the same color scheme, depending on the design idea.
If you have to work with ordinary varnish, you will probably need a wash-off, since even an experienced master often remakes the same nail several times.
In the photo is a sponge for a gradient manicure
Materials and tools for gradient manicure, depending on the method of its implementation:
- Sponge … The simplest and most widely available method. To perform nail art, you will need a special sponge, which is sold in cosmetic stores. But, as an option, you can use an improvised tool. A dishwashing sponge is fine, provided it is soft enough.
- Brush … To make a gradient manicure at home, you can use a special brush - flat, comb or fan. Accordingly, you will need to buy such a tool. True, it's better to immediately tune in that painstaking work lies ahead. Since it is very difficult to work with brushes if you are not used to it.
- Pigments and acrylic powder … Another way to get the desired effect. They are applied while the varnish has not dried, spreading the smallest particles over the nail to obtain a stretch effect of the desired intensity. In addition to the actual pigments or acrylic powder, you will need a brush. Use flat or round, but fan will work. Depending on this, the technique for creating the gradient will also change. This option can also be tried by beginners. You just need to adjust a little, and you get perfect smooth transitions.
- Airbrush … When doing a gradient manicure, you can use such a device. True, it is important to know that it is not as easy to wield it as it seems. Therefore, it is worth thinking twice about whether to buy an airbrush for home experiments.
Preparing nails for a gradient manicure
Before making a gradient manicure, you first need to put your fingers in order, otherwise even the brightest and most spectacular design will look sloppy, sloppy.
Complete nail preparation is carried out in several stages:
- Wash or disinfect hands.
- If your nails are covered with varnish, remove it.
- Give the plates the desired shape - file or cut. In the first case, the hands should be perfectly dry: if you handle wet nails with a nail file, they will delaminate.
- Next, remove the cuticle - by cutting or in another acceptable way.
- Grind the nail surface so that it is perfectly smooth.
It is helpful to rub in cuticle oil at the end of the procedure.
How to make a gradient manicure yourself?
Flow chart of gradient manicure with a sponge
Finally, you can move on to the most exciting thing - performing a gradient manicure. Since there are different execution techniques, the workflow will also differ, depending on the chosen technique:
- Sponge … The nails are painted in a base color, and a varnish is prepared separately with a transition of shades. To do this, make two drops of different colors (or tones) at a short distance from each other. Next, the colors are mixed with a stick to get a transition. After that, it remains to wet the sponge and transfer the drawing to the nail. Do this with patting movements. You cannot lead a sponge over the plate - the transition will be lubricated!
- Brush … In this case, first, simply apply the desired colors to the nail in the order that everything will look harmonious as a whole. You can leave a very small gap between the stripes of different shades. Especially if these are pronounced saturated colors. But you can also paint the entire plate completely, without empty spaces. Then the most difficult stage begins: the colors "pull" to each other, moving with a brush from different sides. It is important to moisten it a little, then it will be easier to achieve a smooth transition.
- Pigment and acrylic powder … To make an ombre gradient manicure, the nails are first painted in the chosen color. Next, they make degradation: it is convenient to pick up the pigment with a flat or round brush and drive in, adjusting the intensity of the transition. Acrylic powder can be drawn on a fan brush and simply brushed off in such a way that the particles create the desired effect.
- Airbrush … The work is very delicate and does not allow awkward movements. First, the nail is painted in the base color. When the first layer is completely dry, you can spray the second shade with an airbrush, achieving the desired intensity of the transition. This is the difficulty: the movements should be smooth, without jerks.
Regardless of the technology for performing gradient manicure at home and creating stretch marks, at the end you should remove excess varnish. Next, the surface is covered with a top.
Best Gradient Manicure Ideas
If the experiment with ombre is planned for the first time, it is better to choose the most common design, fill your hand, and then move on to non-standard nail art. In 2020, gradient manicure remains in trend, and it can be done in a variety of ways.
The easiest way to make a gradient manicure on your nails is with a transition. You will need five shades of the same color. It is necessary to paint each nail, going from tone to tone. Accordingly, the color scheme will vary from finger to finger. This is the simplest type of gradient manicure, but the only thing that can stop is the absence of five varnishes of the same color, but different shades at home. In this case, you can go for a little trick - create such tones yourself. To do this, add another one to the main color, changing the proportion. That is, you can apply a clean color scheme on one nail, for the second, dilute the varnish by literally dropping a drop of additional color, on the third - adding 2-3 drops, etc.
An interesting option is when the color changes from the little finger on one hand to the little finger on the other. Also, such a manicure can be made mirrored: the same shade is repeated on each hand on the same finger.
To make a gradient manicure beautiful, you can use a solution when a nail painted according to one of the techniques acts as a fashionable accent, and the rest are covered with the same varnish.
A few more popular ideas on how to make a gradient manicure:
- Baby boomer … This is one of the trendy varieties of degrade, which combines classic French design with a horizontal gradient technique. Nail art looks very refined and elegant. To create a design, nude shades are used with a transition to white, as you move to the edge of the nail. In addition to grace, this option is attractive because you can do a similar gentle gradient manicure for short nails, as well as long ones.
- Multi-layered measurements from small drawings … This nail art looks incredible, because miniature images are made on the nails, each of which shimmers in several shades. For example, it can be flowers, twigs of leaves, hearts. This decision brings a romantic mood. True, it is better to decorate one or two nails with the technique: if you decorate all your fingers with pictures, they will ripple in your eyes.
- Glitter manicure … Everything ingenious is simple and fashionable. You can create a stretch effect by applying glitter and varying the intensity. This solution gives the image a light touch of glamor. Such nail art requires a sense of proportion: it is better to decorate with sparkles literally one, maximum two fingers, otherwise the image will look vulgar.
- Geometric Gradient Manicure … Another fashion trend of 2020. You will definitely have to tinker with him, but the result is worth it. Which solution to choose depends on the shape and length of the nails, as well as on individual preferences. You can draw vertical and horizontal stripes, diamonds, and other shapes on the plates.
- Gradient abstraction … This is a trendy solution. Nail art looks especially impressive if you choose bright colors for it, but think about how to combine them harmoniously. For this stylish gradient manicure, it is better to make a neutral base - white, black, beige. Next, a colored drawing of an abstract form is applied with shades and colors flowing into each other.
Photo of gradient manicure
How to make a gradient manicure - watch the video:
Having mastered how to perform a gradient manicure step by step, it can be difficult to dwell on a particular technique and style of execution. Ombre opens up the broadest possibilities for the embodiment of any fantasies. You can not only repeat other people's experiments, but also create your own design.
