Discover the art of nails micro painting

Nails micro painting is a pictorial expression in its own right, with the difference that it does not take place on a drawing canvas but on the nail bed. With this method, you can create decorations comparable to real works of art in miniature, but it is perhaps the most difficult to achieve. In fact, not only exceptional dexterity is required, it is essential to know the colours properties, shapes, spaces and products used. Discover with us the infinite possibilities this technique offers!

The inventor is Oksana Bilous, an Ukrainian artist living in Rome. She is the owner of Vanity NailArt School, the only certified nails micro painting academy in Italy. Oksana introduced it for the first time at Cosmoprof in Bologna in 2007. After its huge success, she registered the trademark and started training courses attended by professionals from all over Europe. Osksana's talent stems from her passion for Russian lacquers, a unique expression of craftsmanship. Russian lacquers are small papier-mâché boxes filled with carefully designed, and they mainly depicts scenes from fairy tales and everyday life. To embellish such small containers so well requires a great deal of patience, trained manual dexterity and, above all, a great deal of creativity. In fact, to achieve an excellent result, you must handle the tools correctly and purchase specific products. This is why you cannot improvise, you need to be trained like in a sport. However, with the right tricks, you can learn this refined discipline step by step. The first thing is to obtain the proper material: professional gel polishes and specific brushes. 

Your colours need to have a medium viscosity, strong but easily modelled. This density will allow them not to run and make it possible to create flawless designs. Suitable brushes have a very fine, durable tip, such as our ergonomically shaped Trendy Micro brush. For steer painting, a longer, more flexible tip is required. Our Glam Liner brushes set has a light handle and bristles of different lengths to facilitate the creation of sophisticated manicure. This discipline also brings together two fascinating methods, one for creating floral patterns and the other to speed up the entire process: One Stroke and Water Decal.

One Stroke

It comes from the English 'single brushstroke' and originated in painting. In particular, this sub-technique was perfected by the American decorator Donna Dewberry. This method uses at least two colours placed on the same brush, blended together, resulting in decorations with a three-dimensional effect. Much more colourful miniatures can be created. The brushes required are those with an oblique tip, which are excellent for obtaining fine and precise petal and flower lines (floral patterns lend themselves very well to experimenting with One Stroke). Another tool that lends itself perfectly is the flat brush; it collects the colour more compactly and simplifies the work.

Water Decal

Referred to as Decals, they are hand-drawn miniatures then replicated and printed on cardboard protected by a transparent film. How do they work? Exactly the same as adhesive tattoos. You just have to cut out the portion of card with the desired decoration, remove the protective film and dip the design in water for a few seconds with the help of tweezers. Afterwards, you need to gently dab the sticker to remove any water residue that could jeopardise the success of the manicure. To apply, simply place it on your fingers and make light pressure. It is essential to apply it carefully to avoid bubbles that could spoil the final effect. To preserve its durability, it is important to spread a transparent sealant over it and cure.

Now you know more about the ideal solution for stunning hands. Whether you want to try it yourself or have it done by a professional, the important thing is to get started. We are sure that you will fall in love with this technique that expresses the creative flair of each of us to the fullest - if you try it, you won't be able to do without it. Try it to believe!