Art with Jark

Scratch Stars Hall of Fame pro & founder of Jark Nails, JIAK HING, shares a masterclass in gel polish design to elevate your artistic offerings

ABOUT JIAK HING

Jiak Hing is a bespoke nail artist from Bolton, Manchester. She specialises in unique, illustrative nail art under the business name, Jark Nails, and has scooped multiple industry awards, including the Scratch Stars Gel Polish Stylist of the Year accolade in 2022, 2023 and 2024. These three wins granted her entry into the Scratch Stars Hall of Fame for the category.

Jiak is committed to producing innovative and intricate nail art, and credits gel polish for offering creative freedom. The versatility of the medium allows her to experiment with a spectrum of colours and bring her artistic visions to life. She hopes to inspire nail professionals to step out of their comfort zones, embrace creativity and try new skills and techniques.

With Samantha Haste at The Nail Dates event.

Out & about

Online nail artist community, The Nail Dates, founded by Samantha Haste of @printbysam, hosted an event for its members on 9 December at The Columbia Hotel, London. This was the first event for the community and featured three amazing guest speakers: Jessica White (@jessicawhitenailartist), Sadie Jordan (@sadiejnails) and Alysha Elise (@byalyshaelise). It was a joy to see the faces behind the brands and connect with fellow nail enthusiasts.

Anti-Valentine’s Day

Not everyone will choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day with pretty pink or red nails decorated with hearts or roses. For those nursing heartbreak, consider an unconventional design to mark the occasion.

This nail finish features a shattered heart that’s ‘stitched’ together with barbed wire, symbolising both pain and healing. I’ve used red chrome for the heart and flesh, silver gel for the wire and a black gel polish for the base, to capture a dark mood. I hope you enjoy recreating this anti-Valentine’s nail art, which is ideal for expressing a less than lovey-dovey vibe.

You will need:

• Black gel polish.

• Matte top coat.

• Black no-wipe art gel.

• Red chrome powder.

• Silver art gel.

• Glossy top coat.

Step 1 Prep the nails and apply two coats of black gel polish. Cure between each coat.

Step 2 Apply a matte top coat to act as an isolation layer for the chrome. Cure and wipe the inhibition layer.

Step 3 Using a black no-wipe art gel (I used HD Pro Nails Art Gel in Jet), paint a broken heart with a dripping effect on two nails. Get creative with various wound designs on the remaining nails. Cure the art gel when you are happy with its placement.

Step 4 Rub red chrome powder over the cured art gel and dust off the excess.

Step 5 Use a silver art gel to paint barbed wire wrapping around the heart and wound designs. I used SISSI Molten Metal Paint. Cure when complete.

Step 6 Apply a glossy top coat to the nails and cure.

TREND TIP

Metallic silver gel is a must-have for your nail art kit. Adding accents to designs using the product instantly elevates looks, creating texture and an eye-catching effect. Let your creativity shine!