Hand-painting faces demonstrates a complete mastery of nail colour and tools, and can be achieved effectively using gel or acrylic paints. To ensure the correct proportions and layout of a face, a grid should be drawn on the nail.
About Elena Maltseva
Elena boasts over 25 years’ nail industry experience and works as an international educator, coach and competition judge. She is a three-time nail art world champion and runs online courses, specialising in hand-painting, mixed media art and 3D acrylic sculpting.
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Step 1 On a white nail base, draw a grid in pencil – comprising two columns and three rows. Divide each of the four squares at the bottom of the grid into four smaller squares.
Step 2 Using a pencil, map out the contours of the face and its features relative to the grid. Pay close attention to how all the details are positioned in relation to each other.
Step 3 Apply the basic shadows of the face, neck and hair, using a neutral shade of brown. These areas help define the dimension and relief of the design.
Step 4 Add a nude skin tone to the entire face. Apply a sheer layer, as a second coat can be added later if needed. Avoid the eye area.
Step 5 Paint the deep shadows of the face, neck and hair, to intensify the contrast zones applied previously and make the design look even more three-dimensional. Use a deeper brown tone than previously. You can mix dark blue, dark red, dark green and brown shades together, or select a ready-made colour.
Step 6 Introduce black. Black sharpens contours and delivers contrast and depth to the darkest areas. Do not apply it everywhere – add black only to the most intense shadow zones: under the chin, below the hairline, under the browline and inside the ears.
Step 7 Add the details of the eyes in black. As the most expressive feature of the face, the eyes should be created at the end of the design process. Determine the direction of the gaze: either straight ahead, up, down or to the side. Use a fine liner brush to lightly outline the placement of the iris and the precise focal point of the pupils.
Step 8 Add the iris colour, then white highlights to the eyes. A tiny highlight brings each pupil to life. You can also add highlights to the hair and to the ears to mimic earrings.
Step 9 Apply your chosen colour to the background. Opt for a solid tone or create a gradient, making this darker towards the shoulders and lighter towards the crown of the head. Choose a matte or glossy top coat to finish the design. I prefer matte, as glossy adds contrast, while matte softens the look.