How to Paint Feathers on Your Nails
Prep your nails., Apply a base coat., Paint your nails with two coats of a base color., Choose a color to use for your feather., Paint a long, tapering line on your nail using a striper brush or a spotter brush.This will be the stem of your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Prep your nails.
Clean your nails and remove any old nail polish.
Trim, shape, and file the tips.
Push back your cuticles, but don't apply the cuticle oil it; it is best left for last.Consider coating your cuticle area with petroleum jelly or white school glue.
This will make cleaning up easier. -
Step 2: Apply a base coat.
This is necessary, even if you plan on leaving your nails their natural color.
It will not only protect your nails, but help your polish last longer.
Wait 2 minutes before moving on., You can use clear polish, a nude color, or any other color you'd like.
If you plan on using a metallic color for your feather, consider using a flat color for the base.
Wait 2 minutes between each coat, and 2 more minutes before moving on to the next step., Black or white are great choices, but you can also use silver, gold, copper, or bronze.
For best results, use a color that contrasts with your base color.
This will make the feather stand out more.
You can paint the feather on every nail, or you can paint it on an accent nail, typically the ring finger. , You can angle it however you want; you can make it straight or curved.
The thinner end of the line will be the tip of the feather, and the thicker end will be the base.
Consider having the base of the stem touch your cuticle.
This will solidify the design. , Start on the bottom of the stem and work your way towards the tip.
Angle the lines upward.
Make the lines longer towards the base of the feather, and shorter towards the tip.
Use light, feathery strokes.For a lighter look, don't reload your brush; drag the nail polish from the stem outward. , Again, make them shorter at the tip and longer at the bottom.
Angle the lines towards the top of the feather., Shake a few flakes of large, chunky glitter onto a small dish.
Use a dotter tool or a toothpick to pick up a flake.
Place the flake against the feather's stem.
Use this technique to add as many flakes of glitter against the stem as you'd like.Avoid going too high up the stem.
The glitter flakes should not be wider than the feather's stem. , Wait 2 minutes for the nail polish to dry, then apply one layer of top coat.Allow your nail polish to dry completely., If you used petroleum jelly, now is the time to wipe it off.
If you used white school glue, simply peel it away.
Use a thin brush dipped in nail polish remover to wipe away any excess nail polish from the cuticle area.
Apply some cuticle oil, if needed. -
Step 3: Paint your nails with two coats of a base color.
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Step 4: Choose a color to use for your feather.
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Step 5: Paint a long
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Step 6: tapering line on your nail using a striper brush or a spotter brush.This will be the stem of your feather.
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Step 7: Make shorter
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Step 8: tapering lines coming off of the left side of the stem.
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Step 9: Make similar lines on the right side of the feather.
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Step 10: Step it up with some glitter
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Step 11: if desired.
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Step 12: Seal it in
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Step 13: then let it dry completely.
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Step 14: Clean it up.
Detailed Guide
Clean your nails and remove any old nail polish.
Trim, shape, and file the tips.
Push back your cuticles, but don't apply the cuticle oil it; it is best left for last.Consider coating your cuticle area with petroleum jelly or white school glue.
This will make cleaning up easier.
This is necessary, even if you plan on leaving your nails their natural color.
It will not only protect your nails, but help your polish last longer.
Wait 2 minutes before moving on., You can use clear polish, a nude color, or any other color you'd like.
If you plan on using a metallic color for your feather, consider using a flat color for the base.
Wait 2 minutes between each coat, and 2 more minutes before moving on to the next step., Black or white are great choices, but you can also use silver, gold, copper, or bronze.
For best results, use a color that contrasts with your base color.
This will make the feather stand out more.
You can paint the feather on every nail, or you can paint it on an accent nail, typically the ring finger. , You can angle it however you want; you can make it straight or curved.
The thinner end of the line will be the tip of the feather, and the thicker end will be the base.
Consider having the base of the stem touch your cuticle.
This will solidify the design. , Start on the bottom of the stem and work your way towards the tip.
Angle the lines upward.
Make the lines longer towards the base of the feather, and shorter towards the tip.
Use light, feathery strokes.For a lighter look, don't reload your brush; drag the nail polish from the stem outward. , Again, make them shorter at the tip and longer at the bottom.
Angle the lines towards the top of the feather., Shake a few flakes of large, chunky glitter onto a small dish.
Use a dotter tool or a toothpick to pick up a flake.
Place the flake against the feather's stem.
Use this technique to add as many flakes of glitter against the stem as you'd like.Avoid going too high up the stem.
The glitter flakes should not be wider than the feather's stem. , Wait 2 minutes for the nail polish to dry, then apply one layer of top coat.Allow your nail polish to dry completely., If you used petroleum jelly, now is the time to wipe it off.
If you used white school glue, simply peel it away.
Use a thin brush dipped in nail polish remover to wipe away any excess nail polish from the cuticle area.
Apply some cuticle oil, if needed.
About the Author
Kathryn Peterson
A passionate writer with expertise in home improvement topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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