July 17 2009 - Features
French International
As our world becomes more accessible and international, NAILS thought it would be fun to put a global spin on the classic “French” nail. Experienced nail artist Becky Bence of Salon 505: The Day Spa in Austin, Texas, created these international “French” looks by using acrylic craft paint and the different nations’ flags as inspiration.
If you have any foreign clients, painting their home country in a French-style could be a great way to start practicing your acrylic creativity. Bence offers her advice on how she made these designs.
“I used the techniques of a ‘reverse French’ on all the nails, and this technique works with colored gels or acrylics. Besides the acrylic craft paint, I also used striping tape on two of the nails to make the straight lines of the flags easier. Applying the tape is simple as it adheres to the nail just like any tape would. The trick is securing the edges so they don’t lift up. A dot of nail glue or clear coat under each edge works perfectly. Then top it with top coat, clear gel, or acrylic for a permanent finish.
“If a mistake is made, not to worry, these designs are very forgiving, just repair as you would a normal French manicure. I use an art brush to hide offending lines with the opposite color of paint or whichever color is appropriate.
“And use your imagination on these. I like to rearrange the symbols while staying true to the colors.”