If you ever jealously eyed a calligraphy pen and thought it would be perfect for delicate swirls and thin lines in nail art, then you’ll be thrilled to try this newly released professional nail art pen. Developed by U.K.-based nail tech Sam Biddle as part of her Be Creative product line, this Nail Art Pen works the same way a calligraphy pen does, but these nibs will work with a thicker, more pigmented fluid. It’s designed to work with any brand of water-based acrylic paint. Biddle provides the following step-by-step to get you started.

You will need:

> Be Creative Nail Art Pen

> Orly Stone Cold polish
> white acrylic paint
> (optional) blue acrylic paint (similar in shade to Orly Stone Cold polish)

> detailer brush (shown is Orly’s Detailer Brush from its Instant Artist Collection)
> water
> paper swatch to water down the acrylic paints and fill the pen

Step-by-Step:

1. Water down the white paint so it’s the consistency of milk. (Use an acrylic paint that has a high pigment content, so it doesn’t lose the depth of color.) Prep your client’s nails, including pushing back cuticles, buffing the nail surface, and applying base coat.

2. Using the polish brush that comes with the polish, apply two coats of Orly Stone Cold polish. Make sure it’s dry before moving on to the next step.

3. Dip the pen into the white paint, so the well fills up completely. Use the pen to draw two loops on the tips of your client’s nails, so that the barrels (thickest part) butt up to each other.

4. Use the pen to add two small apostrophes inside the loops.

5. Use the pen to add three teardrops in the center of the two loops.

6. (Optional) Water down the blue acrylic paint. Use a small detailer brush to add detail to the center of the white lines, enhancing the design by giving it a slight embossed appearance. Apply top coat.
For more information, go to Sam Biddle's Be Creative website.

You Might Also Like:

IBD Gel Roses NAILStv Video, featuring Sam Biddle

Behind the Scenes: Spot the Difference

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, Click here.