2019 Mural Contest: Magical Nails

1st Place:

Jacqueline McClement
Esteven, Saskatchewan, Canada
Title: Harry Potter

Meet the Winner

Nail tech Jacqueline McClement of Esteven, Saskatchewan, Canada, was inspired to create her Harry Potter-themed nail mural by the new techniques she learned at an Ugly Duckling education event. “One of the educators, Natasha Harton, had drawn a beautiful Harry Potter castle to complement her set, but since I have always been taught to be unique and not copy others’ work, I felt I wanted to paint the star himself, Mr. Harry Potter,” she says.

After researching her subject and deciding on the mural’s composition, McClement selected the type and shape of her nail tips and attached them together with acrylic. She painted the nails with white gel-polish, then outlined the face using techniques she learned from Priscilla van Uden (@home_of_deva), who also taught at the Ugly Duckling event. She used Young Nails Mission Control Gel paints thinned down with top coat to create the features on the face, working in several layers until she was satisfied with the shading, then applied matte top coat.

McClement is no stranger to mural creation and says the size of the mural doesn’t matter. “My biggest mural was 40 feet by 12 feet and I use some of the same methods to create the tiny nail murals,” she says. “It’s all about perspective. My mind doesn’t see the size, it only sees the canvas.”

Follow her on Instagram @jaclynznails.