For this month’s cover. Tom Holcomb makes model Marisa Ramirez even more  beautiful. [You can catch Marisa on MTV’s new show “Senseless Acts of  Video.” She’s the host!]

For this month’s cover. Tom Holcomb makes model Marisa Ramirez even more beautiful. [You can catch Marisa on MTV’s new show “Senseless Acts of Video.” She’s the host!]

Everyone knows that April showers bring May flowers, including Tom Holcomb, who created these colored acrylic masterpieces, as well as the matching ring, also made from acrylic. Holcomb started by fading numerous shades of colored glitter acrylic onto the model’s natural nail. This fading technique is the newest trend to come along since nail technicians started using colored acrylic on clear tips, says Holcomb. Once the natural nail was covered, Holcomb used a form to extend the color-faded nail out past the tip of the model’s finger. “If you fade the colored acrylic out from the beginning using the form, you’ll get too much mixing of colors because they’ll smear on the form,” he explains. “Adding the form later and using it to extend the nail helps minimize smearing.” He then used various colors of acrylic to design a garden of flowers, stems, leaves, and accents. (For a full technical, see page 38.) A layer of clear acrylic seals the design, but also adds strength to the extension, which was built in two pieces. After filling and finishing the extension (and making sure not to file into the design), Holcomb used a buffer to create shine and bring out the intricate details. Not content to limit his art form to the nail, Holcomb also created the flower ring to extend the design to the hand. “A nail technician’s art doesn’t have to stop at the nails,” he says.

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