Tom Bachik is no stranger to cover shoots. In addition to doing numerous covers for NAILS Magazine, he’s also done work for Instyle, Allure, Lucky, Vogue, to name just a few. A very talented artist, Tom’s our guy when we need someone to brainstorm ideas with us.

We knew we were going to do a tool-type cover for this month’s How-To Issue and we knew we wanted the nails to be wearable, but not too ordinary. Tom came up with the idea of crossing a severe pointed nail with a flat top and we came up with the “screwdriver” nail. The sidewalls are angled in and straight, ending at a flat top, mush like that of a screwdriver.

So what does it take to be a great cover nail tech?

1. Come prepared. You should have a travel kit that has everything you need to do a set of nails. Even if you’re doing natural nails, you never know when you might need to fix a crack or extend a broken nail.

2. Take your time and do things right. If it is a nails-focused shot, you will certainly be given a plenty of time to do your best work. (We know it can take some people three hours to do a flawless full set.) It it’s a fashion or beauty shot that isn’t focused on the nails, you will mostly likely not be afforded the same kind of time, but don’t settle. Always do your best work. It will be captured in time forever.

3. The camera really does add weight. So the nails you do for cover work need to be super thin.

4. The length, shape, C curve, and stress area should be consistent on all 10 nails.

5. Use a magnifying glass to check your work. Seriously, the camera picks up everything. So you want to see up close if the cuticles are clean, the polish is even, and the shape of the nails is consistent. You should strive for no imperfections.

We’re always looking for the next big nail star. Remember: We shoot all of our covers in Los Angeles and NAILS Magazine doesn’t pay for you to come out there.

Tom Bachik, artistic director for Entity Nail Couture, drew inspiration from a screwdriver for the shape of this month’s cover nails. After we told Tom we were going to be using a tool belt on the cover for the How-To Issue, we decided this unique shape would be the perfect fit.