Painter and craftswoman Donna Dewberry is perhaps best known in the art world as the inventor of the One-Stroke painting technique, a method that allows painters to blend, shade, and highlight all in one stroke of a brush. She still does a number of paintings on full-scale painter’s canvases, but she’s equally thrilled to see her One-Stroke technique adapted to a myriad of other industries — including, recently, nail art. Dewberry says, “I created the One-Stroke method of painting over 15 years ago while teaching myself how to paint. I wanted something fun, quick and easy.

“What’s so great about the One-Stroke technique is it can be adapted to fit many different mediums. I’ve used the technique to paint on faces, food, and so much more. It’s nice to see so many others use the technique I created and apply it to what they love to paint on. Many times my nail tech would run over to ask me how to paint this or that, and after I showed her how to paint that calla lily or rose it was fun to watch her paint it on a client’s nails.” Dewberry is currently working on a book, to be published next fall, which will include a section on One-Stroke nail art. In the meantime, she’s generous enough to share this lily step-by-step. All paints listed are from the Folkart Acrylic Paints line.

To learn more about this technique, visit www.dewberrycrafts.com.

1. Load a rake 3/8 brush with Yellow Citron. Brush across the nail at an angle. (If you’re doing all 10 nails, the paint should be dry on the first nail by the time you’re ready to start the flower.)

2. Load both sides of a #2 flat brush with Magenta, then side stroke Wicker White onto just one side of the brush. On the nail, start with your brush placed where you’d like the flower center to be. Stroke outward and turn to a point, as if you were painting a leaf shape. Repeat this movement to add two petals to the side of the original, then add two petals on the bottom.

3. Add water to make the Wicker White paint inky (but not watery), until the paint pulls a smooth white line. Load a 20/0 liner brush with it. Start with the liner brush in the center, then pull the tip of the brush to create the point of the petals.

4. Load a 20/0 liner brush with Thicket, then pull stamens from the center upward. Touch the tip of the liner brush into Yellow Light, then add yellow to the tip of each stamen. Let dry. Seal with gel top coat.