There are very few people that last 25 years in this business like I have, and I do not believe you need hands-on instruction to learn nail art. I have only had one three-minute hands-on experience (when I was being led through the nail school I was about to join), and the only thing it did for me was spark my desire to go to school.
I do believe you need to have two things as an apprentice: determination and desire. Determination will keep you up until 3 a.m. practicing your designs, and the desire to be a great nail tech will keep you going. I have taught hands-on classes for many years. I have done tutorials for YouTube for 2.5 years. Being a teacher in both mediums, I will say that I cannot answer how badly the nail tech wants to succeed but how badly she wants it is exactly how good she will get.
Instruction is available online free everywhere you turn and trial and error will have to pave the way for your future. A lot of people cannot handle this and quit the first year of doing nails. I am doing all I can and giving all I can so quitting doesn’t happen, and women who have no money for hands-on courses can still succeed.
I cannot tell you how many nights I was up learning how to make a perfect French manicure or trying to perfect a striping brush technique, but I will say that in the end, it was worth it.
— Robin Moses is a licensed nail tech and her free nail art tutorials are available on www.robinmoses.com.