Stencils for nails: types and rules of use

Fashionable manicure in our time has become not a luxury or inheritance of the elite. Just neat and well-groomed nails are not enough to create an exquisite finished look. Femininity can be emphasized using various types of nail design. Manicure can be chosen according to the mood, situation or even the pattern of the dress. Even those who are far from artistic pursuits, today can succeed in creating an original nail design thanks to various devices for creating nail art.

Any stencil is a blank for drawing. It is carried out, as a rule, on a dense paper basis or cardboard, metal. Recently, film and vinyl stencils have appeared. A stencil is a sheet of some material on which a picture is cut.

You need a stencil to create smooth, clear, neat patterns. It will be the same for manicure on all nails or may vary in size of the drawings. If you don’t know how to draw, or if your hand isn’t well enough yet, masters recommend using a stencil technique for applying patterns to decorate nails.

The spread of stencils for nail design began with the use of simple strips to create a French manicure. At the moment, there are thousands of options for drawings and patterns embodied in a variety of stencils. You can choose simple plain figures, magnificent flowers, painting in oriental style or whole plots and landscapes.

There are affordable one-time paper-based options., as well as reusable stencils for professionals (they cost significantly more, and some skills are needed to use them). A special place here is occupied by stamping kits. If desired, you can make stencils yourself, as will be described below.

It is reasonable to choose a certain type of stencil from economic feasibility, taking into account the frequency of use and the level of professional skills. Also important in the selection is the type of pattern and the effect that should turn out on the nails. They can be used with the usual varnish or one of the fashionable types of gel polish.

This type of stencil refers to reusable material. A completely new look, which has already gained great popularity among both beginners and masters. Usually they are sold already in sets in the form of metal (are more expensive) or plastic plates, a rubber pad (roller) for transferring the pattern to the nail and a special scraper to remove excess paint from the plate.

Different groups of patterns are usually applied on one large plate. (8, 12, 16 on one). A pattern is selected and coated with a special stamping paint. Excess pigment is removed from the plate with a scraper. Then, by pressing the pattern is transferred to the rubber pad, and already printed on it on the nail plate. The process is simple and gives a spectacular result. Be sure to fix it with a top coating.

When applying a pattern with a brush, disposable stencils-stickers are most often used. They are cheap and sold in whole sets. Their main advantages: ease of use, affordable price, a huge selection of design options from simple shapes and graphic designs to complex, delicate patterns.

The paper stencil is glued with the sticky side to a well-dried nail coating. Smooth out the nail with an orange tree stick. Fill the free space with a gel or varnish of a contrasting color. After drying with a quick movement, the stencil is peeled off the nail. Before applying the drawing, it is important to ensure that all the edges of the stencil are properly glued and the varnish does not fall outside the boundaries of the outlines.

More expensive reusable options are usually used by masters in nail salons. They require some skill and experience in using stencils.

Vinyl stencils in the form of stickers are one-time options. Their cost is slightly higher, and some craftswomen manage to use them repeatedly. Compared with paper counterparts, they have significant advantages. Such stencils fit better on the nail and practically do not create the possibility for ink to leak beyond the boundaries of the stencil outline of the picture. They are much easier to place evenly on the nail plate.

These materials are used by nail art professionals, as the design with ombre coating by airbrushing requires a special device - an airbrush. Blanks for airbrushing are usually made of thin film, less often - of metal. After attaching the film sticker to the nail and leveling the surface, spray paint is applied using an airbrush. After drying, the stencil is removed.

The correct use of stencils will help step by step instructions for creating the original design. It is applicable both to make simple patterns and to apply complex patterns.

Use the advice of specialists to accurately and fully translate the desired pattern on the nail.

• Before proceeding with the decoration, it is necessary to properly prepare the nails. To do this, perform a regular care manicure.The special tool removes the remains of the previous manicure. For nails and skin of the hands make a bath that strengthens the nails. The cuticle is cut or removed in the usual way. The nails are filed to the desired shape and size. Then, the nail plate is treated with buff and a degreasing agent is applied. A mandatory step of any manicure is the application of a colorless base coat to protect the nail and extend the durability of the manicure.
• Next, you can begin to create the actual design of manicure and apply the selected foundation with gel polish. One or two layers are used, each of which is carefully dried under a UV lamp for at least 2 minutes.

• To transfer the pattern using the stamping technique, select the desired ornament on the plate. We apply a special stamping agent on it. An ordinary gel or varnish will not work, as it does not have the desired properties and consistency. Paint is usually applied with a brush. Remove excess paint from a metal stamp. Then make an imprint on the rubber stamp, pressing it firmly to the plate.
• Before applying to the nail, make a couple of prints on plain paper. Then, the selected pattern is transferred from the cushion to the nail plate with a firm press. The manicure is polymerized again. For better durability, the resulting pattern is covered with a top coating, which is dried under a UV lamp and the adhesive layer is removed from it.

Using ordinary disposable patterns for drawing a pattern is even simpler in technique. However, for the result to please, it is worth getting acquainted with some of the intricacies of such a manicure, which the professionals of the nail industry tell.

• When using adhesive templates, apply gel polish as thin and uniform as possible. So he can dry better. And when you remove the template, the ability to remove paint from the main layer is reduced to zero.
• Especially carefully you should monitor the tight fit of the stencil, because the paint leaking over the edges of the picture can spoil the whole picture. Paint over an empty slot starting from the middle towards the edges.

• A professional trick will help to even out the design of the drawing - the use of a self-leveling top coating.
• When removing the template, it is best to use tweezers. They capture the corner of the sticker as close to the nail plate and peel off with a gentle movement parallel to the surface of the nail.
• To draw complex patterns, mesh, or subtle elements, it is best to use the thinnest brush of zero size or a toothpick. When creating a fashionable geometric pattern, you can use ordinary strips of adhesive tape.

If you can’t buy ready-made stencils or want to create your own unique design, which is not for sale, you can make them yourself at home. To do this, paper or cardboard, tape or masking tape, a pen, a thin felt-tip pen and scissors are useful.

You can find pictures on the Internet or create your own, print them on a printer using scaling and reduction.

The drawing is transferred to tape or masking tape using a felt-tip pen. For the thinnest details use a pen. Cut patterns on the finished lines will not be difficult. Next, we use such home-made templates, like ordinary store ones. When applying to the nail, it will be especially necessary to smooth the stencil so that there are no wrinkles or voids in contact with the surface.

Screen painting involves the use of various techniques. It is good both on its own and in addition to various types of design. With the help of templates, the simplest and most popular French manicure is created, as well as its variety - lunar.

The stencil is the main device for creating a popular novelty: manicure in the negative space technique. In this case, only one color of varnish or gel is needed. The stencil is not used to paint the inner area with a contrasting color, as is usually the case. On the contrary, with the help of the template, the inner area remains empty. A cutout effect is created on clothing.

Creating a festive manicure with glitter painting and metallized materials will not do without screen painting. Gold and black monograms are appropriate to create using a variety of patterns based on nude tones. Thematic manicure for the New Year is often created using patterns in the form of snowflakes or more complex patterns: a snowman, Christmas trees, Santa Claus. Often use the patterns of the craftswoman and to create a nail design for Valentine's Day. Colored hearts, kisses and doves bloom on the nails of most girls in the country.

If you have not yet mastered the painting technique and are unsure of using a brush, but you really want to create a beautiful and elegant drawing, use stencils to create an ornament in the form of the finest lace or mehendi painting.

Most often, templates are used to create paintings in plant subjects. Such patterns look no less impressive than hand-painted. And a manicure design is created quickly enough. A pattern with flowers or monograms is the most popular among most women. We offer to make a drawing in the style of "screen rose" step by step.

• First, choose a stencil with a picture of a rose. We select two contrasting colors of varnish or gel to it. It can be not only classic black and red, but also pink and white, beige with gold and any other combination.
• After a standard manicure, we cover the nail plates with a base. Dry them for a minute under the lamp.
• Then apply one coat of the base color. Dry it for at least three minutes under a UV lamp. The next step is performed on each nail individually to obtain a more accurate result.

• Apply a thin second coat of color and dry under the lamp. To prevent the picture from spreading, remove the sticky layer from gel polish.
• Next, glue the selected template to the nail plate. Carefully level it on the surface. We apply the selected second color of the contrasting varnish into the free slots of the template.
• Dry the pattern and carefully remove the stencil. To fix the picture we use a transparent top coating. Do not forget to dry it well and remove the sticky layer at the end of the procedure.
• If desired, you can complement the pattern with sequins or rhinestones. To do this, we plant them on an uncoated coating after applying the drawing on a stencil. After applying the topcoat, you can refresh the pattern using the dewdrop technique. To do this, they often use dots and the usual transparent top-level tool. Dotsom put round and oval droplets on the leaves and rose petals. The manicure is voluminous, more effective and naturalistic.

According to reviews by both masters and amateurs, to create their first manicure options, templates are simply a universal thing. They help beginners to execute the patterns neatly and please themselves with a beautiful manicure, even with a minimum of skills. Stencils are used even by experienced professionals, because they save a lot of time. The drawing is high-quality.

The template is a very affordable option for creating manicure in the most fashionable techniques. This is also noted by all without exception. You can use the most affordable options, it does not affect the quality of manicure. And if there is absolutely no way to purchase ready-made stencils, then you can make them yourself.

The quality of future manicure is most strongly affected by the density of gel polish and the observance of the correct technique for working with templates.Therefore, it is important to use the advice of professionals to get the best result. Creating using stencils is easy and enjoyable.

An overview of nail stamping in the video below.