Showcase: Miniature Nail Artworks

Hello old friends and new!! Today's post is a showcase of my latest nail-art, featuring a hand-painted collection of 10 distinctive designs for each fingernail. I created this nail art with no theme in mind -- I was just practicing my micro-doodling -- the result: a melting pot of swirls, scribbles, tribals, abstract & realism. This creative chaos combines some of my favorite elements in art (which is so very me) and is pretty cohesive overall. What do you think?

Read more!

To create this nail art, I used my sister's kiddie nail art polishes, which, to my surprise, are a lot more professional than I expected. These polishes include a brush and a micro-pen (a needle-like pen with a hole) that releases a tiny amount of polish to create intricate designs. The polish also has a gel-like consistency and dries much faster than regular nail enamel. Lastly, because they are formulated specifically for children, these polishes are non-toxic and totally safe to use. 

I'm talking about NailsChic 8 polishes nail art set -- purchased at FAO Schwarz in NYC

QUALITY: Although I like the innovation and technology of these polish pens, I'm not quite sold on the actual product. Out of the 8 colors in the set, only 5 are nicely pigmented and completely opaque. These colors are: Black, White, Orange, Blue, and Pink. On the other hand, the purple is a throw away, the green is only visible when used over white (see "The Tree of Life" nail art) and the yellow needs several coats to be opaque -- which is OK, if used as a base. Note: designs using yellow as decoration are more textured than others.

Counter-clockwise from top left:

• Abstract Tiger -- orange base; white & black designs
• Black Tribal -- black base; white, yellow & orange designs
• Tree of Life -- white base; black, green, orange & yellow illustration
• Stairway to Heaven -- blue base; white, orange, yellow & black designs
• Pink Tribal -- pink base; black, white & blue designs

Clock-wise from bottom left:

• Graffiti Scribbles -- white base; black, green & blue designs
• Blue Bug -- blue base; pink, white, black & orange designs
• Creepy Swirls -- pink base; white & black designs
• Tribal Mask -- black base; yellow, blue & white designs
• Eye C U -- yellow base; black, white & blue designs

Because I'm right-handed, my natural instinct is to overcompensate for my left hand by controlling it and creating extra detailed designs. It takes me longer to do my right hand with my left, but I end up with crispier lines and a more intricate outcome. The drawings on my left hand, however, feel freer because the lines aren't as precise. I'm not quite ambidextrous just yet, but I'm working on it!

This nail design collection isn't for the faint at heart and took about an hour to complete, not counting drying time. The "EYE C U" thumb nail art took the longest: at least 10 minutes, while the "Abstract Tiger" and "Graffiti Scribbles" pinky nail designs took about a minute each. 

I've always had a fascination with miniatures. As a kid, I drew and cut out tiny paper dolls, making sure I cut out each finger and hair strand perfectly. I've drawn and cut out thousands of these dolls, given them names, and knew them all by heart. I even lined them up in height order, taking up all the floor space in my room. I may have been a weird kid with a wild imagination, but as an only child, I had to keep myself busy. I no longer draw paper dolls, I'm no longer an only child haha, and my imagination is nowhere near as vivid; however, the one thing I carried away from my childhood is my passion for details. Today, I feel the most at ease when I'm creating something miniscule like nail art or eye makeup and I get a total kick out of detangling micro chains. Heck, I sometimes still get carried away... :))

Do you have a child-like passion?

bisous,

Maryam Maquillage

♥

Join me on FACEBOOK / TWITTER / BLOGLOVIN

Maryam Maquillage © 2012. www.maryammaquillage.com