Stencils for nails: types and rules of use

Fashionable manicure in our time has become not a luxury or the lot of the elite. Just neat and well-groomed nails are not enough to create a sophisticated, finished look. Femininity can be accentuated by using different types of nail designs. Manicure can be matched to the mood, situation, or even the pattern of the dress. Even those who are far from artistic pursuits today can succeed in creating original nail designs thanks to various nail art tools.

Any stencil is a template for a drawing. It is performed, as a rule, on a dense paper base or cardboard, metal. Recently, stencils on film and vinyl have appeared. A stencil is a sheet of some material on which a drawing is cut.

We need a stencil to create even, clear, neat patterns. It will be the same for a manicure on all nails, or it may differ in the size of the patterns. If you don’t know how to draw or your hand is not yet well “stuffed”, the masters recommend using a stencil technique for applying patterns to decorate your nails.

The spread of stencils for nail design began with the use of the simplest 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, uncomplicated figures, luxurious flowers, painting in an oriental style, or whole plots and landscapes.

There are affordable paper-based disposable options, as well as stencils for reusable use for professionals (they are much more expensive, and some skills are needed to use them). Stamping kits take a special place here. If you wish, you can make stencils yourself, which will be discussed 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, the type of pattern and the effect that should be obtained on the nails plays an important role in the selection. They can be used with your usual polish or one of the trendy types of gel polish.

This type of stencil is a reusable material. A completely new look, which has already gained great popularity among both beginners and craftsmen. They are usually sold in sets in the form of metal (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.

One large plate usually contains different groups of patterns. (8, 12, 16 on one). A pattern is selected and covered with 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 from it it is imprinted on the nail plate. The process is simple and effective. You should definitely fix it with a top coating.

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

A stencil made of paper is glued with the sticky side to a well-dried coating of the nail. Smooth on the nail with an orange tree stick. Fill the free space with gel or varnish in a contrasting color. After drying with a quick movement, the stencil is peeled off the nail. Before applying the pattern, 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 outline.

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 disposable options. Their cost is slightly higher, and some craftswomen manage to use them repeatedly. Compared to paper counterparts, they have significant advantages. Such stencils adhere better to the nail and practically do not create an opportunity for paint to drip beyond the boundaries of the stencil outlines of the drawing. It is much easier to place them evenly on the nail plate.

These materials are used by nail art professionals, since the design of the 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 sticker-film to the nail and leveling the surface, spray paint with an airbrush. After drying, the stencil is removed.

Step-by-step instructions for creating an original design will help you to use stencils correctly. It is applicable both for making simple patterns and for applying complex patterns.

Use the advice of experts to accurately and fully translate the desired pattern onto the nail.

• Before you start decorating, you should properly prepare the marigolds. For this, a regular grooming manicure is performed.The remnants of the previous manicure are removed with a special tool. For the nails and skin of the hands, make a bath that strengthens the nails. The cuticle is trimmed or removed in the usual way. File the nails to the required shape and size. Then the nail plate is treated with a buff and a degreasing agent is applied. A mandatory step in any manicure is the application of a colorless base coat to protect the nail and prolong the durability of the manicure.
• Next, you can start creating the actual design of the manicure and apply the selected base with gel polish. Use one or two layers, each of which is thoroughly dried under a UV lamp for at least 2 minutes.

• To transfer the drawing using the stamping technique, select the desired ornament on the plate. We apply a special stamping agent on it. Regular gel or varnish will not work, since it does not have the desired properties and consistency. The paint is usually applied with a brush. Remove excess paint from the metal stamp. Then an imprint is made on a rubber stamp, pressing it tightly against the plate.
• Before applying to the nail, a couple of prints are made on plain paper. Then the selected pattern is transferred from the pad to the nail plate by firm pressing. The manicure is polymerized again. For better durability, the resulting pattern is covered with a top coat, which is dried under a UV lamp and the sticky layer is removed from it.

Using conventional disposable patterns for patterning is even easier in technique. However, in order for the result to please, it is worth carefully familiarizing yourself with some of the intricacies of such a manicure, which are told by the professionals of the nail industry.

• When using adhesive templates, apply gel polish as thin and even as possible. This will help it dry out better. And when you remove the template, the ability to remove paint from the main layer will be reduced to zero.
• You should especially carefully monitor the tight fit of the stencil, because paint leaking over the edges of the picture can ruin the whole picture. Paint over the empty slot starting from the middle towards the edges.

• A professional trick will help to align the design of the picture - the use of a self-leveling top coating.
• It is best to use tweezers when removing the template. They grab the corner of the sticker as close as possible to the nail plate and peel it off with a careful movement parallel to the surface of the nail.
• For intricate patterns, meshes or thin elements, it is best to use the thinnest zero size brush or toothpick. You can use regular strips of duct tape to create a trendy geometric pattern.

If it is not possible to buy ready-made stencils or you want to create your own unique design that is not on sale, you can make them yourself at home. For this, paper or cardboard, scotch tape or masking tape, a pen, a thin felt-tip pen and scissors are useful.

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

The drawing is transferred to scotch tape or masking tape using a felt-tip pen. For the finest details, use a handle. Cutting patterns along finished lines is not difficult. Next, we use such homemade templates as ordinary store ones. When applied to the nail, it will be especially necessary to smooth out the stencil carefully so that there are no folds or voids when it comes into contact with the surface.

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

The stencil is the main tool for creating a popular novelty: a manicure using 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. Conversely, with a template, the inner area is left empty. Creates a cutout effect on the clothing.

Creating a festive manicure with glitter painting and metallized materials will not do without stencil painting. It is appropriate to create gold and black monograms using a variety of templates based on nude tones. Themed 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. Craftswomen's patterns are often used to create nail designs 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 hesitant to use a brush, but you really want to create a beautiful and graceful drawing, use stencils to create an ornament in the form of the finest lace or mehendi painting.

Most often, templates are used to create a painting in a floral theme. Such patterns look no less impressive than painting with a brush by hand. And a manicure design is created quickly enough. A pattern with flowers or monograms is the most demanded for most women. We propose to make a drawing in the style of "stencil rose" step by step.

• First, select a stencil with a rose image. We select two contrasting colors of varnish or gel for 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, cover the nail plates with a base. We dry them for a minute under a lamp.
• Then we apply one layer of the base color. We dry it for at least three minutes under a UV lamp. The next step is performed on each nail separately to obtain a more accurate result.

• Apply a thin second coat of color and dry under the lamp. To prevent the drawing from spreading, remove the sticky layer from the gel polish.
• Next, glue the selected template to the nail plate. We carefully level it on the surface. We apply the selected second color of contrasting varnish into the free slots of the template.
• Dry the pattern and carefully remove the stencil. To secure the picture, we use a transparent top coat. Do not forget to dry it well and remove the sticky layer at the end of the procedure.
• If you wish, you can add glitter or rhinestones to the pattern. To do this, we plant them on an undried coating after drawing a pattern on a stencil. After applying the topcoat, you can freshen up the pattern using the dewdrop technique. For this, dots and the usual transparent top-end product are often used. Round and oval droplets are applied with dots on the leaves and petals of the rose. The manicure is voluminous, more effective and naturalistic.

According to the reviews of both masters and fans of creating their first manicure options, templates are just a universal thing. They help beginners to complete the patterns neatly and please themselves with a beautiful manicure, even with a minimum of skills. Even experienced specialists use stencils, because they greatly save time. The drawing is of high quality.

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

The quality of the future manicure is most strongly influenced by the density of the gel polish and the observance of the correct technique for performing work with templates.Therefore, it is important to use the advice of professionals to obtain the optimal result. It is easy and pleasant to create using stencils.

An overview of stamping for nails in the video below.