I originally posted my fire drag/watermarble design back in June, and have had several requests for a tutorial. After few months, I’ve finally done it!
Video for the middle nail:
I decided to use a white base after finding that the flames didn’t show up too well against a dark background.
As a forewarning, I struggled A LOT with this design this time around. I have no idea how it came so easily the first time, but this round I went through tons of messed up “pulls” and had to remove and redo polish a number of times. So in the end I don’t love these flames as much as the first ones I did, but this is where my patience ends 🙂
The process:
- Choose your colours ( I used red, orange, yellow, and black, in various orders) and have them with the caps unscrewed, ready to go
- Also have a clear polish handy to create the blank “drawing space” in the centre of your bullseye
- Cover your finger, front and back, with liquid latex or tape, up to your second knuckle, and let it dry.
- Apply 5 to 10 drops of colour followed by a drop or two of clear polish to the water. You want the rings to be fairly narrow so you can draw at least three colours into the flame.
- Using a needle tool or toothpick, gently pull flame shapes out of the polish ring. You’ll have time for a couple of attempts if you’re quick in building the bullseye.
- Repeat this step 10,000 times until you get a shape you like.
- When you finally get a shape you like and that fits your nail, turn the bowl until you have a good angle to dip your nail.
- Gently dip your nail in tip first at a 45-degree angle and hold it under the water while you clean up the excess polish using a toothpick. Pull your finger out of the water at the same angle to help prevent picking up any excess polish still in the water.
- Carefully remove the liquid latex – I like to pull it away from the nail first and then back down onto my finger until it curls up into a ring, and then carefully use scissors to cut the ring.
- Clean up any bits remaining around your cuticle and then gently apply a layer of top coat.
Insta video:
Products used
- Base coat: Unt Ready for Takeoff (peel off base coat)
- Essie Coconut Cove for the white base
- Ceramic Glaze Russian Rouge
- Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Sun Kissed
- Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Mellow Yellow
- China Glaze Liquid Leather
- Essence the Gel Absolute Pure (clear polish)
- Seche Vite (quick dry gel effect top coat)
I would love to see some other people try this technique. There are some amazing artists out there and I know some of you are watermarble witches so I’d love to see what you can do!
Until next time
L
I love the tutorial, your design is gorgeous and i love the way you worked it so the flames really pop! I wonder if this design would work if the marble was left to dry and applied like a decal? Then more than one nail might be done from the one pattern? I might try that and see if it works, thank you very very much for this excellent post 😀
Thank you so much! I think applying it as a decal is a great idea – not only could you do multiple nails, you could also control the placement and avoid stretching the design as you dip your nail. Genius 🙂