DIY Beach Nail Art

A how-to for the perfect summer design!

Posted by Celine Does Nails

About

These are the basic steps I took to paint the nail design seen in the last photo. You truly can use any colors of paint or polish you have, but here's just what I used.

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You Will Need (6 things)

  • Light Blue Nail Polish
  • Blue Nail Polish
  • Several Acrylic Paints
  • Clear Nail Polish
  • Thin Paintbrush
  • Makeup Sponge

Steps (8 steps, 120 minutes)

  1. 1

    The first step is the sky. For this I used a makeup sponge to create a light to dark blue gradient. Go about half way down your nail.

  2. 2

    Next step is to paint the water and sand. This is where I started to use acrylic paint. As you can see, about 1/3 of the nail is dedicated to each section.

  3. 3

    Next you are going to add a lighter shade of blue to the water. Gently move the paintbrush back and forth. For the sand I added a darker shade of acrylic paint.

  4. 4

    Step four is to add white acrylic paint. Use a dabbing motion with your paintbrush to create a foamy look where the water meets the sand. Use very gentle strokes to add highlights to the water as well.

  5. 5

    Next paint the base of the palm tree. I used a brown acrylic paint for this step.

  6. 6

    Next is to paint the leaves of the palm tree. This can be kind of tricky but try to look at a picture of a real palm tree to get it right. I used a lighter, olive green for this step.

  7. 7

    Almost done! Next I used both a darker green and brown acrylic paints to add shadows to the palm tree leaves.

  8. 8

    Last step is to add top coat! Make sure to let your design dry completely before you do so. (Oh and I guess I added some highlights to the palm tree trunk in this step too.)