Amateur Nail Artist, Myself: I Promise These 19 DIY Designs Are Actually Within Reach

Start With Simple Tools

Nail artist Sigourney Nuñez recommends a clean-up brush, dotting tool and liner brush as a useful starter set. The tools can help with tidying polish and making basic designs.

A clean-up brush dipped in nail polish remover can sharpen the edges of a manicure, Nuñez says. She uses a Simply Simmons #4 painter’s brush, but an old angled eyeliner brush can also work; it should not be used on the eyes afterward.

For dots, Nuñez suggests trying a dotting tool or using items such as a bobby pin, pencil eraser or brush end. When ready to make lines, she says one liner brush can create different widths by changing the pressure.

Prepare Nails With Care

Before applying base coat, remove existing polish, file nails into the desired shape and tidy the cuticle area. The advice cautions against overdoing cuticle work. Brooklyn-based nail artist Anna Miles recommends regular cuticle care between manicures. She suggests gently rubbing the area with a towel after a shower, then applying hand cream and cuticle oil after washing hands.

Practice, Then Try Color

It can take practice to judge how much polish to load onto a dotting tool, brush or sponge. Testing the amount on paper first can offer a useful guide, though paper does not curve like a nail.

A skittles manicure is one simple starting point: paint each nail a different polish shade. The approach also gives beginners a chance to experiment with color combinations. Nuñez encourages beginners not to let perfectionism spoil the experience. She describes painting nails as a creative, colorful form of self-expression and self-care.