Basic Tartan Nails

I remember that when I started this blog, I was interested in making tutorials. I haven't really kept up on that, but hopefully this one comes in time for A Tartan Tale for those of you who want to go with plaid nails. I never thought the day would come when I would attempt a look based on Blackwatch Plaid. Sorry, no argyle tutorials.



For this look you will need:
Base Color
Contrast Color
Accent Color (some plaids have 2, but however many you have, you will need a thin brush)

Try to get colors that are creamy and opaque. Shimmery colors and sheer colors are very difficult to work with. If you have nail art supplies at home, you can really use any color you have by putting it onto a palate and then getting the appropriate brush size for the task.

1) Start out with a fully dried Base Color. Balackwatch plaid is a forest green so you can use either a deep teal or a dark green.


2) Take your Contrast Color and make 2 stripes across your nails so that you have 4 evenly spaced stripes. For Blackwatch this will generally be a blue.




3)Take your Accent Color and make a thin stripe in the center of either your Accent Color or your Base Color, but not both. Most plaids and tartans have a bright color like white, blue, or red. Blackwatch generally has a black Accent Color which is why it's so hard to photograph (but it does show up IRL).




4) We've been working with horizontal stripes up until now, but here's where the vertical stripes come in. Taking your accent color go down the outer edge of the nail in 2 thin stripes. Rotate your nail to the other side and do the same. You should have 4 vertical stripes that are very close to each other, but allow the other colors to peek through between them.


Finished.