Nail Art: What is it?
Nail art is a type of artwork that can be done on both finger nails and toe nails. It's a creative way to design, embellish, or decorate using artistic and expressive skill and ability.
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Nail Art Defined in the Age of Gen Z...
Nail art in today's age takes on a whole new form of self expression. From realism to graphic patterns, there's no doubt about it that nail art is just like any other form of art. These 10 tiny canvases truly showcase what it means to take art onto a whole new level...
Photo via @leximartone on Instagram
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Photo via @balujanails on Instagram
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Photo via @nubellanails on Instagram
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Photo via @nailz_by_dev on Instagram
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An Interview with Stone Zhang
Stone Zhang is a junior here at Northview High School. Over quarantine, Zhang picked up nail art for fun, experimenting and expressing his creativity through color, design, and shape. Here's a look at his work and artistic journey:
Q: What inspires you when creating nail designs?
A: If I’m gonna be honest, most of my inspiration for nail designs comes from Pinterest and Instagram. I think being able to see other people's work is a good way to get your own brain working, and a lot of nail art is seeing an image you like and wanting to get it done on your nails, but there’s always that leeway where you can tweak a design to make it suit yourself and your vision. And sometimes halfway through, you decide to change the entire design and create something completely original, it all just comes with the process.
Q: How has nail art let you express your own creative identity?
A: I think nails are like 10 tiny canvases that you can just do whatever you want on, whether it be the design, shape, or color, it gives you endless opportunities to try different things. Just like with everything, my taste and interests change and sometimes I'm obsessed with classic French, or another time I like more abstract designs that utilize negative space and I think to myself “I can’t believe I thought the French was cute." I’ll switch from dark colors to pastels and back and forth and through that I'm able to try new things and see what works for me and I'm able to show my current interests and ideas for the world to see.
Q: Is nail art a form of art just as much as other traditional forms of art?
A: Yes but sometimes it feels like a no. Sometimes it feels like you’re just copying a design onto the nail and it's almost like you’re doing a paint job on a car, I don’t really see the art in it. But sometimes you create a design that you look at and you’re like “Wow, I did that, I painted that. And it's a masterpiece.” And in those moments I feel like an artist that finished 10 tiny paintings. And on top of that, there's people out there who can paint faces and movie scenes and anything you could do on a regular canvas with a regular brush and they are certainly just as much artists.
Q: Is this a career path you'd like to pursue in the future?
A: I'm not completely sure to be honest what the future has in store for me. It would definitely continue to be a hobby for me, but regardless of whether or not this turns into a career, it has definitely benefited me in being able to explore my artistic side, something I never thought I would do, and quite frankly I never thought I had.
A: If I’m gonna be honest, most of my inspiration for nail designs comes from Pinterest and Instagram. I think being able to see other people's work is a good way to get your own brain working, and a lot of nail art is seeing an image you like and wanting to get it done on your nails, but there’s always that leeway where you can tweak a design to make it suit yourself and your vision. And sometimes halfway through, you decide to change the entire design and create something completely original, it all just comes with the process.
Q: How has nail art let you express your own creative identity?
A: I think nails are like 10 tiny canvases that you can just do whatever you want on, whether it be the design, shape, or color, it gives you endless opportunities to try different things. Just like with everything, my taste and interests change and sometimes I'm obsessed with classic French, or another time I like more abstract designs that utilize negative space and I think to myself “I can’t believe I thought the French was cute." I’ll switch from dark colors to pastels and back and forth and through that I'm able to try new things and see what works for me and I'm able to show my current interests and ideas for the world to see.
Q: Is nail art a form of art just as much as other traditional forms of art?
A: Yes but sometimes it feels like a no. Sometimes it feels like you’re just copying a design onto the nail and it's almost like you’re doing a paint job on a car, I don’t really see the art in it. But sometimes you create a design that you look at and you’re like “Wow, I did that, I painted that. And it's a masterpiece.” And in those moments I feel like an artist that finished 10 tiny paintings. And on top of that, there's people out there who can paint faces and movie scenes and anything you could do on a regular canvas with a regular brush and they are certainly just as much artists.
Q: Is this a career path you'd like to pursue in the future?
A: I'm not completely sure to be honest what the future has in store for me. It would definitely continue to be a hobby for me, but regardless of whether or not this turns into a career, it has definitely benefited me in being able to explore my artistic side, something I never thought I would do, and quite frankly I never thought I had.
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Photos via Stone Zhang
Getting Started on your Own...
1. Nail Tool Kit
Description: A 10-piece nail tool kit that will help your mani-pedi's look put-together and pretty.
Price: $15
Description: A 10-piece nail tool kit that will help your mani-pedi's look put-together and pretty.
Price: $15
Here's an inexpensive guide of all the things you need that are essential to your nail artist journey:
2. Fake Nails/Tips
Description: Fake nails/tips are a great way to extend your nail length and shape by yourself. These also provide a solid base for your colors or designs you choose to do.
Price: $9.49
Description: Fake nails/tips are a great way to extend your nail length and shape by yourself. These also provide a solid base for your colors or designs you choose to do.
Price: $9.49
3. Polish
Description: Brands like Essie or OPI are great beginner polishes that provide you with an easy to use applicator and nice, opaque color.
Price: $5-10
Description: Brands like Essie or OPI are great beginner polishes that provide you with an easy to use applicator and nice, opaque color.
Price: $5-10
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