Casting on nails

Art casting on nails is steadily gaining momentum in popularity. Many ladies of the fair sex are increasingly interested in this type of nail art and for good reason. Manicure with this technique is simply gorgeous.

What is nail casting?

This is one of the types of nail design that is performed exclusively on artificial nails. Such drawings are created on a strip of gel using foil for manicure.

To perform such a manicure at home, you will need some skill, so it is advisable to take the first steps in this direction on false nails. Having tried your hand, you can start training on your own hands. Be patient and don’t be discouraged if the drawing turns out to be uneven at first. This is quite normal for beginners.

On our page you can find a sufficient amount of information about casting on nails and traditional photo and video materials.

Necessary tools and materials

You have probably already understood that casting is performed using foil for manicure. For a more spectacular design, it is advisable to purchase silver or gold foil.

Since casting is performed exclusively on artificial nail plates, we will work with gel. There should be several different colors in the arsenal. A top coat is necessary for any type of manicure, and casting is no exception. Only purchase a gel finish that is designed specifically for working with gel and acrylic.

And, of course, we cannot do without thin brushes and a UV lamp.

Choosing a foil

Foil for manicure is produced in two types: transferable and non-transferable.
Transfer foil is sold in sheets or strips and is often covered with a protective film. Her assortment is extensive, there are fantasies where to roam. It is used both for regular manicure and for extensions. With the help of such foil, you can create almost any design, from delicate to bold.

Non-transfer foil is much more difficult to handle. Such foil is denser than transfer foil and is sold in small rolls. When creating a manicure with its help, the drawing must first be cut out, and then “planted” on a layer of varnish.

If you are striving for the highest quality manicure, then it is better to use E.Mi foil, which is able to leave prints even on sticky skin. This foil is quite thin and flexible, and therefore is just perfect for nail art in the style of art casting.

Design Features

We have already mentioned that casting is performed only on extended nails and it is advisable to use transfer-type foil for this.

The process of performing such a manicure is as follows. Extended nail plates are covered with gel and baked in a lamp. Then we glue the foil to the drawing and polymerize the nails again. At the final stage, with a sharp movement, tear off the foil. As a result, the top layer of foil “gives” your drawing.

The baking time of a manicure in a lamp can be different and depends primarily on the materials used.

Step by step master class

In our today’s lesson, we will create a manicure using the art casting technique. And we will make a simple butterfly on a long jacket.

We will need:

• • gel paints in black, white and pink;

 

• • foil “under gold” without additional effects;

 

• • two brushes: thin and with a beveled edge;

 

• • liquid to remove the sticky layer;

 

• • finish coating;

 

• • directly the nails themselves (artificial, of course).

 

We will not consider the subtleties of creating a jacket here. To do this, you can use the video materials about nail extension and manicure for beginners, which are present in abundance on our website. For our lesson, we need a long jacket, made in a classic style, without unnecessary frills.

To begin with, on the French area, draw the wings of a butterfly. To do this, we collect white and pink gel paints on a flat brush, mix them on the palette and begin to make a pattern using the Chinese painting technique. We dry the nail in the lamp for about 15 seconds.

For a more saturated shade, we make the second layer of our pattern using the same technique. Now we plunge into the lamp for 2 minutes. At the end of polymerization, remove the sticky layer with a special alcohol liquid.

We take black gel paint and paint over the lines on the wings. Bake in a UV lamp for 1.5 minutes using a power of 36 watts. Try to make your lines a little convex, so the foil will be better printed.

We apply the transfer foil with a matte layer to the image, press it well and tear it off with a sharp, confident movement. As a result, gold will be “donated” to the pattern, and transparent lines will remain on the foil, repeating the pattern. If the planned lines of the drawing are not completely dressed in gold, we repeat the imprinting movements as much as necessary. When performing these manipulations, it is important not to move the foil after it has come into contact with the pattern, as this will negatively affect the quality of the resulting print.

Now do the same with the body of the butterfly. We draw the contours of the body with black paint, bake a little in the lamp, make a foil print.

At the last stage, we apply a topcoat on the nail and polymerize in the lamp for about two minutes. Many people use two coats of regular clear nail polish as a top coat. This, of course, is not prohibited, but keep in mind that such a coating holds much less and is more susceptible to various damages. Ideally, you should use a gel finish that is designed to work with gel, shellac, and acrylic. Such a coating reliably protects the foil pattern from abrasion and retains it for a sufficiently long time.

What to do if the foil does not adhere well to the gel?

This problem occurs quite often, especially for beginners. There may be several reasons for this state of affairs.

First of all, pay attention to the quality of the materials you purchased. Maybe the foil isn’t good enough and just doesn’t stick the way it should. Maybe the reason is in the gel itself. After baking in the lamp, a sticky layer should form on it. If this does not happen, then there is simply nothing for the golden layer of foil to stick to. In this case, you can use a special glue for the foil.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the baking time of each layer in a UV lamp. Each gel has its own individual polymerization time. Keep this in mind when creating a manicure.

A manicure made using the art casting technique lasts about two weeks. He is not afraid of harmful environmental factors, so nothing can stop you from enjoying the beauty of your hands in the near future.