This design is one I’ve done before, but in a new colour combination. I’m part of a Facebook group called When Colours Collide, which has a fortnightly  challenge to create nail art using two or three specified colours. This print actually featured in that challenge’s promotional image, but no one else had given it a go. So I present to you Camouflage Blues.

This was very last minute, and I’m sure I could have come up with a different design if I’d given myself a bit more time.

Camouflage Blues: where black, blue and white collide

Camouflage Blues: where black, blue and white collide

This is a really easy design, and it is great for beginners at nail art. Read on to find out what you need to create this.

Polishes and Tools

Models Own White Light
Barry M Gelly Blue Grape
AEngland Camelot
Pure Color Nail art brushes #9 and #10
Seventeen Deconstructed nail studs
Orange stick

You’ll need to start with a white base, or if you are using different colours, your lightest or sheerest polish. Since you’ll be layering one colour on another, this will give you the best effect.

Camouflage Blues: where black, blue and white collide (right hand)

Camouflage Blues: where black, blue and white collide (right hand)

Camouflage Blues

After your base is done, you can start with your next colour, in my case blue.

I used a nail art brush with just a small drop of polish on the tip at a time. I could get that from the stem of the brush in the bottle – no need to make a mess!

You are aiming for organic shapes, so no need to be perfect. Try not to cover up too much of the base to start with – leave plenty of space.

You can make it as bold or detailed as you want, and it depends on how big your nails are, but I put about five blue shapes on each nail.

You’ll probably need to clean your brush a few times as you go, so keep acetone or remover handy. If you let the dried polish build up on your brush, your strokes will be bigger and it will be difficult to get the details you want.

Then use your last colour in exactly the same way.

I made fewer, bigger shapes with black. Partly that was down to a slightly thicker polish, but it made the design look more natural.

Camouflage Blues: where black, blue and white collide (macro)

Camouflage Blues: where black, blue and white collide (macro)

The last step is adding some metal studs – you can always skip this step if you don’t have any or are happy with your design.

I added a bit of top coat where I wanted the studs, then used a damp fingertip to get them roughly in place. I used an orange stick to manoeuvre them into a half moon pattern around my cuticle.

I finished it off with two coats of top coat. The extra helps the studs stay put – I didn’t lose a single one!

There’s another macro shot above – this was the first one I took with my new clip on lens.

Placing the studs probably took me longer than painting the design itself! So this is a really easy design to do but looks deceptively intricate.