I have been doing dragonfly nail art for years. I love how simple it is, yet it makes the manicure really pop. There are all kinds of things that you can do with this simple dragonfly nail art. You can paint several small dragonflies on one nail, or you can create a dotted line, coming from the bottom of the dragonfly, around the other nails to represent the flight pattern of the dragonfly. There are so many possibilities, be creative! Here is how I paint my dragonfly . . .

Note: I will be providing instructions on how to achieve this look with plain polish, along with Gel Polish.Dragonfly Tutorial

Step 1: Prep Nails

View my post on Nail Polish Prep.

 

Step 2: Paint Nails

Paint all of the nails, except the ring fingers, with two coats of blue polish. I used the Shellac color called, [amazon text=Cerulean Blue&asin=B00IRIIDTC]. Then paint all the ring fingers with two coats of white polish. I used the Shellac color called, [amazon text=Cream Puff&asin=B003OGQYC0].

Gel Polish: Apply two coats of blue and white polish and cure in light (curing after each coat). Cure 2 minutes in the UV light, or 1 minute in an LED light. Dragonfly

Step 3: Dragonfly

Here is how I did the dragonfly nail art (view the picture tutorial below) . . . 2: Paint black dots for the body of the dragonfly. 3: Add two curly antennas using a very fine point (I use a pin). 4: Place two dots on one side, just as you would if you were doing a heart. 5-6: Pull the two dots together to make a heart; This will be the wing of the dragonfly. 7: Do another “heart” on the other side for the other wing.

(Note: I did the dragonfly with acrylic craft paint. . . Some polishes can dry almost transparent which makes the image hazy and you won’t get the wow factor you are going for.)
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Dragonfly Tutorial

 

Step 4: Apply Final Top Coat

Now apply your top coat. Make sure the paint is completely dry before adding top coat to help avoid smearing.

Gel Polish: Apply top coat, only after paint is completely dry, and cure in UV light for 2 minutes.

 

Step 5: Allow to Dry and Apply Cuticle Oil

Allow your polish to dry completely. Apply a cuticle oil just around your nails on the cuticle and rub into the skin.

Gel Polish: Remove sticky residue on top of nails with a little alcohol or polish remover and apply cuticle oil.DragonflyRemove gel polish after 2-3 weeks, check out Gel Polish Removal for the quickest, easiest and best way to remove gels.