Red, Gold & Green Neon Gradient w/mini tutorial!

Hello Dahlings!

 

*sigh* I am so not a traditional Christmas colors kind of person. In fact, I rarely use these colors on my nails da rest of da year (unless some theme specific nail art requires them) & I have very lil clothing to go with my nails when I do use them. Black really does go with everything! LOL However, after doing several more subdued manis (they matched my mood, but didn't really qualify as 'cheerful') I needed to bust out with some neon before da season ended...

 

 Is there anything better than a scatter holo in da sun?

Unless it's a linear holo in da sun. LOL

 

 Da line up: Kleancolor Neon Fuchsia 21, Santee Gold Bright,

Ruby Kisses Lime Green With Envy, China Glaze Angel Wings

plus reverse grip tweezers & a bit of sponge

 

 1 coat of Gold Bright.

Normally I would apply 2 coats for full opacity, but with a gradient planned,

it wasn't necessary. This was my go to gold/yellow polish in 2012 

cuz it has such a lovely rich color. It does go on a bit streaky with da 1st coat,

but da 2nd smooth's it out. It also passed my stamping test.

 

 This is what I use to create my gradients. It's a bit of dog bone sponge (this is a cartoon bone shaped car washing sponge, they're big, cheap & work well for all kinds of stuff) held in a pair of reverse grip tweezers. I know many bloggers use make up & other sponges in a larger size for their gradients, but I like da control I get with da smaller piece & my sponges last a long time since I cut them into lil bits.

This smaller size also cuts down a bit on clean up!

 

 I trim my sponge bits to about 1/4" wide by a lil shorter than my nails are at da time.

This one is about 1/2" long since my nails are about 5/8" from cuticle to tip right now.

 

 I paint one stripe of all 3 colors on da sponge then dab it side to side & a lil up & down the nail. (up & down means from cuticle to tip, not closer & farther from da nail) Da side to side motion applies da colors in bands & da up/down motion blends the demarcation lines. Some peeps don't include da base color when they sponge or only apply one color at a time, but these methods don't always give you a smooth transition between colors.

I wanted da green to be a bit stronger & I also wanted da gold to be even with da other colors, so I painted just those 2 colors on da sponge for a 2nd coat. I do each nail with da 1st coat, then go back & do da 2nd coat.

A word about color choices & placement on the nail: da polishes you select to use for a gradient will blend together where they meet as well as show da base coat if da polishes are on da sheer side & you can create a 3rd color. If you put 2 colors that are opposite on da color wheel (i.e. complimentary colors: red/green, yellow/purple & blue/orange), overlapping each other on your nail, you are very likely to make mud. What is mud? When 2 complimentary colors are mixed together (or are sheer & overlapped) ...they tend to make brown. This is why I have da gold between da red & green cuz I don't think Christmas mud looks very pretty. LOL

 

 After da 2nd sponged coat.

See how da green is now opaque & da gold more equal to da other colors?

I started sponging on my left hand with da red at da top,

but that looked a bit like I had bloody cuticles,

so I turned da sponge around.

 

I added a coat of Angel Wings to bring on da bling!

 

A coat of Seche Vite really brings da sparklies out to play!

 

Gradients are fun & easy to do! If you pick a 3 color glitter topper & 3 polishes that match da glitters, you get a really nifty shift of colors since one of da glitters will show less over each color of da gradient. A nail art optical illusion!

End wear report ~ I had a bit of tip wear over da 3 days I wore these nails. Da sponged layer doesn't count cuz it's so thin, but obviously one coat of Gold Bright with SV tc isn't up  to a week of wear. 

 >^..^<

Ciri says...

I no care bout dat, Meowmy! Gimme shiny shell fud!

(Good thing it was me getting begged & not Mr Inky

or Ciri would be round as a sofa cushion

cuz Mr Inky cannot refuse Ciri's big begging eyes! LMBBO)

 

Now go enter da Jingle All The Way Giveaway!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Inky