Manicure painting Gzhel – Gzhel on nails: Russian traditions in modern designer manicure

Manicure in the style of folk crafts is steadily gaining popularity.

What is Gzhel, what are its colors, patterns, how to choose the shape, length and coating of nails, methods of creation, as well as design options for Gzhel manicure - in our article.

We will also give step-by-step instructions for performing Gzhel-style nail designs at home.

Folk art at your fingertips

Gzhel is a type of decorative and applied art in which white earthenware ceramics are painted with cobalt blue paints.

A manicure in this style is created in a similar way; a blue pattern is drawn on a white background polish .

Manicure option with Gzhel pattern

Manicure in the Gzhel style is relevant at any time of the year.

In winter, it will make you feel like the Snow Maiden;
In summer it will give the image an airy lightness.
This manicure will suit a business suit with a white blouse, nautical-style clothing, and denim items.

Color spectrum

The color scheme of Gzhel painting is monochrome , limited to shades of white and blue .

The artistic effect is achieved through the intensity of blue color from almost black to soft blue, using the “brushstroke with shadow” .

Gzhel patterns in blue manicure

The main motifs in the ornament are flowers and leaves, decorated with figured frames, dots, and figured cartouches.

Flowers are formed from drop-shaped strokes.

The frame of the picture can be geometric - in the form of stripes or grids.

Coverings for Gzhel manicure can be anything, since this is primarily a painting. Gel polish as a base will make the manicure more durable, but regular polish will do. The drawing is done with nail polishes or acrylic paints.

Which nails are suitable for Gzhel manicure?

Gzhel manicure on long rectangular nails

Extended and natural nails of any length allow you to create a manicure in the Gzhel style.
The longer the nail, the more space for decoration and imagination of the master.
Short nails will suit more laconic motifs.
The shape of the nail plates can be any, but this manicure looks more organic on rounded shapes.

How to do a manicure in the Gzhel style?

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Modern manicure design options are simply endless. It's no secret that everything new is well forgotten old. Therefore, Gzhel painting, known to us since ancient times, is coming back into fashion. If you want to give yourself a manicure in this style, you can rest assured that it will look impressive, bright and stylish.

Methods of drawing

There are many methods for creating Gzhel style manicure. Therefore, everyone, regardless of skills and experience, can easily find the best option for themselves. Let's look at the main ones.

Brush. This method will allow you to create a unique pattern that is as similar as possible to real traditional painting - unique and original. However, painting with a brush will require skill; not everyone will be able to immediately master thin curls.

Stickers. This is the simplest, fastest and most accessible method for everyone. You don't spend a lot of time on a manicure, but still get the perfect result.

Stamping. This method is especially appreciated by those who design nails. The patterns are applied to the nail plate using a special stamp. The result is a perfectly even pattern, identical on all nails. This definitely cannot be achieved with hand painting with a brush. True, to learn how to use the stamping technique, you will also need to practice a little.

Preparatory stage

Even the perfect design will look ugly if the skin of your hands and cuticles are unkempt. Therefore, before you start applying varnish, make a special hand bath. It may consist of warm water mixed with herbal infusion. But you can prepare a bath based on soda, salt, lemon juice or acid, vegetable or essential oils.

When the skin becomes soft and moisturized enough, you need to take care of the cuticle. Gently move it away using an orange stick or a special tool from a manicure set. After this, trim off the excess stratum corneum. Be extremely careful and make sure not to leave any wounds or burrs, otherwise your manicure will look sloppy. Try to remove the cuticle completely, since the Gzhel-style design involves maximum coverage of the nail plate.

Then give your nails the desired shape. Oval or square nail shapes are best suited for a Gzhel-style design. Choose the length depending on your preferences. Short nails are now at the peak of popularity, besides, they are quite practical and less demanding to care for. Long nails will allow you to create a real manicure masterpiece. Now all that remains is to level and polish the nail plate. If this is done, you can start drawing.

Design creation

First of all, you need to apply a base coat to the nail plate. With its help you can make the surface perfectly smooth. Moreover, when applied to the base coat, the varnish will look as beautiful as possible, fully revealing the color saturation. Then apply white polish to your nails. It can be either glossy or matte. If you wish, you should combine both options, it will turn out quite stylish.

Then apply the pattern with varnish. You can use all shades of blue and light blue for this; don’t be afraid to experiment and choose interesting combinations. The more shades, the more voluminous and “live” the drawing will be. However, do not forget that it is important to have a sense of proportion in everything.

These tips are relevant when you apply a pattern using a brush or stamp. If you chose Gzhel style stickers, then just carefully apply them to the nail plate.

A little trick: if you don’t have a brush or stamping handy, you can make a blue and white nail design using a regular needle. It’s definitely in every home. Apply white polish to the nail plate, and then add a few drops of blue pigment to the surface. Immediately after this, without waiting for the varnish to harden, connect the droplets into a peculiar pattern. This method is suitable even for beginners, but it will look pretty good and stylish.

The final stage in creating a manicure will be the application of a fixative. It can even be an ordinary colorless varnish. This will keep your manicure looking flawless for much longer. But be careful and apply the final coat of varnish only after the previous layers have completely dried. Otherwise, you risk ruining your manicure. Don't forget to apply a special nourishing cuticle oil to ensure your fingers look beautiful and well-groomed.

To learn how to do a Gzhel-style manicure, watch the video below.

Ways to create a Gzhel manicure

There are several ways to create such a manicure.

Drawing. For the drawing you will need a thin brush, dots or toothpick.
The selected pattern is applied to the background white varnish with neat strokes, decorated with dots or droplets of blue on the white background and white on top of the pattern.
If you do not have the artistic skills to make a stroke with a shadow, it is recommended to first make the ornament blue and only then go darker along the center of the elements.

Artistic painting of Gzhel patterns on nails

Stickers. The choice of stickers - water-based or adhesive - determines the technology for creating a manicure.
Stickers water based, like decals, are first soaked in water, then the image is transferred to the nail. The pattern looks like it was drawn by hand.
Adhesive-based stickers are more convenient to transfer to the nail, but the image on them is not waterproof, so it is important to quickly secure it with a protective coating.
The video tutorial will tell you more about how to make a Gzhel-style manicure using stickers.
When the background polish has dried, the cuticle and skin around the nail are treated with a protective agent.
Colored varnish is applied to the stencil, the excess is scraped off, an imprint is made on a rubber stamp, then the design is transferred to the nail with a rolling motion.

For a lesson on how to perform a Gzhel manicure, watch the video.

Step-by-step instruction

We would like to offer you a very simple version of a Gzhel manicure, which you can handle even if you have never painted nails before. This design is designed for beginners and is done using a needle on wet varnish. To create nail art you will need white, blue polish and a regular needle . Instead of blue varnish, you can use acrylic paint. Let's take a closer look at the manicure technique.

Get your nails in order: give them the same beautiful shape using a nail file, and treat the cuticle. In short, perform a high-quality hygienic manicure so that nothing spoils the impression of the finished design.
Do not paint all your nails at once - the design is done slowly, one finger at a time. So, cover your nail with a thick layer of white polish.
Immediately in the center of the nail, vertically place several dots of blue polish in two rows.
Everything needs to be done quickly enough so that the varnish does not have time to dry. Take a needle and draw along each row of dots as if you were drawing a spiral. Repeat with the second row. You will be surprised, but before your eyes the dots will instantly turn into an intricate pattern, very reminiscent of Gzhel.
Repeat this technique on all other nails. Wait until completely dry. To ensure that the design does not lose its freshness longer, you can apply a layer of topcoat on top.

That's all - a simple but interesting ornament imitating Gzhel painting is so amazingly simple and quick to make. Of course, there are more complex options, but this design is a great start for those who are just learning the technique of painting nails. If something remains unclear to you in the step-by-step instructions, we recommend watching a useful video that demonstrates each step of the design.

This manicure, despite the cold colors in which it is performed, is completely universal. It can be paired with a light summer dress in appropriate colors; in winter it will perfectly replace a manicure with snowflakes. It is neutral and minimalist, so it is suitable for work, leisure or important events.

Gzhel manicure at home step by step: instructions for beginners

Nails are processed and a base coat is applied.
The background varnish is applied in two layers to avoid gaps.
The surface is filed to remove gloss, so the design will lie better.
By drawing out drop-shaped strokes, a drawing of a rose or peony flower is formed. If desired, a frame is created with dots or wavy lines.
Top coat is applied on top.

A master class on creating a beautiful manicure using the Gzhel technique is presented in the video.

Gzhel on nails

Gzhel is one of the types of manicure that is done using Russian folk patterns and cool colors. This art looks very elegant and modern. Therefore, it is not surprising why the Russian folk pattern has become so popular not only in Russia, but also abroad.

It may seem that doing such a manicure yourself is quite difficult and problematic. Applying this pattern will not be difficult. It’s worth learning simple secrets on how to make your own manicure with Gzhel patterns.

Features of Gzhel nail design

This design is becoming popular due to a number of distinctive features:

Gzhel style nail design is suitable for both business women and young girls;
the color scheme of a white or glazed background color, as well as a violet, blue, blue pattern is combined with different styles of clothing;
you can get a beautiful composition if you combine colors and patterns correctly;
a manicure with Gzhel painting on nails stands out among others due to the uniqueness of the patterns;
attracts the attention of others by its appearance;
The painting is not at all difficult to apply; even a person who does not know how to draw can handle it.

To complete the design yourself, you need to master the basic rules of application.

Color scheme for manicure in Gzhel style

To create a manicure, professional artists use mainly cool colors. Below are photographs of examples of Gzhel designs on nails.

Blue.

Blue.

White.

Violet.

The right combination of colors is the basis for a successful design.

How to make a Gzhel pattern on nails

At the moment, there are three ways to apply the pattern:

To apply the design you will need a thin brush and a regular toothpick. First apply a background coat of white varnish. Afterwards, draw a pre-selected ornament, which is decorated with blue droplets on the background.

To get a beautiful manicure, you need to purchase high-quality white varnish for Gzhel painting. A good option is a varnish coating from the well-known company Essie.

There are two types of stickers: water-based and adhesive-based. First soak water-based stickers and then transfer them to the nail itself. The advantage of these stickers is that they are waterproof.

Adhesive-based stickers are first transferred to the nail plate, then covered with a special protective layer. They do this so that the resulting manicure lasts longer, even if water gets on it.

Stamping is a method in which manicure is performed using special stencils and rubber stamps. Cover the nail plate with background white varnish, then treat the cuticle and skin around the nail with a protective agent. Then apply varnish to the stencil, remove the excess, then print the pattern on a stamp, and only then transfer it.

Gzhel on nails step by step: master class

To create a manicure you will need:

base coat for leveling the nail plate;
thin brushes, dots (the second can be seen with a needle);
several varnish coatings of different shades for applying a pattern, then you will get a more interesting ornament;
a protective coating that will save the manicure from the mechanical effects of external factors.

Now you can begin to apply the pattern itself step by step at home.

Apply base coat.
Apply background coating. Typically two or three coats are required.
File the surface. This is done in order to remove the gloss and allow the drawing to lie better.
Draw a rose flower and petals by drawing out strokes. Apply wavy lines if desired.
Finally, apply a protective coating.

If something is not clear, you can see step-by-step manicure application in more detail here:

Photo of Gzhel manicure

Usually the pattern is made with large strokes and more closely resembles the curls of flowers. The main colors in Gzhel style manicure are blue, cold blue, and white. Often craftsmen experiment, adding and combining new colors and ornamental elements.

In the photographs above you can see how modern Russian traditional ornaments look.

Conclusion

Manicure with Russian folk patterns can be done in different ways. It’s quite easy to make the ornament yourself, even if you don’t know how to draw. Suitable for all women, it will highlight any look, especially nautical style clothing.

Design ideas

This type of manicure goes well with the French .
French manicure, made in white and blue, is decorated with floral patterns so that the blue pattern on white turns into white on blue.

Gzhel design combined with French manicure

Gzhel in a frame will emphasize the shape of your nails.
The frame can be along the entire contour of the nail or only along the outline of the free edge and along the cuticle.

Gzhel patterns in a blue frame

Gzhel patterns in a blue manicure will look great. It is enough to highlight 1-2 nails with them.

Gzhel patterns in blue manicure

Useful tips

For a Gzhel manicure to turn out well, it is important to purchase high-quality white varnish.
The pattern will turn out better if you practice on paper before drawing on your nails.
The effect of a stroke with a shadow will be achieved if you apply blue paint to one edge of a flat brush and blue paint to the other.

Gzhel style patterns are suitable for all types of nails.

This ornament can be made in different ways; it is not difficult to make at home yourself, even without drawing skills. This design is relevant both for every day and for a special celebration.

Gzhel manicure on nails: how to draw, master class, photo

Most people associate Gzhel with the production of ceramics and porcelain in white and blue shades. Stunning patterns, mostly floral, have already won more than one heart. Craftsmen of nail art were also inspired by the most delicate designs and decided to transfer them to their nails. It turned out very elegant and original. Do you want to paint your nails like this yourself? The site Beauty-Hands.ru will teach you how to do a Gzhel manicure.

Preparatory stage

In this case, it is simply necessary, because your manicure will definitely attract the eyes of others. You can't let minor imperfections ruin the experience.

Make a hand bath with warm water or herbal decoction. This will help soften the skin.
Next, use an orange stick to push back the cuticle or do a trim manicure. This step is very important, since the nail hole is also subject to decoration and will become part of the overall design. Gzhel on nails usually covers the entire space.
Use a polishing block to smooth the surface of the nail plate.
Use a ceramic nail file to give your nails a beautiful shape. Square and oval shapes are ideal for this type of painting.

The basis of everything

Gzhel manicure copies the traditional painting of dishes and decorative items made in the Moscow region. The main colors of this art form are white and all shades of blue. Sometimes bright yellow spots may be present. The white coating will be the basis of our design. That is why his choice should be taken seriously.

Buying snow-colored nail polish becomes a problem for many. A coating of this shade should apply just perfectly and have a glossy, unobtrusive shine. In general, if you decide to master Gzhel nail design, then invest in a good white polish. For example, a very good option is presented by the Essie brand. A pleasant milky shade can be found in the Ciate line. Well, traditionally the OPI brand makes us happy

What else will you need for painting?

The varnish base evens out the nail plate.
Thin brushes for manicure. Choose those that are convenient for you. You can practice on paper first.
Gzhel manicure is the kingdom of blue and blue. Prepare several varnishes of the desired shades or water-based acrylic paints. In the second case, you can limit yourself to only white and blue, and then mix them on the palette.
Varnish is a fixative. Do you want to extend the life of your masterpiece? Then be sure to use a top coat.

If you have purchased everything you need in the store, then you can start creating a drawing. We advise you to study as many photos of Gzhel as possible to get inspiration and find the desired pattern.

Gzhel on nails in a frame

This option is suitable for those with long nails. The technique is like this:

Cover your nails with a base coat and then two layers of white polish.
Using a thin brush, draw a blue line around the entire perimeter of the nail plate. So we get a frame, the width of which is no more than a millimeter.
In the center of the nail, paint a flower with the same blue color. It could be a rose, peony, narcissus. It all depends on your imagination and skill.
Use blue and white varnishes to add volume to the design. Emphasize the shadow with dark, and place light spots with white. The Gzhel nail design is already starting to work out.
Around the flower we draw spirals and curls that imitate foliage. Just don’t overdo it; don’t overload the pattern with details.
It is better to do the drawing in a vertical direction, this will help add grace to the nails and hands.
We fix the beauty with a top coat and enjoy the result.

French manicure Gzhel

It is not necessary to cover the entire nail with white varnish. If you are an ardent fan of the French manicure, then no one is stopping you from decorating a boring and boring manicure with a cute blue design.

Do a standard French manicure with a white nail tip and a milky base coat. The base polish can be applied in two layers to slightly neutralize the pink tone of the nail plate.
Now we draw blue-blue flowers, leaves and curls. We start from the tip of the nail and go lower, but there is no need to reach the hole.
We fix the Gzhel on the nails with colorless varnish and let it dry thoroughly.

Manicure with a needle

This option will appeal to those who do not have pronounced artistic talent. Even if your daisies with a brush turn out to be lopsided, then use a very simple and accessible technique.

Apply 2-3 layers of white polish to the nail.
Now put small dots in blue in different places.
Apply blue polish to the centers of the blue spots.
For more volume, you can also add tiny white droplets on top.
Now we perform a Gzhel manicure with a needle or toothpick. To do this, we draw thin curls from the center of the spots. You will get unusual flowers.
Connect them together to achieve a single pattern.

With practice, you will master this incredibly beautiful nail design. This pattern is suitable for every day and for a special event.

Ekaterina S for the site Beauty-Hands.ru