Shopping for a Nail Art Brush
Nail brushes allow you to create designs and textures on your nails that make them works of art rather than simple colored nails. Before you start shopping for a nail art brush you should consider what you want to create and what types of brushes will work best for you. Then you can head over to your local beauty supply store or shop online to find the nail art brushes that you need.
Types
Fan: The largest of the bunch, these are used for backgrounds and to create texture. If you want to make a rainbow background, line up a bunch of colors on your palette right next to each other and dip the fan into the line, making sure it picks up all of the colors. Then simply brush onto the nail. To create texture, dip the tips into paint and blot onto the nail haphazardly.
Flat: These come in various sizes and sets generally have a few different ones. Use these for basic coloring and whenever you want a thick stripe. You can also mix things up by dipping each side in a different color to get a multicolored design. This is your go-to brush and is perfect for backgrounds as well.
Flat Angle: Basically the same as the flat brushes in size, these have an angled edge that makes them great for tapered points. If you want to make a flower, all you have to do is dip the brush into the paint and gently touch down, lift up, and repeat in a circle. You can also use these in the same manner as the flat brush.
Liner: For those who like detail, this is a must. It is great for drawing intricate designs, creating dots and making lines. The lines will not be as thin as the Striping brush, but this is a very versatile detail brush.
Dotter: Self-explanatory; this one makes dots. A popular design is spirals made of dots that go from large to small.
Striping: These are super long and very thin and excellent for creating stripes (like on flags). You can also easily angle them into loops and zigzags, anything that has a scroll effect. Quality brands are often sold alone or in sets of three.
Where to Shop
Most places sell the brushes in sets and, because they are so darn cheap, you might as well get the whole set.
Sally Beauty Supply: This store can be substituted for any local beauty supply store. In this particular one, they have a set of four that includes the flat, 2 liners and striping brushes. They also sell expensive, quality brushes individually, but if you are not a professional nail artist you can get away with the cheaper brushes.
My Nail Products: This website has discount beauty supply items and is a great place to get a large 10 piece set with all the trimmings. The whole set only costs $7.50 because it is technically a wholesale purchase. If you want even more options, get the 15 piece set that has more flat brushes. They also sell 2 different sets of striped brushes.
Amazon and eBay: Both of these host sites will have sets of brushes for extremely low prices. You will find the largest variety of sets and the lowest prices here. They are also good places to buy individual brushes.
