Calligraphy "Love" Nail Art

About a week (maybe two) ago, I was scrolling through Instagram when I saw a post from one of my favorite Instagram gals, @sloteazzy.  She was using a calligraphy pen to create a nail art design.  My first reaction was, face palm!  Why didn't I think of that?!

I have been interested in calligraphy for a long time.  I think I got my first calligraphy set when I was thirteen or so.  Though I don't write in calligraphy all the time, I do scribe an occasional letter now and then.  I think it is kind of fun to write letters and send them snail mail every once and a while.  I like it even more when I get a response the same way.

Anyways, I broke out my calligraphy pen and some ink and tried it out.  Since, this was a trial run I didn't want to create anything to elaborate, so this is what I did...

I started off with Color Club 'On Cloud Nine' from the Love Tahiry collection (swatches of this collection coming soon), and topped this off with Nicole by OPI Matte top coat.  I thought the matte finish would help catch the ink better.

Since, it has been a bit and because I wasn't sure exactly which tip I wanted to use, I practiced scrolling some letters on paper before I started out on my nails.  I ended up using the smallest tip I own, though the medium tip would have worked well too.

I then carefully scribed the letter L. O. V. E. on each nail.  It worked much better then I had anticipated.

I didn't want to leave my thumb bare so I went a head and drew a heart with the calligraphy pen and used a red nail art striper to fill it in.

A couple pointers if you are going to try this out:

• If you have never used a calligraphy pen before, I strongly recommend you practice on paper first.  Unlike a ball point pen you have to practice to determine the best hold and pressure as well as determining which style text you prefer.
• If you have curved nails like mine (baseball shaped, curved both horizontally and vertically), you may have to adjust your grip slightly.
• Some ink may be a bit runny, if that is the case try to use a little ink at a time and don't apply too much pressure.  You may also have to go over the same area twice, I did in a couple of spots.
• Use a matte top coat or a slightly textured polish to help capture the ink.  Stay away from high gloss or very  smooth finish because the ink will roll or run off.
• One of the most forgiving things about the ink that I used was that it washed off easily.  In, fact I was having trouble with my E, and had to start over three times before I finally got it right.
• Also this ink does take a bit of time to dry, so if you intend to use a top coat give it a few minutes before application.

 I liked the way this looked with the matte finish and wasn't going to use a top coat, but then I thought what the heck.  I need to see how the ink was going to react with the top coat anyways.  So, here it is with Seche Vite quick drying top coat...

I am super excited that this little experiment worked out, I think it has a real romantic feel to it.  Now I need to practice writing smaller, try different colored inks, and practice using my none dominant hand.  So, I'm pretty sure you will be seeing more nail art designs from me in the future using a calligraphy pen.  I hope you enjoyed this nail art design, and found the tips useful.  Thanks for stopping by, see you next time.

Your Fellow Plebe,