31 Day Challenge, Day 27: Inspired by Artwork

Inspired by artwork! I had to take many many art history classes in college, and there were a lot of artists that I really wanted to emulate on this one! However, I didn't think that my skills were at a high enough level to be able to do them justice and translate the style well to the nail.

There was one artist, though, that I thought would be perfect for nail art: Jackson Pollock. Here's the mani that I ended up with, with the inspiration painting inset.

The painting is called One: Number 31. It lives at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. Here's a larger view of the painting alone.

Jackson Pollock, One: Number 31

My colors weren't perfect, but I did what I could with what I had and I think it still captures the spirit of the piece. I started with a base of China Glaze Recycle (which got completely covered). Then, using multiple straws, I splattered on different layers of China Glaze White On White, OPI A-Taupe the Space Needle, and Wet N Wild Ink Well.

The splatter technique is done by dipping a straw into your polish bottle, and then blowing the polish on to your nail from a distance. COVER YOUR WORKSPACE WITH WAX PAPER!! This is a messy technique, and I don't want you to ruin your table trying it! I learned that the best way to get a real splatter instead of just blobs of polish on your nails is to use short and hard breaths when blowing the polish on to your nails.

Also, word to the wise: use tape to block off your finger skin before you start blowing polish everywhere. I just jumped right in without thinking about it on my first hand (not smart), and I had polish everywhere. Clean up was a nightmare. Then I taped off my fingers for my second hand. Clean up was still not fun but was definitely more tolerable...

First try (lol):

After I got smarter: