Friday, October 24, 2014

Giant Leopard Moth Inspired Nail Art

Giant leopard moth nail art by @chalkboardnails

As a person with a desk job, I often find myself browsing Reddit on my breaks for sweet photos, interesting news and makeup inspiration. Recently this photo of a giant leopard moth from user /u/Toblerone44 made it to my front page, and I loved it so much I had to try to replicate it on my nails. It's such a crisp pattern, and looks so delicate and beautiful but graphic at the same time.

Giant leopard moth nail art by @chalkboardnails

Nail polishes used:
OPI Angel With a Leadfoot
Formula X Extraordinary
Formula X Dark Matter

Not too much to explain here! I started with the white base, and used a small nail art brush to paint on the grey markings. I added the black outlines, making some of them thicker at the bottom (to mimic the photo), and then finished with topcoat.

I think I did pretty well at replicating the photo, but wish my black lines had come out just a bit thinner. The moth's markings are so delicate, I just wasn't quite able to capture it exactly. This is a design that I'd love to try in gel.

Giant leopard moth nail art by @chalkboardnails

Here is the original photo from /u/Toblerone44, used with permission.

Giant leopard moth by /u/Toblerone44 on Reddit

This isn't my first rodeo as far as unusual animal prints go! In the past, I've done goldfish scales, sea slug, poison dart frog, and manta ray nail art. Have you ventured outside of leopard/zebra print? How did you like it?
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12 comments

  1. The inspiration for these nails are cool! They look great.

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  2. I saw this photo on Reddit too but it never occurred to me to turn it into nail art--very clever idea!

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  3. maybe next time try an oil sharpie for the thinner lines? Love these :)

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  4. Beautiful animal...never knew they existed. Love the interpretation!

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  5. Super cute mani! And that moth is so pretty!

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  6. Omg! That bug is so gorg! I hate bugs in general but I love moths for some reason. You are really paying homage to the moth with your mani :)

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  7. This is gorgeous! I love your nails so much. :)

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  8. What a cool moth! LOVE the symmetric print it has, and you translated it so well to your nails :).

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  9. So cute! And such a cool idea using a moth as inspiration! I might have to start looking more outside the box for inspiration for my next nails. :D

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  10. Isn't it amazing what beautiful things nature creates?! That moth looks pretty and you did a great job recreating its pattern on your nails! Love it.

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