Introduction: Bob Ross Nails

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Hey everyone! I am thrilled to be able to show y'all how to put a likeness of a Bob Ross painting on your nails!! The painting I followed is called Island In The Wilderness, and I just love it!

“I think each of us, sometime in our life, has wanted to paint a picture.” -Bob Ross

Supplies

Nail Polish:

Light blue- Revlon Colorstay Gel envy "Lovestruck"

Bright blue- Essie "butter please" "butter please"

Soft pink- Sally Hansen Insta-Dri "Racing Rose"

Bright pink- Essie "cascade cool"

Dark green- Essie "off tropic"

Bright yellow- Sally Hansen Hard as Nails "Mellow Yellow

Base coat/ Top coat-Sally Hansen Double Duty Base and Top Coat

Nail polish remover: you'll want to use a high quality (or at least not super low-quality) remover. We'll be using it to clean up around the nails at the end of the project and to clean brushes. A maximum strength remover/ one that has acetone in it will make an easier, more precise cleanup.

Dual tipped cotton applicators: It's like a q-tip but has a very pointed end that makes cleanup a breeze. I found mine at Ulta and LOVE them.

Magic Eraser: We'll be using this to create the sunrise effect in the background of the painting. Mr Cleans Magic Erasers are pretty much magic. :) Make sure you're using EXTRA DURABLE ones; the regular ones will fall apart and leave pieces of foam on your nail. Cut pieces about an inch wide and an inch and half long.

Paint brush: To get the details just right, you'll need the smallest paintbrush ever! I'm using the Master's Touch Spotter Paint Brush - Size 18/0

Let's get started! And remember, we don't make mistakes- we have happy accidents. ;)

Step 1: “All You Need to Paint Is a Few Tools, a Little Instruction, and a Vision in Your Mind.”

Step 2: "Be So Very Light. Be a Gentle Whisper."

On clean nails, we're gonna put a nice clear base coat on. A stroke with the brush in the middle of the nail followed by two smaller ones on each side should do it. There we go. :) Wait 5-10 minutes to let your nails dry before moving on to the next step.

Step 3: We're Gonna Start With This Lovely Canvas

As a base color, we'll paint all the nails with the light pink, "Racing Rose". One coat will be enough for the nails that will have a pianting on top. Two coats should be applied to the nails that won't. Once the pink has dried (about 10 minutes per coat), we can move on to the fun part!

Step 4: "Let's Get Crazy"

We're going to make a nice litte sunrise here.

1. Using the bright blue ("butter please"), paint a strip onto the magic eraser.

2. Working quickly so the paint doesn't dry, paint a strip of the lighter blue, (sort of overlapping this one onto the bright blue).

3. Next, a wide strip of bright pink on the eraser sponge.

4. Now, an even wider strip of the bright blue.

5. Making sure the wider strip of bright blue is going onto the tip of you nail, slowly...

6. roll the eraser over your nail. In the picture, I'm applying from the right side, rolling towards the left.

7. Only roll over your nail once. Rolling it over again will sponge the polish right back off.

If the gradient colors are too faint, repeat steps 5-7 over the same nail to get a more bold sunrise.

Step 5: "You Have the Ability to Move Mountains."

We get to use the piantbrush now, yay!!

Dip the brush into the bright blue polish, and then just make some little pyramid shapes with it just above the wide band of blue on your nail. Make one or two or three on the center of your nails.

Clean the brush with a bit of nail polish remover.

Step 6: Some Character and Plants

Now using the brush and yellow polish (mellow yellow), we'll give the big tree a little character. Making a few small strokes the same way you did with the green, paint a little bit over the tree. Make a few swirls and lines a the bottom of the tree and around it to make some happy little plants start growing. Clean the brush.

Step 7: "Everyone Needs a Tree As a Friend."

Using the brush and the green polish (off tropic), we're gonna make a large tree on one side of your nail. Start by painting a vertical line of green from the tip of your nail to almost the base. Then make lots of small horizontal strokes with the vertical line as center, getting longer towards the tip of your nail, to give the tree its' branches and needles.

Step 8: "Some More Happy Little Trees"

Now we're going to give the big tree some friends. Still using the brush and green polish, on the oppsite side from the big tree, paint some happy little trees. This can be as easy as some vertical lines clustered together. I like to mix it up on different nails by putting 5 straight little trees on one nail, and maybe 2 jagged ones with branches on another nail. One all your nails have some trees, wash the brush with nail polish remover.

Step 9: A Little Reflection

Using the light blue (lovestruck) and the brush, just paint some gentle not-too-straight lines. They can be lines, they can be splotches, either way they'll be beautiful and will reflect the blue sky a litte bit.

Wash the brush with nail polish remover.

Step 10: "If You Do Too Much, It’s Going to Lose Its Effectiveness."

Now it's time to clean up a bit! Get your cotton applicator wet with nail polish remover and just rub gently around the edges of all your nails to remove the excess nail polish.

Step 11: Just Smooth It Over

Now we paint the base/top coat on all your nails. Let them dry and... All done!!!!

Step 12: "If I Paint Something, I Don't Want to Have to Explain What It Is..."

Your painting is done! If you followed this Instructable to paint your nails, please, please, please share pictures!!! Thanks so much for reading! Please like and share :) and be a happy little person!

Inspiration from Bob Ross ;) and Nails by Erin