Nailed it.

I know I can’t paint that design with my left hand. It’s really intricate, and though I can do designs on my right hand, I don’t think I can get that intricate.

I can definitely do designs though, and that is just a matter of practice and keeping your hand steady. My pinky is my savior, and I use it to prop up the rest of my left hand and give me some stability. I’ll also contort my right hand into some pretty strange positions to try to make painting the design easier. The muscle movement in my left hand is terrible compared to my right, so it needs to be as stable as possible. Leave your hand in the same position, and focus on just moving your fingers. Also, move your right hand to meet your left hand’s needs, not the other way around (if you can avoid it).

Also…breathe. Don’t hold your breath. Your back will hurt (at least mine does) because you’ll be working so hard to keep your body in control while you attempt the impossible.

Finally, let things dry completely. You’ll find that you’re very prone to smudging and really silly mistakes like that when you’re painting your non-dom hand. Letting everything dry at its own pace will reduce that risk.

Hope that helps!

Aw jeez, making me blush!

The trick is to moisturize the hell out of them. Just washed your hands? CUTICLE BALM! Just did the dishes? CUTICLE BALM! Need a convenient diet plan that keeps you from snacking on that bag of chips? CUTICLE BALM!

I use the Burt’s Bees cuticle balm and whatever lotion I have on hand.

Also, resist the urge to touch them and pick at them. That was tough for me, but once you start taking pictures of your hands every day for the world to see, you get the hang of leaving them alone.

Finally, use a cuticle remover from time to time to get rid of the grimey pieces that inevitably accumulate. Be gentle and push them bag, then kind of scoop out the gunk with your cuticle pusher. I use the Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover. No real magic behind it, and it’s available pretty much everywhere.

I hope that helps. CUTICLE BALM!

Thank you! I’m so glad you like them!

I just use Photoshop CS5 for my photo editing. I usually don’t change the color much (though sometimes I increase the brightness), but I always add the watermark to try to deter theft and increase awareness about where the images originate from.

If you’re a student and can prove your enrollment (through transcripts or something of the sort), you can get Photoshop and a few other awesome Adobe products for about 80% off. It’s a ridiculous deal, and if you’ve got the money to spare (just over $250), you should really consider it. Photoshop’s not going away any time soon and it’s an unheard of deal for students.