Animal Print Nails
Animal print nails can be a full set, a single accent or a print tucked into a French tip. This gallery holds finished designs you can copy or adapt, including Textured Animal Print Nails with a matte, sandy finish and Shiny Zebra Print Nails in high gloss.
Compare the two finishes side by side to decide which feel you prefer.
3 in Animal Print Nails
Animal print nails ideas
- Leopard accent: a French tip or nude set with leopard spots on the ring finger keeps the print subtle. More tip ideas are in French nails.
- Zebra stripes: black on white is graphic and bold, while white stripes over a bright color feel softer.
- Matte and textured: textured polish gives a print a natural, velvety look. Skip a glossy top coat to keep it.
- Metallic: gold or bronze spots over black turn the print into an evening look.
Getting the print right
Animal prints look most convincing when they're uneven. Vary the size of each spot, break up the outlines, and let the pattern run off the edge of the nail instead of fitting neatly inside it. A fine brush or a nail art pen makes the outlines easier to control, and the animal print nail art tutorials show the process in real time.
Choosing a finish
Glossy prints look sharp and polished; matte prints look softer and more like real fur. If you can't decide, paint the print in gloss and add a matte top coat to one accent nail. You can also try print colors on a drawn hand in your skin tone with Try it on before you paint.