Black Diamond Academy Yorkshire

Day 5… and that’s a wrap! ✨
The final day at Nail Mansion started with an introduction to airbrushing, learning everything from setting it up and controlling the airflow to cleaning and maintaining it correctly. We worked through practice exercises to develop control before moving on to creating our own airbrushed designs.
In the afternoon, we put those new skills into practice before returning to the avant-garde needlepoint stiletto we built earlier in the week. Unfortunately, I didn’t quite finish decorating mine before time was up, but I managed to complete the colour blend and add the start of a lace effect. I’ll be finishing the rest at home, and I can’t wait to see the final result.
What an incredible week it’s been. I’ve learnt so many new techniques, stepped outside my comfort zone, met some truly inspiring educators, and made memories that I’ll treasure. Every tutor was so generous with their knowledge, and we were looked after from start to finish—it really was a special experience.
A huge thank you to everyone involved in making Nail Mansion such an unforgettable week. I loved every minute of it, and I’m already looking forward to doing it all again next year! ❤️

Day 4 at Nail Mansion 🎨✨
Today’s class was with the incredibly talented Rose , and what an inspiring day it was!
Portrait and character painting has never been my strongest area, so I was really looking forward to learning from someone whose work I absolutely admire. Nixxi has such a brilliant way of teaching. She didn’t just show us what to do—she explained why. From where to place shadows to how shading creates depth and brings a character to life, those little tips made such a big difference and really helped everything click into place.
By the end of the day, I was genuinely surprised with what I’d created. It’s probably one of the best character/portrait I’m most proud of and definitely pleased with the result. It just goes to show how much difference a great educator can make.
It was an absolute pleasure to meet Nixxi, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on her tutorials to continue learning. Another fantastic day at Nail Mansion, leaving with more confidence and plenty of inspiration. ❤️

✨Day 3 at Nail Mansion ✨
Another day of learning, creating, and picking up new techniques! Today our class was with minovolondon , focusing on creating a beautifully balanced long stiletto nail.
We explored using Mylar flakes, shells, and coloured acrylics to build depth and detail into the final design, while also learning how Acrygel can be used as an alternative to traditional acrylic.
As always, the demonstrations were packed with tips—from correctly fitting the form to achieve the perfect angle and structure, to understanding the stages needed to create a strong, elegant long stiletto.
Every day here is another opportunity to learn, refine my skills, and be inspired. I can’t wait to finish decorating this set later in the week! 💙