One-phase versus three-phase systems — base, gel, top. Medium-hardness gels in a bottle with a brush, for strengthening and short to medium length. Hard builder gel for any length and any shape. Polygel and acrygel: a hybrid of gel and acrylic, a rigid system, excellent for the stress zone and very thin nails. Grain size, plasticity, how they file, why they are low-temperature — and what to check before you buy one.

Paper forms for extending the free edge to any length. Dual forms for correcting eagle-shaped and trampoline nails, rebuilding side parallels and growth points. Liquid gel tips for fast salon work. Each has a job; using the wrong one is why sculpting goes badly.

Standard, onychogryphotic and trampoline-shaped — how to identify them at a glance and how form placement changes for each.

The form is always cut anatomically to the nail. For a square, place it slightly upward so the stress zone is protected and you can pinch the material. For a natural almond, place it level.

Deep smile and flat nail — cut deep. Deep smile and arched nail — cut wide and deep. Straight smile and flat nail — cut straight. Straight smile and arched nail — deep and wide, following the arch. Asymmetric free edge — transfer the asymmetry onto the template. Four cases and their combinations, practised on real hands.

Where the main drop goes and why the stress zone is the frame of the whole nail. Minimum 0.5 mm along the side walls. Working with a modelling brush for gel and a moistened brush for acrygel.

Rough shape on all ten fingers first. Then the cuticle zone — file from centre left and centre right, no pressure, minimal material at the cuticle. Then create three planes on the nail, then smooth them towards the centre. Lower side parallels drawn out from the growth point. The upper arch — never letting the file tip towards you. Then the final shape and length.

If you already coat confidently — yes. If you are still learning to coat, take the classic course first; sculpting on top of an unstable base teaches you bad habits you will have to unlearn.

Almost. The point is that if the material is laid out correctly, filing becomes shaping rather than rescuing. There is always some filing — just far less of it, which means less damage, less dust and much less time.

Both. They behave differently and you should know which one to reach for in front of a real client.

No, everything is provided. Bring your own brushes if you want me to look at them — brush choice affects the result more than most masters expect.

Yes, from three masters. I send a checklist of what each workstation needs beforehand.