Sammy Does is the 3D artist printing sculptural chrome nails of the future

Titled Angelic Armor, the two-part limited collection features a 10-piece set of acrylics and a jewelry-like nail ring, both accompanied by bespoke digital pieces created by SYKY. Inspired by Yu-Gi-Oh! card archetypes and other childhood motifs, the collection showcases Does’ signature aesthetic of sculptural 3D design and high-shine chrome airbrush detailing. 

The self-taught designer began experimenting with 3D in 2020 after discovering Japanese nail artist Tomoya Nakagawa on TikTok. She bought her first 3D printer, an Elegoo Mars 2 Pro, and started creating at home. Her first wearable piece, which she still has, was a scorpion sitting on a nail. “It was weird,” she says. “Totally not wearable, but really gorgeous.”

After that, she kept going. “I thought I loved being a makeup artist until I discovered 3D design,” she says, describing balancing makeup artistry with learning her new craft through experimentation and YouTube tutorials before going all in on her new career. Since then, she’s worked with Mugler, APOC STORE, and more. We spoke to Does to find out more about the Drop, her creative process, and the transition from makeup artist to full-time 3D designer.

How do 3D design and printing help you express yourself as a creative? Would you be able to make the pieces you want without them?

Sammy Does: I think it's about transformative potential for me, and the nails are how it manifests because they can instantly transform how you behave and think about your body. 3D design feels natural; I don’t think about it too much, I follow my intuition. I like to dream, but sometimes I want my dreams to be more than dreams; I want them to be a part of me and be able to wear them. If I want to wear it, I have to make it. 3D design and printing let me bring my vision to life.

I don’t know why more people don’t use 3D printing. It’s developing so fast: it’s getting easier, and the quality keeps getting better at a lower price point. It’s wild that a machine that can print your ideas exists and that it’s accessible.

How does it feel to see people wearing your pieces?

Sammy Does: I feel blessed that my work speaks to people. These pieces are not for every day; they’re showpieces. I hope that by wearing them, people can discover a fierce, powerful side of themselves. Like, if you can put on fantastic nails, you can feel and behave differently instantly.

Is powerful how you want people to feel when they wear your nails?

Sammy Does: I love using the word dangerous. A lot of my inspiration comes from characters in video games – they look dangerous, they can pick a fight, they're strong. I try to emulate that energy. But at the same time, I want to be childish, playful, and silly, which is also video game-related. I want to capture that childlike wonder in my work. When I wear my nails, I feel like I'm showing a different side of myself. I feel like a baddie. It's that simple.

This Drop includes a nail ring, alongside your signature press-ons. Why did you want to create something that could be taken on and off more easily?

Sammy Does: The nail ring is a little plug-and-play. Instant transformation. It’s something people can wear every day. This is a new direction for me. I  think about the design process non-stop; I'm so focused on wearability. How will a wearer react and feel? Is the piece sitting comfortably? Not everyone can apply and wear my insanely constructed nails, so I wanted to make it easier.

Let's talk more about your creative process, starting with inspiration.

Sammy Does: My entire framework is from my childhood – cartoons and video games. Those never really left me. I love Yu-Gi-Oh!, I still collect the cards and play the game, and I rewatch the show a few times a year. What’s not to like about insane monsters that fight each other? As a child, I had a sense of wonder about these fantasy beings. I want to capture that feeling of wonder in my work, like, how cool that you can be a part of that world, that you can wear it? 

What comes next?

Sammy Does: Once I have the inspiration and the idea, I try a few sketches. Sometimes, I’ll dive straight into the program; I use Blender and I'm experimenting with sculpting in ZBrush. When I have a prototype design ready, I print it and put it on to see how it feels. There’s a lot of back-and-forth with prototypes, but once I'm happy, I print and finish it.

When I started, I only had one printer, but now I have a studio with loads of equipment: Three 3D printers, an airbrush booth, airbrush guns, monitor, tablets. For this collection, I used Elegoo's ABS-like transparent resin and 8K water-washable resin and printed the pieces on the latest Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra paired with the Mercury X washing and curing machines.

What does post-process look like for a full set of your nails, and how do you get that metallic sheen when you airbrush?

Sammy Does: I’m obsessed with chrome. To achieve the metallic effect I want with airbrush paints, the nail surface has to be really, really smooth – you want it to be shiny before you even put the first layer of paint on, so you have to sand the nails to perfection. You start with the lowest grade and go up: 3000, 6000 … five times on each nail. Finishing is incredibly time-consuming. I love it, but one full set of nails will usually take about 20 hours of post-processing over two days. It’s intense.

Do you think that fashion is embracing 3D design more?

Sammy Does: I think 3D design and printing is growing incredibly fast and designers are continuously pushing the boundaries. Fashion is opening up, but there’s a difference between perceiving it and actually doing it. 

Was your time working in the fashion industry as a makeup artist useful to your new career?

Sammy Does: 100%. It was super helpful. I learned how to be a networking Godzilla. When you’re a makeup artist, you have to be a networking girl. That's how you get the job. You’ve gotta go to London, you’ve gotta go to Paris, you’ve gotta go to all the parties. But I was also surprised by how well received my nail designs were by big artists – bigger than when I was doing makeup. I was like, ‘Wait, should I be focused on nails right now?’ That’s when I made a conscious decision to pursue the nails because I saw people really liked it.

How did you find the transition from makeup to pursuing your new path in 3D design?

Sammy Does: I struggled for a long time. I had discovered this incredible passion, but I still had to pay my bills, so I couldn't make as much time for it as I wanted. I was working so much, I was isolating myself, and I realized something had to give. I started doing less makeup, applied for an artists’ grant, gave up my apartment, and moved back home with my parents so I could focus on my career as a 3D artist.

How does it feel to be able to do this full-time?

Sammy Does: I'm having the best time ever. All I want to do is go to my studio and work every day and now I can. I believe in what I'm doing; I just had to make a lot of sacrifices to get to this point. I'm still struggling, but they are happy struggles. If I could give me of four years ago, or any other rising designer, advice I’d say don't be afraid to take risks and don't try to please anyone else but yourself. Work on your own projects and believe in your vision. 

What do you have planned for after the Drop?

Sammy Does: I'm working on a commission for the Design Museum Den Bosch, which is huge. Last year, I worked on prosthetics for an upcoming film, which I can't talk about yet. On set, we transformed this beautiful model into an alien persona – I designed and printed maybe 200 hexagon-shaped scales and plated them all over her body. The museum bought it and commissioned me to make an installation.

With my wearable pieces, I want to go bigger, more sculptural. Maybe a crown or a headpiece.

I want to be the next 3D girl. I want to go digital-only, where I don’t always have to make the piece I create. I would like to develop my 3D skills and not always focus so much on the physical end product because always having to consider the practicalities is holding me back creatively. Digital can be so limitless. It’s whatever’s in your head. 

Shop SYKY Drops 005: Sammy Does now.

SYKY Drops are limited capsules created by boundary-pushing designers, handpicked for their vision by SYKY Artistic Director, Nicola Formichetti.