Like, hum, pretty much every body who is of female gender, I have been in love with the ombré look for most of 2012. I love how it applies to so many things right now; furniture, fabric, HAIR, clothes, ect. I just gave myself a bit of ombré love via those nails! (Please ignore my atrocious cuticles and short-short nails.)
To get the look: Use a semi opaque nail polish. I'm using Essie Poppy-Razzi in Camera. You basically make three layers, starting a bit under the middle of your nail. Then going up for each coat. Using a top-coat once it's dry is a must, since it will unify your three coats, and smooth out the difference in thickness that you might have from each layer.
I love how fun it looks, and it's really not that hard / painful to do. Even your right hand will look decent, since you don't need to be 'that' precise. Have fun!