LWD Design Team Showcase: Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Markers, Water Brush & Ranger Papers

So happy to present another Lone Wolf Design Team Showcase to you!  Today I'm featuring one of the staples of my studio:  Distress Markers.  These are manufactured by Ranger, an American company, under the Tim Holtz brand.  And let me tell you, Ranger makes excellent products and stands behind them.  If you ever have any issues with a product, just call or email their customer service department and they will be in contact with you promptly to resolve it.  Recently I had to have one of my Distress Stains and a Marker replaced.  It was absolutely no hassle.  So now you know why my studio is stocked with Ranger products...they are excellent.  

But back to THIS product....Distress Markers!  There are two sets available:  the original and the new seasonal colors.  You can also buy them individually.  Now, I have other markers and I'm sure you do as well.  So why should you invest in these?  Personally I think you should because of the awesome techniques you can create with them.  They react beautifully with water which allows you to really get artistic with them.  I probably use them on every card, layout and multimedia piece I create.  There is no better way (besides painting) to be able to get the blending and shadowing that will make your project "pop".  If you'd like to see them in action, click HERE to see Tim's latest video demonstration.  

  

Here are my tips and techniques for using Distress Markers.  

First of all, be sure to store them on their side.  This allows the ink to easily flow from either end (markers have brush and fine nibs).  I have a color swatch chart prepared and stored in a clear protector.  This way I can easily see which marker is the best color for a project.  Yes, I also have Distress Ink and Distress Stain charts but each medium's color can be slightly different.  It's best to have a color swatch chart for each.  You can grab a color chart for Distress Markers HERE.  

Most of the time if I'm using DMs, I'm also using a water pen.  This allows me to move and blend the marker ink.  And it also means that Distress Markers are not waterproof.  Do not use them on a piece that might get wet...otherwise all your lovely work will move and blend in ways you may not appreciate!  

Distress Markers can be used on all kinds of paper--cardstock, watercolor paper, specialty stamping paper and gloss paper.  Each type of paper gives you a different final look.  To get an idea of how Distress Markers work on those papers, I stamped  (Rubber Stampede "Skinny Tree 8) the same design on  a sample of each using Archival Jet Black ink (which is waterproof) and then colored using Distress Markers and a water pen.  Let's look at each individual sample:

The sample above was done on  regular cardstock.  The markers were applied to dry paper and then the water pen was used to float and move the ink around.  However, the larger background area did not blend as well.  You want to be careful not to add too much water as the cardstock will start to deteriorate.

In this sample, I used regular watercolor paper.  I stamped and then wet the paper thoroughly using a little mister. Ink was applied while the paper was wet (not dripping) and blended with the water pen.  The background blended much better and there was no worries about damaging the paper.  (Tim Holtz recently came out with Distress Watercolor Paper, which I am anxious to try.  When I do, I'll be sure and post about it.  In the meantime, if you want to try it yourself, I've listed the LWD product number* for you below.)

 This sample was done on watercolor paper exactly as shown above, except the ink was applied with the water pen.  This was done by putting color on the craft mat from the marker and then picking the color up on the water pen.  Even though it took a little bit longer, I think that this gave the softest look with the best blended background.

Now lets look at a couple of samples on paper you might not think to use water on:  Specialty Stamping Paper and Gloss Paper.  Each of these papers has more of a non-porous surface than the previous samples, but they also work well with water pens.

  

The sample above was done on Specialty Stamping Paper.  The markers went on it very vividly and I was able to really soften the colors by using more water.  The water did cause the paper to wrinkle up a bit, but once dry it was perfectly usable.

 

This last sample was done using Gloss Paper.  The inks went on smoothly and there was no problem moving them around with water.  Not as easy to thin the ink however as the paper seemed to "grab" the ink.  I was still able to do some very nice shading anyway.  And using water did not cause any paper wrinkling.

Below are some recent SVG files I designed and cut from cardstock.  Using the Distressed Markers, I added shading and highlighting to each of them.  As you can see, this coloring really makes a plain paper diecut "pop".

I used the very unique "Picket Fence" Distress Marker on all three samples to add the highlighting.  This is a white marker that goes on colorless.  As the marker dries, the white appears.  Most of the time I will add Picket Fence and then run the waterpen down each side to soften and blend it out.  If it dries and I think that it is still too dark, I just go over it again.  My highlighting on the corn and tree is much bolder than what I did on the hat.  You can see a closer look of how I used it on the Indian corn below.  Notice the subtle shading at the bottom of each ear of corn and how I used shading to separate the corn husk fronds?  (Check back here on Saturday to see each of these diecuts used on a card.) 

I hoped you enjoyed this Distress Marker and Paper Showcase!  You can find most of  the products I used below plus many more for your crafting projects at 25% Off MSRP at Lone Wolf Designs, LLC.  All you have to do is join the LWD Discount Retail Sales Facebook group.  If you haven't joined us yet, you're paying too much for your craft supplies!

Supply List 

(LWD Product Performers SKUs in red):

Ranger - Non-stick Craft Sheet LARGE --SKU #RINSC20677

Ranger - Tim Holtz - Water Brush - Fine Detail Nib -- SKU #THTIP33080

Ranger - Tim Holtz - Distress Markers Set - 49 Markers -- SKU #THTDMK39082

Ranger - Tim Holtz - Distress Markers Set - 12 Seasonal Markers -- SKU#THTDMK39525

Ranger - Specialty Stamping Paper 8.5X11 -- RIISP32908

Ranger - Gloss Paper Gloss Paper 8-1/2in x 11in --  RIPAP12887

Ranger - Watercolor Paper 8.5 x 11 - 10 pack -- SKU #RIISW39532

Ranger - Archival Ink Pads - Jet Black -- SKU #DPAIP31468

Ranger - Mini Misters - 3 Pack -- SKU #RIMIS22701

*Ranger - Tim Holtz - Distress Watercolor Cardstock - 4.25 x 5.5 -- THTDA39549