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Home / Craft Product Reviews / Craft Product Review: Ranger Ink Tim Holtz Distress Paint

Craft Product Review: Ranger Ink Tim Holtz Distress Paint

June 10, 2013

I couldn’t be more excited to share with you today’s review!  For starters, I am officially a Ranger U graduate and am a Ranger certified instructor!  Last month I travelled to New Jersey to the Ranger Ink factory to learn some amazing tips and techniques taught to us by Tim Holtz, Claudine Hellmuth, Dyan Reaveley and Mackie Mullane.  It was an amazing experience; you can read more about it over at my blog!  With that being said, I also got to learn a lot about Tim’s distress line of products including his new paints!  If you recall, I did a video demo at last CHA of Tim using these little beauties and even put them on my Top Product picks of the show!  Now that I’ve been thoroughly educated and had a good chance to play with them, I can honestly say these are AMAZING!  Let’s start with the basics. Here’s what Ranger has to say about the paints:

Distress Paints are very fluid water-based acrylic paints for multiple surfaces. Tim and Ranger developed these special paints to be reactive with water just like Distress Inks and Distress Stains—perfect to accomplish a wide variety of artistic techniques. Distress Paints have a convenient dabber system for easy and mess-free application. Use with stamps, paper, wood, metal, glass, plastic and more for a timeless matte finish on craft projects.

IMG_0934

When they say, “very fluid,” they mean it!  These paints move and blend so wonderfully over paper.  Just like the rest of the distress products, these are reactive with water.  But once they’re dry on your medium the water will no longer react with the paint making the layering possibilities endless with mixed media and art!  Also when they’re dry there’s no texture;  It’s a very smooth finish unlike other acrylic paints.  The paints really absorb into the medium you’re working with.  The colors are vibrant,  rich and consistent.  There is a small ball in each bottle to make sure that the paints gets properly mixed, so make sure to give it a good shake before using.  The dabber dispenser works well and the bottle has a gently give to it when you really want to get the paint flowing.  The dabber sponge stays nice and moist as well.  I accidentally left my black soot open in the studio all night and was worried I ruined it when I returned to the bottle in the morning.  Not so!  It was still juicy and ready to use again right away!  It’s also good to note that the clear caps that come with the dabber do not screw on, they just pull off.  So don’t go unscrewing the cap, then go to paint and squeeze your bottle.  That would be bad.  And messy.  And don’t ask me how I know that.

Some of you might wonder what the difference is between the distress paints, the distress paints, inks, etc… that Ranger offers.  Here are a few tags I tried out three different colors on to give you a mix of how the different mediums work.

stain ink swatch

These are not to be confused with the Ranger Adirondack paint dabbers.  These are completely different formulas.  The distress paints are more fluid and while both are reactive to water, even once dry the adirondack paints will continue to react with water whereas the distress paints will be permanent and unaffected.  The adirondack paints have a bit of a “tooth” or texture to them once dry as well.  In the tag below you can see where I dabbed some Red Pepper adirondack on top and the distress paint in barn door on the bottom.  The distress paint is more consistent in color and smooth to the touch where the adirondack has more of the standard acrylic quality we’re used to.

adirondack distress swatch

You can see here that you can dilute the paints to get your desired shade of color.  I dabbed one dab of barn door on my craft picked up paint with my water brush and swiped it, then spritzed the paint on my mat and repeated.  The more water you add, the thinner the paint gets and you get more of a watercolor effect.

watercolor swatch

Going on with some samples, here’s a swatch with a dab of distress paint on different mediums.  You can see that the paint is very opaque and covers many different surfaces well.

Large swatch

I also tried stamping it with foam stamps and an acrylic stamp. The paint works well even with the fine detail of the acrylic stamp.  With these tags I dabbed the distress paint directly onto the stamps.  You can also play around and spritz the stamp with water before or after stamping to get a fun distressed effect.

stamp swatch

There are three new metallic distress paints out and they are fabulous!  Talk about a truly rich metallic colors!

metallic sample

Since distress paints are so fluid they sink beautifully down into metal stamped tags!  I was surprised to see how bright they stayed on ribbon and trims, too!

Ribbon and Metal Tag 2

With this tag, I dabbed a couple of different colors close to each other on a craft mat (a very handy tool when working with these paints) and spritzed it with water.  I took a circular foam stamp and dabbed it into the paint on my craft mat then onto the tag.  When it was dry I couldn’t help but add the doodle circles.

circle stamp

One last little experiment I wanted to try was to letterpress with the distress paints.  I took the raised side of an embossing folder, dabbed a few colors of paint on my mat and gently brayered it on.  I ran it through my Vagabond using letterpress paper and it worked!  You can choose to spray water on your paints before you brayer it on; this allows you to spray afterward and give it a blurry kind of dreamy look.  If you just use straight paint, you have to work fairly fast.

Letterpress samples Letterpress details

Some of you might be concerned about actually “painting” with these!  Don’t be!  You can easily unscrew the dabber top and dip your paint brush in or use an ink palette.  Just don’t use a palette with concave reservoirs or you won’t be able to hit the little trigger within the dabber that opens and allows the paint flow out.  You can also dab some paint straight onto a craft mat and pick it up with a paintbrush or waterbrush.  You get quite a bit of paint with each dab; a little goes a long way!

Paint Palette

I think we covered the basics!  I fell in love with the swiping technique in the video I took of Tim at the last CHA.  I had to try it myself a few dozen times!  I picked one tag that I really liked and die-cut a butterfly into the bottom of it and added it to a page in my Dylusions Art Journal.

Journal Pages scan

I also used the distress paints to do the splatter paint background, stamped foam and acrylic stamps, added some watercolor detail and even painted some tiny attacher staples and let them dry completely before attaching them to my tag.

Butterfly closeup 2

One fun technique we played with at Ranger U was putting some paint onto a foam applicator and gently swiping it across an embossed tag.  I first distress inked it then squished some stickles into the crevices of the honeycomb embossed tag.  Then I swiped the distress paint over the top of the tag and let it dry.

Honeycomb tag

I cut the tag in half and carefully cut out some of the extra honeycombs.  I decided to make a fun card using some Lawn Fawn stamps I had from a previous review.

Bee Happy Card

I stamped the background flowers in distress paint and colored the little bees using distress paints and a waterbrush.  The flowers behind the sentiment were die-cut from a brown bag, dabbed with distress paint and then spritzed heavily with water and dried with a heat-it tool.

Bee Happy CU

Well crafters, I have to say I love these paints.  The way they work with water and then dry permanently is absolutely amazing to me.  My journal and distress paints haven’t left my studio table in weeks; I have had so much experimenting and playing with them.  Distress paints come in 27 colors from the distress palette and includes the three new metallic colors.  Each bottles contain one ounce of paint are approximately $4.99 a bottle.  You can purchase them at multiple online retailers and some larger retail stores like Hobby Lobby.  I suggest picking a few colors you’re really drawn to start with.  I’ve been really drawn to the brighter colors of the distress paints whereas I’m usually drawn to the shabbier colors!  Well, what do you think crafters?  As always, let me know your thoughts, questions and opinions!

 

 

  • About the Author
  • Latest Posts

About SaraCarns

  • Brand New Tim Holtz & Ranger Ink Distress Oxide Review - April 12, 2017
  • Rhonna Farrer Chalkboard Wall Art Tutorial – - December 15, 2016
  • Make Distress Paints into MARKERS! - March 15, 2016
  • CHA 2016 – Ranger Ink Designer Challenge – - January 16, 2016
  • Craft Product Comparison and Overview: Ranger Ink Paints - November 11, 2015
  • Product Review: Ranger Ink – Dina Wakley Media Paints and Fine Tip Applicator - August 16, 2015
  • Product Review: Dyan Reaveley Dylusions Paints From Ranger Ink - June 9, 2015
  • CHA 2015 – Tim Holtz Idea-ology Booth Tour - March 18, 2015
  • CHA 2015 – Heidi Swapp Booth and Minc Video - March 13, 2015
  • CHA 2015 – Beadalon 3D Bracelet Jig - March 12, 2015

Posted in Craft Product Reviews, Paints, Inks & Dyes | 20 Comments

Comments

  1. Brenda B. says

    June 10, 2013 at 08:28

    What do I think? Well, it looks like you have had so much fun with these incredible distress paints that I am going to have to give them a try.You’ve created some breathtaking projects! I love the results of the swiping technique.

  2. Meredith says

    June 10, 2013 at 10:49

    Love your review! I’ll definitely be referring back to it until I can keep all the differences straight! And the bees are adorable!
    xo, Mer

  3. georgia gibbons says

    June 10, 2013 at 10:59

    I love that embossed honeycomb. Is that Tim’s?

  4. debb says

    June 10, 2013 at 11:25

    Great review- these are on my wish list!

  5. sharon gullikson says

    June 10, 2013 at 14:12

    He produces great products. I love every single one I own…Thanks.

  6. Rebecca Ednie says

    June 10, 2013 at 14:53

    Great review! TY

  7. Deanna says

    June 10, 2013 at 15:25

    What a fantastic review! I live these paints but I haven’t done half if what you have with them. You have inspired me!

  8. Tobi Tate says

    June 10, 2013 at 16:01

    Love your demo! Very informative and easy to follow. I am a certified scrapbook instructor for Michaels.

  9. SaraCarns says

    June 10, 2013 at 16:08

    Hi Georgia! Yes, the honeycomb embossing folder is one of Tim’s designs with Sizzix. It comes with a distress dot folder as well! Thanks for stopping by!

  10. sandicraft says

    June 10, 2013 at 19:21

    Thanks for an excellent review and instructions. I havnt tried them yet but will be….soon. Looking forward trying this out.

  11. Izzwizz says

    June 11, 2013 at 04:22

    Wow, what an extensive review. I have a few of these paints but haven’t used them much yet, thanks for the inspiration. LOVE that honeycomb embossing, that’s a folder for my wish list! Maddy x

  12. lotte lustig says

    June 11, 2013 at 06:04

    awesome , these are such great products , really love them. [ especially after some bad experience with the normal paint dabber ] thanks for this great tutorial , you saved me a lot of work while a was planning to do simmiliar tests as you did ,have a nice day, greetings from lotte.

  13. Pat says

    July 19, 2014 at 19:12

    Thanks so much for doing this review!! It was just what I was looking for to help me decide whether or not to get these 🙂 They are just what I need!

  14. Angela says

    May 26, 2015 at 17:05

    Thanks for the review–really helpful!

  15. Sandra says

    September 7, 2015 at 18:03

    Coming to this a bit late. Do you have to wash the dabber parts in soap and water between use? A few years ago I had a Ranger dabber product and discovered the hard way that if you did not thoroughly wash it, the acrylic paint would dry in the spongy dabber and turn hard. Thank you!

  16. Jenny says

    September 8, 2015 at 14:20

    For STAINS I say no. But if you are using the PAINTS I give them a quick rinse to keep them from going hard. 🙂

  17. Sandra L. says

    September 12, 2017 at 14:49

    Where did you get that cute circular foam stamp? I love it! Thanks!

  18. Jenny says

    September 19, 2017 at 16:41

    That’s not a stamp- it’s an impression from the dauber itself.

  19. Sandra L. says

    September 20, 2017 at 19:20

    Jenny, I’m totally confused. The photo shows a tiny acrylic-mounted foam thingy next to the tag with the doodles. And it says “circular foam stamp” in the post.

    ” I took a circular foam stamp and dabbed it into the paint on my craft mat then onto the tag. When it was dry I couldn’t help but add the doodle circles.” Thanks!

  20. Sara Carns says

    September 20, 2017 at 20:15

    Sandra, the foam stamp I used is from an older Lisa Bearnson Kit of the Month set I purchased about a decade ago. I’m sure you could DIY one by layering and glueing layers of circular foam to a thick piece of plastic. (Like a leftover pastry box) Or look for a foam stamp set for flowers, they usually include circles for the center of the flower. Hope this helps!

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Hi! I’m Jenny, the co-host of Hands On Crafts for Kids on PBS and the Head Dummy behind CraftTestDummies.com where you’ll find craft product reviews, tutorials, and craft industry news.

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Jenny Barnett Rohrs is Head Dummy and Pied Piper behind CTD, which focuses on reviews, tutorials, and craft industry news. Jenny has appeared on HSN, Scrapbook Soup PBS series, and is currently the co-host of Hands On Crafts for Kids on PBS.

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