I feel a little late to the Distress Crayon party- I saw Tim Holtz share these at CHA, demonstrating these water- soluble “crayons” (they are not wax at all, but a pigment/media blend) earlier this year.
*Disclosure: I purchased these with my my own funds. Some links below may be affiliate shopping links.**
We even took this video:
But of course, one of the hallmarks of CraftTestDummies is that we test and try products like Distress Crayons for ourselves, giving you an unbiased, honest take!
I sat down over several days (and also several Periscope broadcasts) trying these out- and so now I have my OWN take for you!
Babywipe Technique on left, on black cardboard on the right.
Distress Crayons over gesso, smeared with water, and sprinkled with water.
Stamping on top of Distress crayons, adding water to a gesso’d surface, blending onto wet paper.
Here are my take-aways…
PROS:
- easy to use- not very messy
- nice pen-grip style
- color glides on very well
- colors match all of the other Ranger products
- really fun especially with stencils
Cons:
- Not as dense color as I’d like- this especially shows up on black paper or in the direct-to-stamp examples:
- Not as much product in the package as some other water-soluble crayons
- Personally I wish they were even a little MORE water reactive!
- Can be pricey at $12.99-$20 per set of 6. (PS- this affiliate link to Simon Says Stamp has them for $12.99 a set!)
I know you have a lot of choices out there, and I try to bring you information that will help you make an informed decision. (PS- you may be interested in my review of Gelatos- another water-soluble coloring medium here!)
So what do you think? Are Distress Crayons right for you?
Lastly, if you’d like to see HOW I test product, you might enjoy my LIVE Periscope chats or my cached shows on Katch.me. They are long-form- 30 minutes or more- but you can ask questions LIVE or see what others have asked. It’s kind of like being in the studio with me!
- Spooky Spider Halloween Bookmark Craft - October 24, 2018
- Review and Demo of LDRS Hybrid Ink Pads - October 15, 2018
- Review and Demo of Nuvo Hybrid Inks - October 1, 2018
- Craft Studio Tour and Organization Ideas - September 20, 2018
- Wax Paper Resist Background Technique - March 20, 2018
- Comparison of Liquid Watercolor Markers/Pens - March 16, 2018
- SAI Japanese Traditional Watercolor Brush Markers- Review & Demo - February 23, 2018
- Rinea Metallic Foil Paper & Ghost Ink Review - February 21, 2018
- Jane Davenport debuts at Creativation 2018 & Watercolor Card - February 13, 2018
- Creativation 2018: New Product Showcase - January 20, 2018
I have never done water color media – these Distress Crayons seem interesting to try a new technique. I love Tim Holtz products – always something fun and new.
Good video and highly explanatory.
Another product that does not ‘rock my world’ and is not necessary for crafting. gb
I enjoy water color paints and other water soluble mediums and would like to try these. But, I am thinking they will be placed down on my ‘wish list’ because of the price and amount of product in the package. Thank you for this review. It helps me to decide what I’d like to add to my art and crafting supplies.
Tim does tell us in his video that the crayons are not for stamping. He said they did not come off the stamp, even with vigorous rubbing.
I agree with Wendy – I am in no hurry to purchase these, although I would like to try ’em.
I’m not sure how different they are from watercolor crayons from other suppliers except for the colors and that’s not a compelling reason for me to lay out the bucks. I’ll stick with my Portfolios and gel sticks for now. 🙂 I do appreciate the reviews that help us to make good choices, though. Craft supplies are pricey and while i’d love to get every new and wonderful thing, it’s just not possible. Thank you!
Great review, love you frankness. Would love to try these, though I’m not usually a huge fan of watercolor mediums. I have been enjoying my gelatos, so that makes me curious about these distress crayons. Thank you!
Looks like another winning product by Ranger. Thx for showing us what you think and how they work. You’re the best you know.? XX’S
Crayon slick stix seem a better option for me or the Fabre castell gel sticks. Only thing about distress is the range of color.