The Tombow brand has been around since it was founded in 1927. The parent company celebrated it‘s 100th Anniversary in 2013. They began with the production of pencils and sharpeners and manufactured those for over 20 years. The production of felt-tip and ball-point pens began in 1958, and the solvent-free Tombow marker in 1974. The ABT Dual Brush Pen, originally in 72 colors was launched in 1984. I‘ve been using Tombow Dual Brush Pens for as long as the company has been making them.

Relaxation. When I hold out this tile and squint at it, I get the feeling of a daybed, or the corner of a couch in an atrium. It feels like I could snuggle against the pillows with a good book or a sketch pad! Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Tangles: Chillon coral Seeds Evoke Façade Onamato Orlique Prestwood Scena Vega

Today‘s marker review is all about Ranger‘s Tim Holtz® Distress Markers 61 Color Canister Set. This is a set of 61 differently colored, double-ended markers. I purchased these on line from Amazon because they weren‘t available in any local store that I knew of. They arrived in a couple of days. The markers arrived in a cylindrical plastic container with a removable black plastic top. There were two stickers on the sides of the container reminding the owner to store the markers horizontally.

For the first set of markers, let‘s take a look at a very affordable option: Crayola Washable Super Tips Markers, 100 count. This is a set of 100 differently colored markers. I purchased these markers at a local Walmart store. They were not prominently displayed. They were on a bottom shelf, below the hanging and flat display for other Crayola products. Unfortunately, I don‘t remember the exact price, but it was under $20, which is very reasonable for this many markers.

Ca-Ray-Zee! Ok, this is old, and I don‘t remember what I was trying here, other than to try tangling on a colored background with a different colored pen. This tile has no shading, and frankly, I don‘t think adding it would help at all. It looks like the string had lots of curves, but who knows how it all began! Zentangle drawn on colored card stock using a sepia Micron pen.

Welcome to March Marker Madness! Throughout this month, I‘ll be taking a look at all kinds of markers and sharing what I find with you. What is a marker? Well, there is some variation in definition. Google will tell you that it is “a felt-tipped pen with a broad tip.” Wikipedia goes a bit further and says it is “a felt-tipped pen used for drawing and/or coloring.” Dictionary.com has the longest, most thorough definition, “Also called marker pen, marking pen.

Meandering. Several of the tangles in this tile decided to meander around and about on thier own, creating some interesting interactions! Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Bristol Vellum using a black Micron pen. Tangles: Berries & Leaves Bumper Crazy Huggins Jay Six Pais

Speed. Every so often, I like to challenge myself when I tangle. For this tile, I challenged myself to speed up from my regular slow-and-deliberate style. This mostly worked well, except for coloring the Knightsbridge. That was just slow so I wouldn‘t go outside the lines. I also experimented with adding a bit of white highlights. I‘m not sure how I feel about them yet. Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Zig Millennium pen.

Drive by. I think the Wheelz are out for a spin in the countryside. They‘ve driven by apartments, farms, a mountain and a river! Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Tangles: Apollonian Waves Bales Emingle Flutter Footprints Jalousie Kitl Wheelz

Bamboo! This tile includes the first tangle I designed: Bamboo. While it‘s not an “official” tangle, it‘s still one of my favorites. It works as a filler or a border. You could even use it as a tangelation with Hollibaugh! Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Bristol Vellum using a black Micron pen. Tangles: Bamboo Chartz Chillon Echoism Flutter Pie Hollibaugh Nebel Spinners Vega

Tentacles. What interesting creature is lurking behind the bushes in the garden? Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Tangles: Bubble Love Fescu Flora Lollywimple Plum Leaf

Zen Gem: Rutilated Quartz. Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Coloring done with mixed brand gel pens and colored pencils. Shading done with graphite pencil. Tangles: Chicken Wire

Winter is coming… Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Coloring done with Zig Real Brush, Crayola and Distress markers. Sakura Soufflé pen, Slicci metallic pen, Atyou Spica pens and glitter glue used for accents. Tangles: Aah Flake

Steam time. I decided to go in a bit of a steampunk direction with this monotangle. I like copper and green together and I‘ve been wanting to do more Zen Gems, so this tile made my artistic soul very happy. Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Coloring done with mixed brand colored pencils, Crayon and Distress markers. Shading done with graphite pencil. Tangles: Waybop

How do you grow? I feel like my tangling shovel dug a slice from the garden. Here, I can see the plants reaching for the sun, the soil, seeds and roots! Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Tangles: Fescu Keeko Quabog Quipple Sedgling Umble